Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1895-07-09

sonkunn ga vdnuio ouus bbich fu DvoDicn
and on spikes. Some person inside seemed
TO be out Of breath with much blowing Of
tho pipe. Every now and then tho iDstru-
mont gave n cultural gurglo, and there
was Is little stoppago while tho player
wiped his mouth and perhaps took u sip
OF something. the ooDoertina 1till ambling
along with two chord accompaniment
until tho pipe Joined II again. Slater and
James and the other man showed forward
through tho tight knot and looked into tho
room with eyes OF curiosity, like tho others.
This IL what they saw
Benches and n few casks turned on end,
onions and green rubbish bcapcd and
pushed away into corners, "a cleared space
In the middle and largo, cOmcly girl
dancing Wild tarantella barefoot 10 tho
playing OF n couple Of men, while "a short,
squat hag beat the earth with her boots 90
incite the dancer, as friends will run be-
side one In "a long race. The girls bush of
black hair was fast coming undone; she
pressed 10 with her hands as IL TO push 10
together, and down IL rolled over her
swarthy shoulders and breast a cloudy
mass flying up and down, winding about
her arms, sometimes nearly brushing tho
floor as she bent and bounded and whirled.
After while Of this she suddenly drop.
ped her arms TO her sides, her head sank
back and rocked over one shoulder, her
bosom shook like AN uncertain sail Tapping
In the breeze. She cast "a languorous, half
fainting glance around. Instantly the pipe
stopped, leaving the concertina ambling
on with the accompaniment, and ere the
fall could take place squarely built young
fellow In striped trousers leaped forward
and caught her round the waist, gripping
her tight with one arm and holding In his
other hand bottle. Some words he said
In her ear, alternately caressing and
threatening, Ii seemed, while she lay quite
limp against him, her head on his shoul.
der, her hair hanging over him like u
black mantle, her eyes gazing into his
with lusterless, dazed expression, her
full lips parted as one who dreams heavily.
He put the bottle to her mouth, and she
took a little passiyely, as a child might.
Then light came into her dull look, she
raised hand took hold of the bottle for
herself, drank long and deeply with greedy
eagerness, and her feet twitched with the
fresh pulse Of the dance that was arising
In them. She now struggled little in the
arm that held her, and when the man re-
laxed her gradually and returned to his
place she put her hands to her head and
stopped, as II in thought, with her hair
hanging still.
Then out shrilled the pipe notes, and in
stantly she flung her head back and sent
her hair round her In great waves pressed
her hands over her bosom, that swelled as
II to burst her bodice gripped hold Of the
earth floor with her toes and bounded
high, like young panther, setting her
teeth and breathing hard-then down
again, twisting swiftly, shifting the play
ers with her skirt-dancing-danc
dancing as II fire ran In her veins
1t was strange and thrilling thing to
see and Slater felt the contagion OF move
meht as never before. He wondered how
the others could refrain from all bursting
also into action.
With such Italian as he knew, he pres
emily asked what this might be-
An old woman answered after q mo-
ment.
"It was In the fields this morning, sign.
or, that Mamma there was at work, and
the lazy creature lay down by heap OF
corn to take a nap while we were busy.
| Then presently she gives a scream and
jumps up, running to us. We, Of course
killed 1t at once, the nasty thing-bui
| there! It had bitten her, and right in the
breast too. So we did what we could to
save her-took her here at once and SET
her of dancing BY the saints, she has a
good nights work before her now and
Carlo has kept her up to 1t well. My own
son had to dance for three days and nights
once, signor, just like this; hasn't been
the same SINCE though 1t saved him, OF
course. 1t Is as bad bite as I've ever seen,
this time, alas, indeed and SO on.
They staid there for half an hour and
watched the grim sport, noticing at times
red, angry pustule as the bodice sunk
lower toward the waist and showed more
Of the painting breast. Several people took
turn of dancing with her. Then they re-
turned to the vessels and Slater collected
his bets.
Next day the mails were shipped and
the gangways drawn in. And in the in.
terval of silence Slater thought he still
heard faint piping far away.
Was 1t fancy, or was it that Mamma
was still in that squalid cellar with her
lover Notwithstanding for her
| lifeP-London Graphic.