The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-04-04

| "a, lighting a little oil wick under a print
| of the Madonna.
"Hushp said the priest severely. point
ing to the bed.
Paolina went up first to the loft where
he slept, took his Sunday clothes, and
| rolled them up in a bundle. Then he went
| downstairs, set the ladder against the
wall where his plum tree grew, and began
10 gather the plums. These were the
| largest number the tree had yet borne. He
had kept them carefully from rot and
caterpillar and his sisters eager fingers.
lie had always said to himself, "They,
shall be for mother. They shall get her
good food as far as they cam"
He had intended to gather them on the
following Sunday and take them and sell
them in the town, and bring her back
meat and wine. And now he meant to
sell them to help to bury her. To keep
| her from the pauper funeral she had dread
! ed
They would not bring very much. but
perhaps he thought with what his clothes
would fetch II would suffice.
| When gathered they filled a goodiy basl-
et-beantiful. golden, Clearly fruit. free
from bruise or blemish
The women who came to lay out the dead
saw him on the ladder. and cried out;
What! At work, and your mother
scarce cold on her bed? File! For shame OF
| you, Paolinav'
| every plum on the tree.
Than he took up the basket and the
| bundle and walked towards the town
gates, from which he was distant about
| two miles.
He walked quickly over the dust OF the
hot summer day. IT was early still, and
he passed people he knew going towards
the town, but he took no notice of them.
Al the gate there was great press and
| great struggle, the string OF carts, live
cattle and poultry. loads of wood and
straw, numbers of country people with
eggs and butter, vegetables, homespun
linen.
Here he was made to wait a long time
| When his plums were at last weighed and
the duty on them paid the sun was much
| higher in the heavens. =
At last he was allowed to pass and go
down the long ancient street leading to
the center of the town, where the market
was. But the thought struck him that IL
| he could sell them not In the market but
to passers by or at the doors of houses, he
would make more money by them, for
| market prices are always low. His plums
were fine and would take the eye and the
fancy of ladies and children. So as he
drew near the end of the street, he began
to cry, 'Plums, fine plums. Who will buy
plums to-day?'
He was good looking lad, like the
young men, of Signarelll, Orvieto, and his
eyes were so brimful of sadness, of a grief
which could not weep and would not
| speak, that women as they passed turn
| ed and looked at him, and two of them
bought vine leaf laden with greenra ges
| from his basket. Seeing that, others came
out OF their shop doors and bought also.
so that before he had got quite to the end
| of the street his basket was nearly empty.
and the buyers had not beaten down the
price, but nearly all paid literally.
He had a whole handful OF copper
money and one young girl, a milliner.
passing by with a bandbox, had taken
| some plums and slipped a franc IN his
hand, because his sad wistful eyes were
like those Of a man she loved, who was in
Africa.
With not more than q pound OF fruit
left in his basket. he went on to the
bridge, raising his harmless cry to attract
the attention of passing citizens If he
| got a good price for his clothes, he
thought he would be able to pay for the
coffin at once, and they would wait, with
the priests aid, for the fees and the
ground.
With his eyes he saw the people moving
| around him and the sun shining on the
| pavement, and the water gliding under
the bridge; but with his brain he only
saw the pale dead face of his mother,
ana with his ear he only heard her voice
Mechanically he continued to cry aloud.
"Plumsl Fine plums! Who will buy?'
Hearing that cry, two communal
guards coming over the bridge turned
and looked at him and spoke to one an
other. little child had just stopped her
father before the plum basket which Pa
DINA lowered on to the stones that she
might be able to see into IT, when the
guards stopped in front of him.
you have license to sell in the streets?'
said one of them. Paolina looked up. not
comprehending the question, and his face
grew dark and hard as he saw by their
garb who they were. They repeated the
question angrily.
THE fruit is my own. / grew H." he
answered, and bent down to give the
child dozen plums With a stroke of his
sword one of the guards turned the bas-
ket over and sent the remaining fruit roll
ing in the dust
"You are selling in the streets without
license You must come with u.s." they
said to him. and without more preface put
their hands on his collar, one on each side
OF him.
The little child screamed, the passers-
by stopped. the traffic was suspended.
What has the Lad done7" asked for
elgner
THAT Is no business of yours" said the
guards.
brigadier, Fastening up, explained:
re IL ulStuTDlnB tne pubic ana hawking
fruit without a license; therefore he
must come before the ccmmissary We
have has name down. he Is dangerous; he
was In trouble and disorderly a few
months ago"
Paoina stood between his captors,
breathing hard, like a young bull tied TO
a stake.
Let me go; let me CO." he muttered.
at Is for her burial She died IN the
night. Let me gol"
There was a murmur Of sympathy from
the people who had gathered round.
Let him 60" said several voices
Someone Is dead. Let him CO."
Eyes, she is dead" ne cried, turning 10
his unknown friends "They took me up
before for no fault, and It killed her. |
did no harm then; I don't do any now.
Tell them TO let me 60 or she will be
buried like a pauper, and II was the one
thing she feared--the one thing she pray
ed against. Tell them 20 let me gop'
A tiger may let go, a crocodile, a python,
but not communal guard. His captors
heard the ominous murmur of protest I'm
the momentarily increasing throng. Two
drew their revolvers and pointed them at
hls head, the third, with a rapid, un-