The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-10-12

with their fellows. They came quite near
to US, made eyes at each other and giggled.
After a while this became tiresome.
What's the matter with these folks"
asked our hostess, who had dropped in for
the twentieth. time to look after the fire.
I'VE are not objects Of curiosity. I trust?
do not think look like boa constructor,
nor Is this lady a camel from Persia"
mo offense, no offense. L assure you.'
answered the woman, again Sinking at
my wife: ''she Is so young-and pretty. you
know"
Though angry, I was compelled to smile.
My wife Joined. but her hilarity was rather
forced. Thereupon the hostess stroked her
cheeks with her fat hand and said, in pat
ronizing tone: Don't worry, little one. no.
body shall harm you while you are with
me-" and, nodding in the direction where
/ was sitting, she left the room.
looked at my wife and she at me, and
we began to laugh. 1t was some time be-
fore we resumed serious conversation. At
dinner the matter became even more an
noying. Every man, woman and child COM
ing in made il his her business to pass
our table, stand still for awhile, stare like
an idiot. indulge In some head shaking,
and then withdraw TO whisper with friends,
strain his or her neck, point at us with
thumb or forehnger. assume a semi-piteous,
semi-sarcastic, semi-astonished look, and,
in short. 1t was extremely unpleasant-so
unpleasant that I asked IL we couldn't
withdraw to our room.
ITO be sure you can. I wonder you re-
NAMED so long with US. Oh, how young
and pretty she Isl
We staid upstairs all day. On the NOR
row we expected to be released. But we
received no word. Three days passed, and
there was no news on the fifth day. Then
1 got crazy with impatience-
I'm heavens name" I demanded Of the
hostess. has nobody asked for us?'
ITO be sure" She grinned slyly. Three
days ago a gentleman came asking IL we
were harboring young couple, but I am
not one Of those who give away things.
oh, you can trust me. 1 won't tell any
body. My, how young and pretty she is.
As to the gentleman, he was very mad.
and cursed and swore and drove away in
a fury. / kept quiet about 1t In order not
to give you fright"
I began to smell a rat. How did he
look. that gentleman
He was blonde, with q great big
beard"
Unhappy womanr' I cried. 'Tt was he,
the man for whom we have been waiting all
this time. What will my wife say?"
Your wife? Whose wife? Is that your
wife?"
who else could she be?
look of disappointment overspread my
hostess's fat countenance. Anybody could
see that her feelings were hurt.
Then you-are not-a runaway couple
not lovers?" she asked. trembling with ex-
pectation.
Nonsense! am runaway conductor
| orchestra conductor"
''What?" And the woman planted two
red fists on her hips. "And such a one
sneaks into my house and gives one the
impression that he carried off somebody s
wife or daughter, and 1 gave up my bed to
miserable actor man? And my daughter
| had to sleep with the goats and geese!. If
| you do not settle for what you owe in
stantly I will bring down the law on you
| oh. we have jail In this town, and the
| burgomaster is my husbands brothers
| grandfather. Who would have thought OF
such thing, and she is so young and in
nocent looking. I would have staked my
| life on 1t that she was unmarried. And
now she turns out to be the wife of mis-
cradle fiddler-a mountebank. Calls him.
self conductor! If he conducts the or
chestra as badly as his morals 1 am sorry
for the people who pay to hear his misera-
BILE music
Then she produced a piece Of chalk
wiped off the table and began to reckon
4 In, oil ind af =
| strokes. lone and six makes eight-no
seven. What fool I am. but am so ex-
| cited-and nine makes sixteen" ETC., etc
| Suddenly she struck heroic attitude and
said: Seven lire and IS centisimi"
When took out my purse "a very small
purse it was) and produced the cash the
clouds vanished from the woman's fore.
head. She caressed my chin, looked me
deep into the eyes, smiled, courtesied, and
said: Young man, you may trust me; II
/ won't go any further. You are a runaway
couple"
81 am sorry" said, ''but cannot oblig,
you. We are runaways, but married.
The romantic Tuscan woman again looked
grief-stricken, then sighed, and, wiping hel
eyes, exclaimed: How sad! And she
looked so young and innocentr'
And when. In the evening, my friend:
coach drew up at the inn to take us t
Cerignola Il had meanwhile sent word t.
him) our hostess shook hands with my
wife, saying: Poor little girl! Really mar
ried to COMPOUNDED mountebank. It's tot
bad"
wonder what she would say now of tn,
mountebank. engaged to appear in Gods
own country! PIETRO MASCAGNI.