The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1902-02-07
THE BROKEN
CHAIR. al +
A Story of Italian Love.

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Giacomo went rapidly up the stairs to
the fifth floor, and when he had reached
the last landing, on which two doors
opened, one at the right and the other at
the left. he paused for moment, drew
key from his pocket and for long time
regarded the left hand door, heaved
deep sigh and then opened the door on the
right. AS he stepped over the sill he turn
ed his head quickly and again gazed long
ingly at the other door. gave a second
sigh and finally stepped inside. On enter
ing his little room he removed his over
coat. took chair, placed it beside the,
wall, seated himself thereon astride, light
ed cigarette and remained thus. watch
ing the clouds of smoke that assembled to
the ceiling. every few minutes placing his
ear against the wall.
He continued to sit there for some
time had smoked more than one ciga-
rette and had repeatedly placed his ear
against the wall, when his face, hitherto
clouded, suddenly assumed an expression
of JOY. Some one was moving about in
the other room. N t'
'She has come home" murmured the
young man. and, in fact, sound of
chairs and dishes could now be heard.
'She is preparing supper" again muir
INJURED Giacomo, and, leaning his head
against the wall he tried TO catch every
movement of his neighbor, for. though he
could not see her, he was happy in feel
ing that she was there and in thus being
able to live next door to her,
Poor Giacomo. He feared that he
should never again behold her. and this
was indeed a great grief to him. At one
time he had been accustomed to see her
often. for he used to arrange to meet her
on the stairs, and there he was wont to
await her coming for hours and on seeing
her approach mt distance of hastily
ascending few steps in order to give her
time to arrive, when he would 90 slowly
down stairs, feigning to meet her by
chance. But he was always so overcome
on behOlding her pass by, ever serious and
reserved, that he would then bow more
awkwardly than the most diifident school
boy and lower his eyes, too timid to gaze
upon her. 1t was all in vain that he told
himself to be less shy, TO practice bowling
to find some pretcXt to start a converse
ton or to make some brilliant remark,
for at the psychological moment all his
fine intentions vanished in thin air, and
he ended by saMting the girl more awk
wardly than ever and on one of these oeca-
sions by even dropping his hat. Finally,
in despair of ever succeeding in overcom-
ing his timidity and emotion and fearful
of producing a bad impression, he had re-
nounced the satisfaction of seeing her at
ALL In this way, thought he, if | cannot
succeed in rendering myself attractive l
shall at least be sure of not displeasing
her, and he had then arranged his manner
of life so as to go out and return Simulta-
neously with his fair neighbor and had
thus contented himself with living beside
her, his existence to certain degree in
terwoven with hers, while she perhaps
did not suspect that such a person as
himself even existed.
So he saw her no more, though he now
knew who she was. Her name was Car
lotta. She supported herself by doing
embroidery, going out early every morn
ing and returning to her home in the
evening. Giacomo was filed with adm-
ration for this courageous and beautiful
girl, who. though all alone in the world,
for alone she certainly must be, as she
received no visitors, should thus resist all
the temptations that beset her pathway.
She had come to live in this house the
preceding year. At first he had only
thought of her as a pretty girl and no
more Then by degrees, living there thus
beside her, he had ended by always think
ing of her and by loving her with his
whole heart. If she had only been willing
to say word or two to him or if he on
his side had only had the courage to
speak his declaration or rather his pro-
fesson of faith would have been brief,
but conclusive-thus, for instance:
"Signorina, love you. Will you be my
wife?" iA ''a 3l5,i. ~
But, then, alas, in order to offer his
hand to the girl it was necessary that the
hand should contain something, and Gia-
como unfortunately had nothing He was
a painter, one of those artists who
"ariser in the end. but who at the time
possessed naught save hopes and whose
canvases found no purchasers. so that
the poor boy had been compelled to sell
his furniture in order to pay his rent.
Nothing now remained save his bed and
this wretched. shabby old cane chair that
was only held together by miracle and
on which he was now seated, smoking
and lending an ear to the slightest sound
that proceeded from the other side of the
wall
As the blind who by the sense of touch
alone can give an accurate description of
the form of any object, thus Giacomo on
hearing the rustic of Carlotta's gown
against the furniture by her step. now
n mn afY.oo Nv ha ell
that from time to time succeeded sound,
had at last come to ''see' her. just as If
she was really standing before him, and
SO would say to himself:
'Now she is setting the table"
Snow she is eating" I
'Now she has finished" ,lt...irf
"Now she is putting away the things"
And then it would seem to him that he
was really sitting beside her contemplate
ng her in silence. JIG HLrt
Sometimes when seated as usual astride
MS chair-his observatory. as he called it
he would close his eyes and give free
rein to his imagination 9.t
''Who knows of what she may now be
he would then ask himself.
Who knows but that she may even sus-
)ect that am here beside her? All, if
he only knew how loved her!r And the
would then seize him to make
'Ome disturbance in order to attract the
,irl's attention, such as the discharge Of
! weapon like Come make believe assas-
in, one who fires a revolver loaded with
,owder at a passing prince simply that
'eople may talk about him. But the fear
4 displeasing her restrained him, and he
4hnk <.l.. ~ - -