The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-05-27
eutsEPprs HOME. SWEET HOME.

! mai, VIII MS helmet on the DASH u Ass
bullet head,>was standing IN the shade OF
the peanut stand sarnpling the Greek 5
last roasting. In the gutter outside the
frame saloon opposite a street piano was
grinding out a soul-slckening, ear-split
ting Yahmo." The board sidewalks
reeked with the recent rain and the
| street was a quagnlire OF hl-sneiilns
black mud 1t was past O'Clock. but the
air was sitting hot and sticky The
Greek wiped the sweat from his swarthy
face with one hand, while with the other
he waved away the flies that settled IN
! buzzing swarms upon his wares.
In the shaded doorways up and down
the squalid street. weazen women Jaober-
/ &c and scolded al half-clad. unkeInpI
| children. Barefooted. cunning. furtiye-
eyed boys and girls romped about the
damp cellar stairways From the rag
pickers' wagons, unloading al the JUNK
| shop round the corner. came the stencil
o. bones, moldy paper and wet rags TWO
| boys were fighting in the muddy high
/ way, and from a curtainless. unglazeo
window a fat Italian woman was Shrek
4 ing at them. The rushing electric cars,
| changing by in wild haste added to the
din, and already from the back room. OF a
dozen saloons came the raucous laughter
and drinking songs OF the registering la
/ bOrers. The hot breeze which blew IT.
/ resolutely from the south was heavy with
the smell OF soap and garbage and garlic
A woman with yellow shawl emoroid-
cred with fimsy gilt thread upon her
head, and in her hand a parcel tied In
red and green handkerchief, came down
| the side street, gaping at the house num-
bers. staring at the men with stolid.
widening eyes. No longer young, her face
wet yet comedy with the somber, sun
stained comeliness of the peasants of
northern Italy. Her skirts, too scant by
four inches, her clumsy, haif-laeed shoes.
! the outlandish brass rings in her ears
| and on her fingers, proclaimed to the OBJ
servant policeman the friendlesS emil
grant, frightened and fresh from the sun
land of his ancestors. As he watched her
womans voice 1oated clear and sweet
above the din of the street in an old
fashioned love song of Italy. The woman
with the yellow shawl paused and raised
her sad, black eyes 10 the rickety porch
whence the melody came. Then she stood
as if transfixed, but when the song
ceased and she turned and saw the po-
liceman watching her there were tears
on her cheeks. She started nervously as
the big Tony sauntered out TO her and
said in Italian: Where are you go
ing?'
I'm looking for Giuseppe Gabarino."
she murmured, funbling in her gaudy
skirt for the soiled paper which she held
out.
The policeman took it and read. "Giu-
seppi Gabarino 81 Eighteenth street
You know him?" she asked, her eyes
Frightening.
Yes. 1 know him all right. What do
you want of him?"
Hes my husband-I come all the way
from Tuscany-you know where he is?
Is he near? Am far away or close to
him now?' The woman let her hand
rest a moment on the policeman's arm.
She was shaking with excitement. Hope.
forgotten sorrow, doubt, fear were In
her widening eyes and on her trembling
lips.
Your husband? He isn't your hus
band" said the officer. handing back
her scrawied bit of paper. Il know Ga
barino, but he's married. He has six
children"
Married-children? she said it very
family. very quietly, but the light faded
from her bruno face and q hunted. dreary
look came back into her eyes and mouth.
Yes. the Gabarino at that number is
married: been married ever since I've
been around here There goes one Of his
children" said Radaracca, and then as
tousle-headed. chubby little boy Of
came running down the walk he cried:
Here Petro." AS the boy stopped IN
front of them the policeman said That's
one of them: that's Giuseppi Gabarino's
youngest boy"
The woman stopped down and brushed
back the tangled hair of the child. She
was quite pale, and she bit her lip
Historically as she fondled Pedro's sirty
eS rs and neck. Her hand shook. She
tired to look away but at last she knelt
down and Kissed the resistant boy, who
ran away the moment he could tear him
=
silent moment. Then:
He is like Giuseppe"
Il guess you're mistaken. my woman"
the policeman was saying, but she look
eG UP quickly and said:
"Oh, no. That IS his boy I can see.
Giuseppi-was my husband. He was not
happy-we had no little ones-he ran away
from mo and from Tuscany. maybe il Is
ten years since We made wine, he was
a cooper and could make great barrels
But he was not happy. he had no children.
only work and me. He was tired after
four years and ran away"
The policeman began 10 sec light. Ga
barino was a cooper at the West Side
brewery. But he was also married, mar
ried to a fair-haired German woman, who
was the mother Of his six children The
Gabarinos were reckoned coed people
for the section. They even had a pew In
the aisle at St. Gervase-
Did you come ell the way to Chicago
te find him. he asked her.
Yes / worked hard and have the
money I thought maybe he could be
happy here"
She looked Istlessly down the darken-
ing. noisome street.
what are you going to do now2 Have
Kim arrested?''
What is that?" she wondered. looking
biankly at him and then. as the tears
came. staring down at her frayed and
muddy shoe.
DO you want 10 take him away now p?
Do you want me 70 bring him-to jail2"
"Oh, no. no, no." She was quite stiil
for time. Then: The little Petro Is
very pretty. Has he girl child. too?"
Yes, he has four girls"
The woman sighen and then. pulling
her yellow shawl about her face. walked
slowly away. Badaracca followed her.
suspecting that perhaps she meant mis-