The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1899-10-28
Maddalena nodded enerretically.

Come away, my Children, he said
land let the goats wander home un-
guided at evening. Come; we have
room for both in the great caravan be-
low there. We go to Palermo, where
the signorina shall dance in the square
and the signor shall pipe to her.
He spread his hands out above their
heads.
Come, little ones" he said, "my good
wife shall feed and clothe you. If Papa
Antonio is ever harsh or cruel with you,
may the little one he gave to Heaven
forget him."
He took hand of each, and the chill
dren, fascinated, went away with him.
Antonio led his two goat-herds to
where by the door of the biggest cara
van n buxom, kind-faced woman, with
long earrings, cooked something
savory over little stove.
See, my beloved, what | have
brought thee" he said. "These are two
little orphans, rescued from hunger and
the whip, to be thine own instead of the
angel we have lost"
"TheyChave no mother?" she asked
already opening her arms.
Nor father. my beautiful. They are
the little children of the good God, and
now they are ours"
A little later the white oxen were
Eonce more put in the yoke. The whips
cracked, the great caravan numbered
heavily, and Beppo and Maddalena sat
snugly within Antonio's wheeled house,
lest any should see and recognize them
and held each others hands, and looked
in each others eyes, full of delight and
wonder at their adventure, and fearing
nothing so long as they were together
Antonio was as good as his word. Nc
father and mother could have been
more tender to the little waits than he
and Teresita.
There was no hue and cry upon their
track. Who cared for them, poor little
human crickets, when the goats came
home alone at evening. At first, the
stick stood ready to the stout peasant
hands to punish them when they should
come. But presently it was realized
that they would not come; and none
grieyed, since Beppo was Il weakling
and Maddalena passionate and obsti-
nate.
The years passed very happily, jour
neying up and down the strange coun-
tries, with Antonio and Teresita and
their troupe of mummers. Madalena
brought prosperity of n kind to An
tonic. She was no ordinary dancing.
girl, no common acrobat. The strength
and suppleness which had made An
tonic call her "Flower of the Air" re
tanned her name, and everywhere the
caravans halted, drew crowds to see
her dance on the tight-rope and dis
port herself at giddy heights as secure
and graceful as any bird.
| But, as the SHOWS and the storms
drove the circus into winter quarters
so the SHOWS of age in time fell on An
tonic. They had all earned for the day
and saved nothing; and the time came
when the troupe melted and broke up
and Antonio and Teresita were left al
but alone with their children.
| 1t was then that the English impresa
rio saw the performance of the Flow
err of the Air." and offered her an en-
gagement at a salary that nigh tool
her breath away.
Maddalena danced with joy
| Now it is my turn she said, "ant
you will go back to Sicily, little ia
ther and mother, and own little vine
yard, and keep "A roof for Beppo ant
me to return to one day"
"Beppo will go with thee, child?'
said Antonio. 1T is well. Are you moi
brother and sister? And Teresita ant
| will be happier knowing he is neal
thee in the wicked world"
All these years, Beppo, sickly ant
| dreamy, had been little use in thu
Romano troupe. Not that he was evel
allowed to feel that his Sicilian piping
was thin as the cicala's song to thos,
who liked the blare of braZen instru
ments.
HE brought love for him when he
came" said Teresita, to whom the chill
dren stood in place of the baby she
had lost; and both she and Antonio
were proud of the tall, handsome, deli
cate lad, who had the look of n signor
and not of a son of peasants.
"Why, father and mother mine" said
Maddalena, in response to Antonio's
| speech, 1--WE have a much better plan
than that; much better PLAN
She blushed and dimpled all over like
a brown pool in sunlight.
1--WE are to marry, Beppo and /
| See you, we have always loved each 9th
er. Before you came to love us, we
had only each other and the Madonna
and the angels. And it is better thai
| should be Signora than Signorina in
the world we go to-"
So it was settled, and the little lovers
of old became husband and wife and
went away with the English impress
| ario, while Antonio and Teresita went
sadly back to Sicily and became pro-
/ prietors, selling the caravans, and turn
ing the white oxen to the pillow.
They looked long for the children to
come to them, hut they did not come, al
though the fond and faithful letters and
the money came regularly.
"a little longer" wrote Maddalena
''and we will come and will stay, and
shall forget that Twas the Flower OF
the Air. and shall be glad to remember
that am only little withered flower
on Siciiian hillside
The performances at the Variety
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