The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1896-11-14

From the Italian, for Short Stories.
The room which | inhabited at that
time in Via Bagutta was really higher up
than was needful | told myself so four
times a day when | ascended the 112
steps that separated me from the level of
the throng on the street, but because when
one had reached the top there was to be
enjoyed magnificent panorama Of roofs
and chimney tops | staid there. Besides,
in the course of four months l had made
the acquaintance of all my neighbors, and
usually among the neighbors of bachelor
there is some one that he would be sorry
to miss.
1t was there that knew the oldest
welded pair that can be imagined. To
say that Siguor Sulpicio and Signora Co
neetta were one is not metaphor, for be-
tween them they hardly had as much flesh
and bones as an ordinary well set up indi
vidual. But their united ages were a
decade more than a century and half.
And if Signora Coneetta had taken the
freak to stand upon her husbands head,
she would have bumped the ceiling. Now
the rooms in that house are 81 meters in
height-ll feet s inches by the Ameri-
can measure.
Whoever has solved these arithnetical
problems will have before him, should
think, the precise likeness of these cid
persons and sees them, as | do in my
mind 5 eye, long, meagre, gaunt, with
white heads, faces scanned by wrinkles,
with sunken, cleaning eyes.
They had shared their joys and sorrows,
bed and board for 60 years and had gazed
into each Others eyes until the two faces
had grown alike, and but for their noses
they might have been supposed to be
brother and sister But each nose had
persisted ia remaining the antithes;a Of the
other That of the husband was hooked
like an eagles beak and seemed to keep
watch upon all that went into his mouth.
Signora Coneetta' nose turned up, as if
prudently Withdrawing in order not to en-
barrass the good mouthfuls The compar-
ison is not mine They invented it them
selves at the wane Of the honeymoon in u
moment of anger over dish that tasted of
smoke. 1t was the first cloud in their
azure, an ugly cloud that rose from the
dish to their noses and then passed into
their habits of feeling They ended by
believing themselves totally incompatible.
Coneetta spoke of returning to her parents,
and Sulpicio was willing that she should
do so, but as they were on the wedding
journey the matter was deferred. But
the fatal word had been Spoken separa-
ton. The day after Sulpieio recalled the
morning discourse which his father r-in-law
had addressed 20 him-Femembered how
he had sworn to make his bride happy.
A crowd of tender memories of sage rehec
tions impelled him to induce Coneetta to
remain under the coniugal roof.
On her part Coneetta, u iudicious young
womas as ever was, had called to mind
her mammals 5 counsel, the yes spoken at
the altar, the envy of her friends who re-
mained spinsters She thought of the
grief of her family, the secret joy and
false pity of the other girls, aud concluded
that on the whole Sulpicio was not so bad
and tina, it was all the fault of that un-
lucky dish Then the pair smiled, clasped
hands and exchanged the kiss of peace.
But there was a tacit understanding that
they took each other on trial. That trial,
having weathered thousand tempests,
had lasted for 60 years.
Now and then the neighbors were
startled by shrill scream. ''That is
Coneetta r they said And Coneetta it
was. She had way-wheh she had
launched at her domestic tyrant all the
charming epithets accumulated in her ver-
bal researches of the past so years without
conquering the forces of his vocabulary
she had way, then, of giving one final
shrek. People ran to the scene and
found that old Sulpicio had sought safety
in fight down the stairs while Coneetta
flung at him from the landing one last
descriptive adjective.
The first cares to the injured were Law
ished on Coneetta, and we had learned
that these must consist in letting her talk
until her wrath had evaporated. Woe to
any who should pity her or tell her that
her husband was not the right sort, for
when her anger seemed spent it would
blaze up like lucifer match, to protest
that she had wished to marry him and
would keep to him, that what her Sulpicio
was nobody could know but herself, nobody
need teach her to read in his heart, she
knew all about him, these many years,
and he was worth all the rest of mankind
put together. When the storm was over
and the landing deserted, she would peer
cut from her room, look about her, her
head shaking under its big black silk cap,
slip down to the next floor and knock at
the door of Signora Nina, young widow
who lived with an inirm uncle who was a
friend of Sulpicio. Coneetta knew that
her man was very fond of his friend
young niece and she not only was not jeal
Gus, but begged the aid of Nina as peace
maker About the same time the fugitive
husband would return stealthily into the
house. climb the stairs and invade, pant
ing, my apartment. He knew that
Coneetta loved me ike son, that word
from me would influence her, and he
trusted to me to restore domestic tranquil
ity.
My part as mediator was not difficult,
and l do not think that Signora Nina had
harder task. As soon as Coneetta saw
me before I snoke n word of nv embassy.