The Afro-American advance., 1900-09-29

fortune told for penny! Dear heart,
/ muSt have II done! Dost remember.
Will, lad, how you an me an tn owd
woman towd as We should marry
happy
"Ay." said William. "I do that. An
now one o. these little green birds shall
tell you again.
lie dropped penny into Guiseppa's 3
palm; at her signal one of the spar
rows pertly lifted n folded scrap of
paper aud pushed IL between the bars.
Mary donned her spectncles and un-
folded ii and read in silence. The
message affected her strangely; she
staggered a little and would have
fallen had not William caught her in
time. One hand pressed the paper
against her bosom.
1T says good news comm fro
across the seas" she whispered, faint.
lys"An' now / know for sure as tn
lad is safe. ''
Then she fumbled In her skirt.poc-
ket and took out little moleskin
pouch, so worn that the hair only
H.AhAtifEa t9HlN AAAs
string and shook out the contents
"A sixpenee. threepenny piece, and
some half-pcnee-into Guiseppa's
hpnds
tits all I've gotten, wench," she
anid, "but you're kindly welcome to
It," Guiseppas big black eyes had
filled with tears; one or two triek!cd
slowly down the smooth olive checks.
II thank you, ma'am. she said. in n
broken English hard for these old
folk to understand. ''It will find me
room and food for night
Some young men from the neighbor-
ing village OF GreenIow-in.thc-W Water
strolled up to the cage, and William
and Mary moved away.
Poor soul" sighed the wife. "she
Gamma be more than Is, an she looks
nearly starved. It's cruel work--a
pretty lass like that-~a black un,
maybe, but AZ conely as ever | did
see"
'Come, looye.' said William.
"Thon'rt always hndln" pity for
something. even though II be lame
duckllng. Where be'est thou, for
nowth' Bowd Cloudesley or tn Bulls
fead?"
II be for home" she replied, "I
dnnna feel as II | could talk TO any
body tonight. My hearts so full o.
what's comm. Go you to where you
please. Ill be safe enow gettln'
bnck."
William pinched her arm slightly.
II ne'er were one o. that SORT" he
said, merrily. you Gamma how'd II
again me as | Ger neglected you I'm
for home wi you; we'll keep our
Wakes indoors"
So they crossed the green and re-
turned without seeing Guiseppa again.
choosing different way through the
Hollow Wood and along the Moor
Edge. For the rest of the evening
they sat and talked of their lads
ehiIdhoodof his pranlSs and his ro-
queries. They made surmlses con
cernlug the changes In his appear
anee since he went 10 sea five years
ago; they pictured him with n long
beard of rnddy hue, like the nous
taehe that had sprouted on his upper
lip. When they retired heaward they
did not toss uneasily as they had done
since the post had ceased to bring his
letters. but felt asleep at once and
did not waken till sunrise.
Mary was astir tlrst; the new
strength made her resolved upon TAX.
ing up all her old duties. Before VIII
liam had come downstairs she had
"reddcd up" the house place. As she
heard his stockinged foot on the
landing she took "A basket OF corn and
opened the door, so that she might
feed the poulty A sharp cry, how
ever. brought William 10 her side In a
moment. He found her on the thres.
hold, gazing bewildered at the sleep
Ing figure of Giuseppe. who reciined
ia corner Of the porch. A broken
hurdy.gurdy and cage crushed out
side. and In hollow of her gaudlly-
ot all shape lay On the flags nj her
side, and In the-hollew of her gaudliy-
aprone lap lay two poor stiG Java
sparows
ats tn foreign weneh," said Will
liam. "Mcrey on us, how game she
here, wi her music box all smashed,
an her little birds ARE dead as stones."
Mary lifted the girls head dress.
which had fallen forward The dark
face was all stained with tears, The
old wuman's touch. gentle as il was.
wakened plaintive little moan, Gui-
srppa's eyes opened. and she began to
sob so bitterly that William stole away
on tiptOe.
YOU'D best manage her yourself.
Mary. love" he said. II cannot bear
10 hear IT,"
Then he hurried away, with his hands
pressed to his ears, whilst Mary knclt
beside Gulseppa, aud, putting her arm
around her waist, she drew her gently
To the house.
"What is II, my prettyF" she said
soothlngly. How came you here, an
what's happened to- your hirds2"
tiuiseppa's tumHituous weeping
ceased soon. and she told the old wou-
an a pite0as story of how same drunk.
en- men from Greenlowin.the.W Water
had taken her huruV suur1y aud kicked