The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-08-08
The .Enis,


whose intense heat caused the boiled cab
bage odor. which always chung TO the
long narrow hallway, to be more pro-
nounced than ever. But this was little
world Of its own. And the fact That he
was an outcast from this world brought
a sharp pang Of bitterness beneath MS
faded blue blouse.
Down the street came q pair Of black
horses, tandem fashion, guided By driver
IN blue and gold livery. Nearer and nearer
they approached, until directly opposite
they came to an abrupt stop. The foot
man descended from his elevated position.
1 the lady alighted and entered the house,
leaving young girl the only occupant OF
the carriage.
The organ grinder looked upon this
scene fascinated; here were beings VINO
| played a part In that other world, ana
how that young girl looked Ike Asrg2-
retta; Margaretta synonymous to sunny
Italy. To be sure, Margretta was only q
waitress In restaurant and wore gayly
decorated turban and long yellow ear
rings, while the young girl opposite, In
| her costly silks, was the offspring OF one
Of the richest and most influential fam
| lilies, but to the man sitting on the curb
stone they looked alike, and feeling OF
worship for the unknown maiden took pos
session of him on account Of this fact.
Margretta! How the name brought to
him a train Of tender, loving memories;
memories that now formed the brightest
part of the mans existence. Three Yeas
before he had left Margretta and Italy
to come to America, where he was to- earn
money enough to- send for her. and then
we'll then would come the reward for
the long, patient waiting. One year. two
years, and now the thifd year had passed,
and he was still alone in the neFhome.
Day after day he had furnished music
faithfully, and, well. the public-well, they
had listened and applauded, but often
times forgot to pay the piper.
Three months before he had received an
angry letter from Margretta- She had
found some gray hairs midst her raven
tresses, and she wished him TO under
stand that a good-looking waiter by the
name OF Josef delayed from asking her to
be his wife because she gave him no en-
eouragement. o, If he wanted her he
had better send for her at once.
save a tightening Of the lips the pett-
liant letter was read in silence. He had
replied telling her how he had saved, but
times were hard and the pennies accumu-
lated slowly. II she would only wait a
few weeks longer everything would and
must come out all right. But the eeks,
too, had slipped by. and although he was
now living on only one meal a day in
order to reduce expenses, the end seemed
as far OF as ever. The hopelessness of
the struggle, the giving up Of well-laid
plans, seemed harder than ever midst his
present surroundings, and he drew forth
once more his red bandana and wiped the
tears that slowly coursed down his grimy
cheeks.
Suddenly thought flashed through his
mind like ray OF light In utter dafl<nesssI
The Sunday before he had wandered into
the little italian church on Italy corner,
and the minister had preached in the
mother tongue from the text, TASK and 20
shall receive, that yotir joyfrnay be full"
He explained that Christ said ask, and
then left a blank that We might I'LL to
suit ourselves. This was the thought m.
pressed on the congregation. and II |
haunted one listener The rest Of that day.
II he could petition, God for anything and
have it, why not askfo Margretta? Be-
ing sensitive. his surroundings always IN
fiuenced him IN a marked degree, and In
the solemn stiffness of the church he re-
solved that he would pray, but once OUT
side the rush OF the business world and
the spirit of money gathering obliterated
this desire from his memory.
But today, when his troubles seemed
heavier than he could bear alone, he in |
stinctively turned to one for help, and
then the half-formed resolution of Sunday |
became a certainty, and. folding his dirty |
hands, he murmured in broken English:
20, God, you tells me to ask; / do.
ask for Margretta- You tells me give, so |
l.
The prayer was never finished. A rat
tie and a clang, and around the corner |
came a fire engine at full speed. The |
noise coming so suddenly in the death |
like stiffness Of the neighborhood. startled |
the horses standing by the opposite curb, |
and, Notwithstanding the restraining hand |
of the driver, they leaped and pranced in
terror and threatened every minute to
break away from all restraint and dash |
in wild run.
The organ grinder realized the danger
and probable loss Of life. One moment
he hesitated; life was sweet even to him. |
Then he saw the young patrician, with |
big brown eyes, clinging in /
terror to the velvet cushions, and with
one spring he leaped across the street
His hands were rough and strong. AMI
the brides he held the beasts
under control while the engine rushed by.
But not before the rear brute, mad with !
fright, made a wild plunge toward his
captor and the organ grinder fell to the
ground in a limpless heap.
Tenderly the group of excited servants
lifted hfs poor bruised body from the
ground and carried him up the stone steps
and through the richly furnished hallway,
few minutes before. A smile crossed his
face once, as II he understood the incon-
gruity between himself and his surround
lngs. and then, noticing the fearful, dark
haired maiden bending over him, he muir
INJURED:
'<darG-er-er"
That was all.
Nothing to identify him save q small
piece OF paper on which was written in
a large uneven hand "a Rue street" Rue
street was in the heart Of the Italian col
ony, but for once the dignided butler for
got the usual contempt he entertained
FOR this locality and proposed to the foot
man that they should call there and find
put about the stranger.
One OF the maids remenSered that she
had seen him sitting on the carbstone
quite while before the accident happened
and that he had hand organ with him.
So they Brought over this silent friend
and companion of many years, and laid
i beside the dead man. his comrads In
aeath-
The news spread rapidly through the
tenement on Rue street ard a number of
iark-faced Italians stood around the door.
conveFsing in the mother tongue.
rhey said his name was Manuel Cassie.
znd that he had come from Italy about