The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-10-14

would Qety the keeueAt-eyeQ lover 10
detect his mistress Il she knelt with her
back TO him among the hundreds OF
other women, all In black skirts. and
each in black ghonella, which covers
the head and falls to the waist. But
he had eyes for one little figure only,
and when high mass was over and the
chairs Gathering as they were pushed
aside over the marble paving, PaOllna's
eyes wandered in our direction for an
Instant, before she followed her stout
mother homeward.
Soon after this, Il was known to all
OF US that 'Cen5ini Of the Green Boat
had proposed to little PRollna of the
House Of the Bay. OF course II had
all been dOne-so far as the gOsBlps
knew-ln proper fashion. Old Maria,
the go-between and my landlady, had
called on Paolina's mother one evening
after shutdown, and had introduced the
subject most discreetly. being remind
ed OF 'Cenzlnl, so she said, by seeing
him pun across to Valletta, as she came
around past Bighl Sally port. Not only
handsome fellow, she observed. but
with heart Of gold, and, so she un-
lerstood. expectations from his child
less uncle at GoEo. 1t was even said
that Dammit. the pilot. would like him
| for his daughter, Zen: and everybody
knew that a pilot would not take for
his son-in-law, boatman who was only
q boatmAn. Paolina. the little hussy,
was growing. she noticed. Children
do grow" the mother Of Paollna OBJ
served sententIous1y. "and the girl Is
Just getting to be of use. Paving for
I her keep, one may say. and useful In
fetching and selling the fruit. One
gets fat, and a girl moves more easily
| than an old wife in such heat"
! "old wife! Santa Maria!" retorted
4 Maria. calling upon her namesake, and
| throwing up her hands in protest. at
was but last Sunday. after early mass.
l that Giuseppe FalZon, standing at the
l'door OF his wine-shOp. said the signora
and little Paolina were sisters. But
| Paolina Is yet too thin. he said. This
to me as stood waiting for the thief
| Muscat to take penny of the price Of
! the piece OF Kid that wished for my
Englishman's dinner.
"Guiseppe Falzon had been his own
| customer" the mother Of PnOiina de-
clared with n wave Of her fan. He lies
like Creek
IF he never told greater lie than
that" insisted old Maria, warmly, rls-
ing as she spoke. why he would so
straight to Paradise from his bed!
Well. good night, Signora. Let little
/ Paollna remember that summer soon
goes. Figs. too, are bought and sold
only In the morning." and with this
parable she left and came home, and
told me all about It while l ate my
supper-standlng. as she often did, half
way between the table and the door.
! and declaring, with every other breath.
I that the Slgnor must eat his meals in
4 peace, and that she had a hundred
4 things which must be done at once.
I When suggested that all this CONVEX
sation did not amount to much. she
/ retorted:
''Poohi You English! The mother
OF Paollnn will talk 1t over. and VIII
expect me again next week"
So in the wine-shop OF the. cOmpll-
mentary Giuseppe Falzon and in the
Z pharmacy across the square which was
/ a rendezvous for our upper ten, we
| talked. languidly because Of the pre-
vailinR sIrocco wind. Of the cOurtship Of
| 'Cenzlnl and Paolina. I'VE" of course
( In this case refers to the stronger sex
only. The women had far too much
( self-respect to dream Of chattering In
! such places. But, sitting at their own
I doors in the hot evenings. and cluster
! ing like so many black beetles inter
/ mass-their heads together, and their
!. faces hid by their ghonelll-they decid-
ed. according to Maria, that 'Cenzlni
was long way too good for little Pao-
| lima.
''Dlo mlo!" as old Maria explained an
! Rrily to me after she had been at the
small House OF the Bay a second time.
I Consider that uncle at Coco! He has
chestful Of dollars. They say that he
found the treasure Of the old knights.
/ What are they that they do not make q
fiesta for him?"
/ It was evident that negotiations were
not n complete success. II the ambas-
sadress failed, naturally her pocket
would suffer, and naturally, too, her
temper suffered at the very thought Of
IT.
They do not like 'cenzlnI2" huz-
arded.
$3.50" Maria told me. with flour
ish OF a skinny hand. 1T is not that"
THE dowry will be all right, l sug-
gested, and found that l had reached
the root OF the tree on which grew the
apple Of dIscOrd. Maria jerked her head
back In so absolute and violent a mega
tive that feared for her spinal column.
They are misers," she told me. "No
Christians. but Jews!'
smiled, under cover Of darkness, re-
memberinE the popular tradition that
Jews canno. live in Malta, 1T IS terri
ble." sald. and old Maria, only too
glad OF an audience, opened her heart
TO me.
Paoiina would bring with her ia
Bile. q bed. some chairs C''nOt many"
said Marla). and n chest OF drawers be-
sides a few dollars. But there was n
great chest, or cassone and n clock
from the time OF the knights. Maria
declnred) which these Jews would not
give up. on their side, 'CenZini's peo-
Pile would not receive Paolinu without
them, ora greatly increased number OF
dollars, and so the match was likely
never 70 be accomplished, and Maria
never TO get the fee promised for sue
cessful bargain.
As tilted my chair back against the
wall OF the house, ! laughed, l dare
say, Bardonlcnily enough.
Sweetheart am going away,
sigh that take you not with me"
All for the sake OF m old chest and q
clock that very likely did not keep half
such good time as the sunset-Eun.
And what does 'CenZini say to all
thiH?" asked.
"sny?" Maria did not know what he
said. What had he 10 do with II? He
was q mere boy. one might say. living
In his fathers home. II was the fam
ily that must decide whether they
would receive little Paollnu Of the
House OF the Bay. and without that
cnssone and the big clock, never.
avoided commenting upon the GUS
toms Of the island as thus demOnstrn-
ted, and presently. ynwning. wished old
~ W.