Connecticut western news., 1896-01-23
A FAIR DIVISION.

A
 The poverty in the village was very general, and but for Pietro Gozzolli the keeper of the wineshop might have lowered his blinds and pulled his door to.
 The fishing along the Naples coast had been bad for many weeks, and in Basnio every man is fisherman and every woman a fisherman wife or daughter. And so the poverty was great, and Pietro was the only man who still smoked daily handful of cigarettes and still sat regularly in the wineshop.
 He had been to England, and had come back with fortune, and was in- dependent of the vagaries of the fish and the weather. "Ah," sighed the viii lagers, as they placed their hands in their empty pockets, "what lucky man England must bel"
 One day in the early spring, the 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 go to the northern Fl Do rado. 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? 1f xl lo.. H. would he invite to be his companion and to share his gains? Many were the longing looks thrown to him and many tho prayers whispered to the saints bv pretty ones whose fancy saw countless bright ribbons and sashes, the posses sions of her who should be chosen
 A day or two more and it was known that Tessa Puncia was the happy girl destined to be raised to opulence; and, early one morning, she and Pietro left Basnio for the long, dusty walk to Naples. And the next day they were standing on the deck of the steamer, watching the shore line die out as the sea grew deeper and bluer.
 During the voyage he taught her the words of English he remembered and talked to her about the life in London; how that they were to work very hard and spend very little, that they might have much to take home with theh. 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 even in it's poverty, they were citizens of the Italian colony in London, making music about the streets during the days andspassing the nights in garret in an evil smelling court at the back of Saffron Hill.
 Pietro was the musician, and hour after hour for many hours he toiled at the organ handle, now with left hand, and now with right. Tessa carried tho tray for the offerings of the passersby, and as she was pretty and begged with charming smile, her apron pockets were usually heavy with copper coin when the evening and the time to re- turn home came.
 Then Pietro relieved her of the weight, and counted out the pence and took them to some shop near by and changed them for silver. When there was enough of silver, it was parted with for gold, and something was added to the little pile of savings.
 These savings were kept in a tin box, hidden under loose board in the cor ner of the room. Not very good treas ure chest, but Pietro did not understand the English banking system, and there was no ons in Basnio rich enough to send morey to for safe keeping.
 Three years went by, and the yellow hoard was so increased that Tessa's eyes shone and her fancy wandered as Pietro counted and recounted it in the even ings. "Shall we not go home to Basnio now?" she Said as once she watched him. Have we not enough?" "No, not quite enough. We will stay this summer and go back when the foggy days come"
 (Of course this was spoken in musical l Italian, but have brought it into Eng | fish for tho benefit of the one or two readers who otherwise might not under. | stand.)
 Tessa pouted little at the reply, and consoled herself by going out tc talk to Fillipo.
 | Fillipo was native of Sardinia whc had lately come to London to enter tho l profession of ice cream merchant Bu although it was early summer, the dayl were rather cold than hot, and there was no demand for ices, either lemor or raspberry, and Fillipo was drifting toward bankruptcy.
 His rent was owing and his barrow
 mortgaged, and he wept 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 fo
 years, had told her that he did not hk
 the young adventurer in ice cream ant
 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 mucl
 better looking he was than Pietro, an
 how tired she was of the streets, an
 how she longed to see the blue sea am
 sky again. Would Pietro give her
 share of the savings and let her go?
 But no, that would not be enough fo TWO. Oh, why was not Pietro Fillipo
 md Fillipo Pietro?
 How handsome he was, and he was
 put boy, and Pietro was more than 40.
 She spoke her thoughts, and hope
 came to Fillipo's face, and he took hei aand and began long, eager whisper
 ing. And at that moment Pietro chanceo
 to pass, and saw them, and hesitatet
 tor a step or two, and scowled ant went on. They were earnest in theil
 whisperings and did not see his coming