Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-12-10
Copyright. 1900; Daily Story Pub. Coz

1t was only Toni, the "Dago' fruit
vender, plying his trade in the street. 1t
was a dTeary morning, cloudy overhead,
and underfoot slick and shining with the
sleet, while a bitter wind made those who
faced it walk with bowed heads and shut
teeth 1t nipped Toni sharply, and the
push-cart was hard to manage on the
icy stones, but still he whistled his soft
little air as he trudged onward; for had
he not the thought of Comma to keep
his heart algow? That very morning
had brought him a letter written under
the far Sicilian sky where it was always
warm. and blue. and beautiful-a letter
to cheer the lonliest heart. True. Comma
made some wonderful TRANCE turns with
her pen. and her spelling vas at odds
with all the approved rules: but Toni
studied it out patiently, and even the
queer spelling and the uniform letters
had their charm, for they said that Gem
ma would be ready in the autumn to
cross the wide Atlantic. to this big
American city where Father Nicholas
would marry them and where they would
set up housekeeping in one side Of a tiny
cottage way out in the suburbs. 1t was
for this that Toni pushed his apple cart
up and down the street the livelong day,
whether it rained or showed. was fair or
murIy, and it was for this that he
stinted himself to save his earnings.
When the children heard his cry:
Observation-Disclosures" ring
ing down the street they did not know
that in his heart was another cry: "Buy,
buy, that 1 may soon see Gemma!"
And Comma was we'll worth his labor
ii his privations: for had she not the
blacklist eyes and the reddest mouth in
NIL tina Ci.i1i,r ao,ntrv xvnn,a "a,
are beautiful with the s~pontaneity of
flowers? And in the whole world he
knew there was not such a voice for
sweetness and such little hands for ca
ressing. When her parents died she had
come from the mountains to live with
her aunt In the town that dozed beside
the blue Mediterranean. There Toni saw
and loved her: but he was too poor to
think of marrying. In that fair Italy
where God smiled in the sunshine. work
was SO scarce and there We're so many
to share the little prosperity hat came
In any guise. The rich were very rich
and the poor We're beggars. But one day
q Sicilian who had been to America told
Toni of that wonderland over the sea
where bread and work We're plentiful;
and that night he said to Gemma:
II am going to America to make my
fortune; when l have saved enough
money to send for you will you come to
me there that we may be happy in a
home of our own?"
And Comma had answered in that ten
der voice which the heart never forgets:
II will wait, Toni, and I will so when
you send for me, for l love you"
And he had left on the next immigrant
ship and had not cared FOR the privations
that had met him in the land OF his adop-
ton: for ~fortunedid not at once pour into
his hands. It was two years now since
bis coming, and six more months would
go by before he YOU have enough
money to pay Comma passage across
tn water; and six months, to a heart on
fire with longing for the sight of dark
eyes and the touch of sweet, red lips, is
an eternity. But today in the biting wind
instead OF counting the long weeks Toni
tried to recall from memory the words of
the letter in the breast of his wooden
Jacket. In one place she had called him
her beloved, and there was a whole page
devoted to plans for her housekeeping
how she would work all day, and in the
evening she would cook his supper and
watch for his coming. opening the door
before ever he had time to knock. Toni
could see 1t all-the room glowing with
EuuuS hItilSll, Lis VIGIL III III SoZlCSl
corner, and the smoking dishes on the
hearth. But better than all these would
be the tender greeting of lirs and hands
on the threshold. How beautiful life
would be even in this bleak north coun-
try where nature was so austere.
Sc absorbed was he in his day dream
that the cold was forgotten. and only the
clang of on electric car bell aroused him
to active consciousness of his surround
tngs. He drew close to the pavement as
the car Numbered over the crossing to-
ward him, and then he Stacked his pace
that the passenger who al ighted-a girl
with eyes as black as Ge~mma's-might
pass to the curl ahead of him. Then
suddenly he stopped with a queer feeling
in his breast for from further Ill the
street there sounded a furious stamping
OF hoofs and a rattle of wheels. and
straight towar them there came dash
ing two splendid horse on whose reins a
driver was pulling with futile frenzy;
but the animals We're masters. the hui
man element behind but an atom of the
universe.
The girl ave one shrek, and then
stood stock still with the palsy that fear
brings. Toni dropped the handles of his
cart and yelled to her to jump back on
the car; but the car was in motion and
the girl was left to her fate. On rushed
the horses: in another minute they
would trample her to death. While a wild
cry Toni leaped forward and snatching
her sleeve hurled her with all his
strength toward the sidewalk. The i'm
petus from his arm sent her staggering
over the curb, where she sank in a sense
less heap beyond the tread of the iron
hOOfs. But Toni was not quick enough
to save himself: the off horse plunging
onward. struck him down, and the wheel
of the heavy dray passed over his leg
n swept onward. leaving him in a
swoon AS consciousness returned he
heard voices about him.:
"Only a Dago fruit vender, and he's
done for. Lucky it wasn's Miss Yer
non."