The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1901-05-30

the owner of one of the countless ut
tie cabs which thread their way
through the crowded streets Of Naples
and are patronized alike by rich and
poor. She hoped not only to own such
vehicle. but to ride in il as well. and
often, on Sunday morning, she paid a
cocher n lire to drive her rom one
end of the city to the other end back
again. Dressed in her pretty Sunday
frock, with a gorgeous yell.w shawl
thrown about her shoulders. and her
ears ornamented with massive coral
earrings. she sat in state. leaning
bacl, with all the grace and majesty
of I queen, her eyes sparkling with
Joy and satisfied ambition. Naturally,
in these outings she Attracted many
admirers, but to her chagrin. not one
Of them proved a cocher. Whether
they came into the world already
married. Marietta was never able 10
satisfy herself And il was remark
able what a faculty she possessed of
finding out, after a few words, e5en
before she entered a cab, whether
the driver was married or single.
linus IHe yours lOlitN ny anu hVl
prayers remained unanswered: no
cocher proposed to the patient Mari
eta. When she approached her
twenty-fifth year-that dreaded pc
Rod of an Italian woman's life, when
she takes on flesh rapidly and her
youthful charms depar;, Marietta be-
gan to worry. She realized only too
n Al l. ion,
TO the rule, and feared that within a
year she would no longer be able TO
stand on her corner and sing to the
passers-by without being ieered and
hoOted.
How would she earn livelihood
when she was crowded ont of this call
ing? She had never attended school,
knew no trade and could not think
of working in a factory, for Naples
had but few, and those overlooked
with girls who received a mere pit
lance for their hard labor. Open Il
fruit, or vegetable, or lemonade stand?
No, for in almost every other doorway
these were for sale.
In the midst of her despair she sud-
denly clapped her hands in JOY as an
inspiration came to her. From
friend, who had recently travelled in
Switzerland. she learned that there
were women doctors, telegraph oper-
qtors, mail carriers and railway ticket
sellers in the little republic who gave
complete satisfaction and were indie
pendent like the men. She had be-
come an ardent believer in the wisdom
Of womcn's emancipation, and here,
she argued, was an opportunity to
test it. If no cocher would propose
to her. why not become cOcher
herself? No one could prevent her
from making an honest living. and
what a delightful avocation it would
be. First. one could have the pleasure
Of riding the whole day long: second,
some one else would have to foot the
bill; and, last but not least, she could
win far more fame and fortune as the
first woman cocher of Naples than as
a street-Singer dependent on the
whims of the tickle public. And if
her experiment proved a success, she
,ould soon amass great wealth and
| then retire from the business.
That was the scheme which Mari
| eta concocted after an hour of deep
meditation. She had perfect conf
| dence in herself, and the plan did not
seem strange, as she had practically
| ived in the streets from infancy. No
sooner did her dreams begin to take
| definite form than she decided to act
IT once. fastening to her landlord,
! the cObbler. she drew a little bank
| book from her bosom, and babe him
| count up the figures that she might
| refresh her memory and be certain
that by this time at least nine hun
cred lire lay safely deposited to her
| credit in the national bank.
For Marietta. in addition to be-
| ing blessed with an artistic temporal
ment, had the business instinct in her
| developed to a large extent. Sine
| went first TO an aunt who had not
'ost all her charms and still possessed
fair voice and some money, and.
| for a consideration, offered to dis
pose of her precious table, bowl and
guitar This opportunity was eagerly
! taken advantage of, and, on the fol
lowing day, instead of the familiar
! form of the beautiful Marietta, ore
| saw a thin. yellow woman stationed
IN the corner, who sang with much
! fort in shrill. metallic voice
Marietta in the meantime was baY-
~aining with cocher's widow for q
hin, scrawny little horse, a ret
tainted cab with new mating on the
loor and two large lanterns at either
| de of the drivers seat, which. aftef
luCh pickering, she succeeded in pur-
hasing for seven hundred lire.
Marietta was in her seventh heaven
he hailed an omnibus which ran be.
ween Naples and "A little suburb, and
limbing to the side of the cocher
| Sked him to teach her to drive in re-.
| turn for her fare. Truly, he thought
she must be joking, but when he saw
he look of earnestnesS in her eyes he
refrained from laughing, being Only
| TOO willing to earn the money. TC
and fro Marietta was conveyed some
% times in the course of four hours
| and at length she felt fully compe.