Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1901-05-30
! FOR LAGNIAPPE ;
y by Elizabeth N. Gilmer.
+ 4
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Copyright 1901, by Authors Syndicats.)

TT HAD only been three years since
Beppo, with horde of other ear
ringed italian emigrants, had landed
in New Orleans, but already he had
prospered beyond his widest dreams
of avarice. His fruit stall, built fiat,
cupboard fashion against the wall
of big Office building, was always
luscious with strange Central Amer
lean fruits with queer exotic favors,
and golden with oranges and purple
with grapes, and all day long he and
Tessa were busy with the customers
who rained a harvest of small coin
into their till. Tessa herself was
not the least of the attractions. She
was in the first flush of her young
beauty, and with her dusky hair and
eyes and scarlet cheeks looked half
sister to the slln-kissed nectarines in
the boxes behind her.
So at least thought Arthur Gray, as
he leaned against the wall. watching
the quick, bird-like motions of her lit
tie head, and her Ceft hands, as he priced
her wares with provoking slowness just
for the pleasure of listening to her
soft, broken English. A bad spell of
pneumonia had sent him south to re-
cuperate under sunny skies. He was
very idle and trifle bored, And-well,
since he had discovered Tessa he had
developed an enormous appetite for
fruit, and every morning for month
the same little comedy had been en-
acted.
Tessa would see the tall, athletic fig
ure coming down the street, and mo-
nent later it would stop at the stall.
"How much?" he would ASK pric-
ing this and that, and the girl, who was
a coquette to her finger tips, would
smile and ask:
"You lik'a da orang'a an da grap'a
vera mooch'a?"
81 like-something else very much"
the man would answer, with a
look that sent the quick blood flaming
ND into the girls cheeks, and she would
say, as she dropped bit of extra fruit
into the bag:
''For lagniappe, signor."
"For lagniappe?" he had asked, the
first time. and then she had explained to
him the quaint old custom handed down
in New Orleans from the old Spanish
days. of throwing in something for
good measure with every purchase,
and without which gratuity no child or
servant considers a transaction COM
plete.
With Arthur Gray his admiration for
Tessa was the idlest of passing fancies,
but there was one to whom the matter
was serious enough. That was Gius-
seppe. who loved the girl with all the
ardor of his passionate soul, and to
whom Beppo had promised her hand in
marriage Just as soon as he could save
up enough money to buy the horse and
cart with which he peddled charcoal
about the streets, and which, in his and
Beppo's eyes, represented the equiva-
.ent of an ample fortune. Giuseppe
had been happy enough and his stri-
dent voice calling: "Charcoal, char
c-o-o-oal," early and late, had thrilled
with love and hope, as if every intoHa
ton brought Hill closei " Acs9o anu
the little home for which he was work
ing.
But since the coming of the stranger
who had noticed Tessa so much every
thing was changed. The girl had
grown cold, and the little home seemed
a long way off. It takes long time,
when one must save money by the
penny, and he grew discouraged.
Worst of all. he had seen Tsssa flush
with pleasure when the American bent
over her one day. and the mere remem-
brance set his jealous soul on fire.
The climax had come one night
when, moody and sullen, he had re-
preached Tessa with being in love with
the handsome stranger and had de-
nanded to know where she had gotten
a little trlnket she wore.
The girl turned on him with sudden
fury.
'Nother Of God" she cried, in Ital-
ian. but you are not my master yet
"Bsh," he retorted, you are but
woman to h bought like all other