Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1896-02-21
A FAIR DIVISION.

lowered MS DLnub ana puiitu MS uOOI
TO.
The fishing along the Naples coast
had been bad for many weeks, and in
Basnio every man is a fisherman and
every woman a fisherman'k wife or
daughter. And so tho poverty was
great, and Pictro was the only men
who still smoked a daily handful Of
cigarettes and still sat regularly in the
wineshop.
He had been to England, and had
come back with a fortune, and was in
dependent Of tho vagaries Of tho fish and
the weather. "Ah." sighed the viii
layers, as they placed thor hands in
their empty pockets, "vlat o lucky man
is Pietro, and what a rich place that
England must beP'
One day in the early spring, tho news
went about that this man Of fortune was
grown Unsuitable, and was going away
again to make more music for the for
eigners and to get yet more francesconi.
And every fisherman was sick with envy
that he, too, could not leave the barren
harbor and 20 to the northern IL Do
RADIO. But Pietro Gozzolli alone was
possessed of the great sum that was
wanted to pay the steamboat people and
to hire the organ.
And who would he take with him?
Which Of the dark eyed village beauties
would he invite to be his companion
and to share his gains? Many were tho
longing looks thrown to him and many
the prayers Whispered TO the saints by
pretty ones whose fancy saw countless
bright ribbons and sashes, the possess
sions Of her who should DO chosen.
A day or two more, and il was known
that Tessa Puncia was the happy girl
destined to be raised to op1ionce; AID,
early one morning, she AID Pictro left
Basnio for the long, dusty walk to
Naples. And the next day they We're
standing on the deck Of the stc0lncr
watching the shore line die out as the
sea grew deeper and bluGr.
During tie voyage no Taught her tie
words of English he remembered and
talked to her about The iifo IN London
how shat they were to work very hard
and spend very little, that they might
have much to take home with them. And
she, still glad that she had found grace
in his sight, smiled agreement to every
thing.
A week after they had walked out of
Basino, beautiful oven in its poverty,
they were citizens of tho Italian colony
in London, making music about tho
streets during the days and passing the
nights in a garnet in IN evil smelling
court Mt the back Of Saffron Hill.
Pietro was the musician, and hour
after hour for many hours he toiled at
tho organ handle, now with left hand,
and now with right. Tessa carried tho
tray for the offerings Of the passersby,
and as she wa pretty and begged with
a charming smile, her apron pockets
We're usually heavy with copper coin
when the evening and tho time TO re.
turn home came.
Then Pietro relieved her Of tbs
weight, and counted ont the pence aut
took them to some shop near by anC
changed them for silver. When there
was enough of silver, it was parted viii
for gold, and something was added t.
the little pile of savings.
These savings were kept in a tin box
hidden under a loose board in the cor
ner of the room. Not n very good treas
urc chest, but Pietro did not understand
the English banking system, and there
was no one in Basnio rich enough t
send money to for safe keeping.
Three years went by, and the yellow
hoard was so increased that Tessa's eye
shone and her fancy wandered as Pietr,
counted and recounted it in the even
ings.
"Shall we not go home to BasniC
now?" she said as onco she watched
him. "Haye we not onough?"
mo, not quito enough. We viii stay
this summer and go back when th,
foggy days come"
(Of course this was spoken in musica
Italian, bat / have brought it into Eng
lish for the benefit Of the u or two
readers who otherwise might not under
stand.)
Tessa poutod a little at the reply
and consoled herself by going out {,
talk 70 Fillipo.
Fillipo was a native Of Sardinia VIII.
had lately como TO London To enter Tn
profession OF ice cream merchant. Blu
although III was ciL'iy SUMMER, tle Gay
We're rather cold than hot, and Their
wa no demand for ices, either lcmol
or raspberry, and Fillipo was driftin.
toward bankruptcy.
His rent was owing and his barrow
mortgaged, and he wopt as he told Tess
Of another unsuccessful day. And sh
wept too. An exceedingly foolish thing
for she had known Fillipo only a month
and Pietro, whom she had known 10
years, had told her that he did not Xix
tho young adventurcr in ice cream On
that she must not talk with him.
Nevertheless She wept, and told hin
how sorry she was. And as the pit
grew in her, she thought how mu'
better looking he was than Pietro, an
how tired she was of the streets, AN
how she longed 70 SEQ tho blue sea an
sky again. Would Pietro give her
share Of the savings and let her got
But no, hat woui& not DO enough 4,