Santa Fe daily New Mexican., 1897-11-29

poor ola mOther ciung 10 MIN. LuCa strut
ted about, tossing his cock feathered head,
and telling of all the things he meant to
do 'down there" Gigina was gorgeous
in new fowered kerchief and green sat.
i'll corset.
"Goodby, my girl, said Luca, taking
her two hands In his. 81 will return with
a medal. You will be proud of me- .
He was certainly handsome, far hand
somer than little Vanni, who stammored:
"Addio Gigina, May the Holy Virgin
: bless you!'
Early in March Del Giglio had to 60 to
San Giorgio on some farm business, and |
went with him. The day after our arrival
there was great excitement in the vii
lage. The two soldiers were coming home
went to the station, you may be sure
When the train arrived, there was hush
Then out OF third class carriage stepped
| Vanni.
On the step he turned and half lifted
down in his arms Luca
Poor, vain Luca! His right arm was gone
and one of his beautiful eyes, Some one
screamed. It was the buxom Gigina.
The silence was broken, and amid the
ensuing clamor stole away.
The next day at about / strolled into
uuO oio oduucuTdl IL WAS usually empty
at that hour and liked roaming about
in the dusk Suddenly l heard sob.
There in front Of little side altar knelt
a man. 1t was Vanni
Poor boyr' thought "He is praying
for his friend"
And I was moving quietly away when
he looked up and saw INC.
"Ah, signore'' he cried cit is you?"
ff VpS " 7 hot ;,
He crossed himself rose hastily and led
me to bench near by.
The signore is kind, y he said still with
that pathetic catch in his voice, "and he
knew about-it-before. He will help
me?''
He will try" returned "Tell me- "
you have seen Luca signore?'
eyes,
"And-his gold watch?"
Yes" Had not all the world-the
world, that is, of San Giorgio-seen the
watch and heard of the story of how Door
young Lieutenant Alegri had given it,
just before his death, to the brave San
GiorgianoS Was it not in The Giornale?
Did not the village throb with proud ex-
element over the taleS'
"Yes, l answered again. "What
them"
"Ebbene, it is mine, signore-mine! 1t
was who carried il povero signore tenente
back from the front under the terrible rain
of fire. 1t was to me he gave the watch"
But then," l said, utterly at sea,
"then, how has Luca got the watchY"
Because l gave it to him. Dio mio!
Oh, Gigina!
Don't be fool, said impatiently,
but tell me"
IF il buonissimos ignore will but help
me not to be sneak -
He didn't look a sneak, this poor little
miserable Giovanni
A sneak?" I repeated "Tell me and
I'll do my best. Why did you give the
watch to Luca?'
He Strengthened back his shoulders then
and told me.
sit was because his poor eye was gone
and his poor leg. He said to me: Now,
Vanni, you have no wound, you have the
watch, and you will also have Gigina. No (!
girl would every marry a one armed man
with only one eye. 1t was i'll the hospital
at Massana, the day first saw him. the
poor boy. You have ALL and l, your poor |
friend, have nothing. Goodby, / will kill !
myself. He was always my miglior AMIGO, |
said, Il will kill myself and then perhaps
she will be sorry So, if 1 was to have
Gigina, what did / care for the watch2 l |
gave it to him
He paused.
''E poi?" I suggested
"Sissignore, and then-Gigina says to
me: Shame on you, Vanni To come
home unhurt with no honors I will
marry Luca!' And now I am home, and
they all despise me, " went on the poor lad,
"and Gigina laughs at me. She seems to
think it Is my fault perhaps that Luca has
lost an arm and an eye. Oh, DioP' he
cried suddenly, rising, II am SO afraid I
will tell. nearly told them all Just now
in the piazza. I ran away and came in
here.
'Luca is canaglia, said
"Oh, no, but his life is ruined, pove-
retto, and he was motto bello. Only" he
hesitated in his loyalty, II think-non i'm
porta. But, per Pamor di Dio, signore,
tell me, what must do?"
There was something of the fatalist in
the way he looked at me- 1 knew that
whatever might advise he would do
The fault would be mine, the RESPONSE
bility no longer his
4,
said at length. II will take you to Flor
ence with me"
On my way to the station I called on
Luca. He was sitting outside in the sun
in big pillow filed chair, surrounded by
q crowd of admirers. Beside him sat Gil
gina, beaming with pride
Buon giorno, signore," she said "Isn't
1t pity that he has lost an arm and an
eye? But don't care, and we are to be
married on Saturday"
She played ostentatiously with the
watch which she wore on a cord around
her brown neck
II hear Vanni Bernelli is going with
you. Then he won't be here for the we'd
ling?"
She smiled consciously. began to pity
Luca.
Poor boy, perhaps it's just as we'll
Some OF the bystanders laughed, and
1uca twisted his poor thin fingers nerv-
,usly about the buttons on his coat.
"Oh, yes, continued the village beauty,
'he is a good lad, Vanni, but-a girl
ioesn t have the chance every day Of marry
ng hero"
looked significantly at Luca, who was
Watching me from under his bandage-
And it isn't every day that she knows
nough to accept him when she has the
hance, said.
Very Pretty.
South American lovers have pretty
ustom. 1t is well known that when the ,
,%,Io .f H.