Smyrna times., 1901-09-25

aow been dissolved into it, the volume
Oh sound In singing was altogether too
leeDle' The audience laughed, laughed
even at the beautiful Italian eyes. sim.
ply because they were "new''-untiI
Catarlna began to dance. They had
taught her steps for a fortnight. but in
her excitement she had forgotten them.
one Iell back upon the steps her mother
had taught her and upon her genius.
der dancing spoke, it sang, it laughed.
IL teased-yes, like the very kitten with
the worsted-it fascinated. if struck
fireworks, it brought down the house
IN thunderclap of sudden, impetuous.
astOnished applause.
l met her going home one night short
ly afterward. She had slipped awav
and was actually trudging or, rather.
stepping it, like a fairy on foot. Per-
maps she liked the walk; perhaps it was
the habit of the old days when a half
penny loomed vast as sovereign.
She was beautifully dressed, though
outwardly enveloped in coarse cloak.
1t came on to rain, and 1 suggested
we should take a hanson. She con-
sented with the air-in her it was no
aHectation-of a princess, giving me
her dainty little hand. On the way
down Bayswater road she alternately
laughed and cried for joy, and her
whole pleasure was that she would be
able to make the mater" a countess.
''The mater, you know, suffers, al
| fhnnOh Shn
indigestion"
Poor mater! 1 thought of that long
campaign of suffering, of privation,
even doubtless at times of starvation,
and Catarina knew it. We came near
Princes road.
''Tell him to stopw Catarina cried
suddenly. Then with the confidence
of old acquaintance:
81 can't bear to tell any one my ad-
dress is in Princes road. 1 abhor it.
But the mater is positively loath to
leave it,"
"Catarina," said, mo one, hope,
judges you BY
She started up as if she had been
struck by whip, her eyes in the moon
light glaring like those of a tiger,
throwing a luster upon the pallid, beau
tiful cOuntenance.
The sudden glance recalled to my
mind the picture of the "mater" MAIN
ed and bruised from the terrible battle
Of life with her broken English, gar
nished with the hideOus slang OF
Princes road, which she had piously
. accepted as the English vernacular.
"Catarina," 1 pursued firmly, "nC
, one. 1 hope. judges you by Princes
road"
She seized my hand. The tears gush
ed to her eyes. II thought you wer
going to say something else. If yol
had by JOve, I'd "a gone for you"
We walked on in silence till we cam
> to the little greengrocer's shop. wa
, about to bid Catarina good night, bu
she said: Come in for minute an
I talk to the mater She sits up waitin
p for me always. And if you tell her
, danced we'll she could listen to you tel
? ing it a hundred times"
I We entered throughIthe darkness c
the shop pale light shone, howeve
n through the crack in the parlOr doc
: Catarina, a little surprised that tn
4 mater had not opened to greet he
, called out, mater, mater, mater! q
r she entered the room.
q There the mater sat in the old arm
q chair In front of her on the table wa
+ a little painting representing herself {
6 a young girl of about Catarina's ag
Beside the painting was Catarina's la
% est photograph. A newspaper was ST
10 in her hand. Her face was smoothe
a of wrinkles in it's last repose. In Il
70 pale light of the lamp it had an e
10 preston almost of joy.-Biack ar
H. White.