Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1903-12-03
The0ld Signor
By
LAWRENCE HENRY


i was a dream. She was the mosl
beautiful girl / had ever seen. In
| Kiralfy ballet, too; deuced odd ] should
/ find her there, don't you think2 She
was just coming out Of a sea shell, OF
Fomething or other, when l discov
cred her. Such insiDuating grace OF
movement charmed me; but | saw al
once she was a novice, for there was
in every posture a modest shrinking
while in her deep, black, lustrous eyes
1 burned the story of innocent maiden
hoods outraged sensibilities.
But what a dream Of beauty A
! form 1.-THE. sinuous, dainty as a
! nymph's; yoluptuous in it's tantalizing
curves as Moorish sultana, an &c
stasy in every line. Her hair, black
as a ravens wing. reached almost to
her girdle. A poem Of love was her
face. the skin a warm olive, soft, sooth-
ing, inviting, while the red coral Of her
arched lips made the white teeth with
in glisten like polished ivory. 1t was,
however, in the depths Of her magnif-
cent eyes that everything was summed
up. Timid at the moment, but with
mirrored possibilities unlimited; hate
and love, passion and tenderness, in
tensity and languor-I saw all there,
and well, went around behind the
scenes.
/ knew the stage manager, Duval.
Looked him up, and in a casual way,
you know. sought some information
concerning my maid Of the sea shell.
She was on the pay sheet as Fran
cesca PAUL; had made her first APP
pearance only a few nights before;
possessed a father, a swarthy, keen
eyed old chap Of rather distinguished
appearance, whose lowering brow sug-
gested something unpleasant, also
brother. Pietro, no less threatening,
possibly more formidable; that both
the father and Pietro always most
zealouslv escorted Francesca TO and
from the theater.
I thanked Duyal. but as was leav-
ing him he cried after me: Look out,
old man, know you're dead game,
but it's dangerous! Those dagos don't
play lawn tennis"
After a brief search I found my sweet
enchantress in recess between some
stage trumpery, apparently trying to
evade the attentions Of an overgrown
lout of fellow, who, with greasy leers,
was trying 10 do the gallant. As
stepped up I CHANGED 10 hear his last
remark, and knocked him down.
"oh, signor!" she murmured, you
have my gratitude!" and her voice was
like the chords of harp.
"Ah, you speak Englishl" eager
ly responded.
"Oh, yes. Pietro and do, but poor
papa not so well All, but aren't you
afraid that big brute will come back?"
She came close to me, forgot the flesh
ingS, her bare neck and arms; as she
turned her troubled face up to mine 1
caught the incense Of her breath.
could hardly resist the impulse TO
grasp her in my arms and press her to
my heart.
All, those women from that far-off
sunny landl They learn things in the
that some women never
know.
"Oh, you must not spoil IL all now"
she gently cooed, as she shyly backed
away. Then she seemed TO remember
the scantiness Of her attire, for. glanc-
ing down at herself, a reddish glow
mixed with the olive of her cheeks. the
long lashes Of her eyes futtered with
out lifting. Hesitating a moment, she
like a startled fawn, glided
by me and disappeared in the wings.
As she passed low-keyed, breathless
sentence quivered to my ears;
81 am to be here every night"
After that l managed to see Fran
cesca often, always at the theater,
however, and always with the certain
~ that at the last drop Of the curtain
the old Italian and Pietro. the son,
were to appear. This was awkward, |
of course.
/ remember an occasion, after my
sweet, pulsating little divinity and I |
had reached terms of excellent under
standing, that the signor suddenly ap.
peared before me as I was entering the
theater. In tones vibrant with emo
ton he startled me with "Ze wanta to
maree my Francesca? q"
For a moment / was nonplussed and
stared blankly at him, then all at once
the humor Of the thing struck meme
want TO maryland from the corps de
balletl / could not repress a smile. |
"Looka out, signor," he Kissed. "ze
life at stake in zissa play. lis not re
heart of re card, but re woman's
heart!"
Darling al me a venomous look from
eyes that seemed to turn green like a
cats, he lost himself in the crowd.
Well, TO cut it short. one night the
old signor and the faithful Pietro
came to the theater for their Frances
ca, and she was gone. She was not
theirs any more. heard afterward of
the awful row they raised. Pietro was
for everybody's blood, while the old
man sobhed and tore his hair, and
muttered vows Of vengeance-but
they returned home alone.
l thought I had been loved before
I met Francesca. BAH One don't
know how GeucpF fat a claret ;s ,,r,+;I