Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-09-01
AN ITALIAN REPRISAL
By HELEN M. GIVINS
toOpyrighs. 1908. by Daily Story Pub. oo5

 ing the summer months, he was still possessed by the sense of injury that had been his ever since he had hur- Ried down the slope of the Janiculum an hour before. and had failed to see little Rosetta leaning over the wall near Tassos oak.
 At their last meeting, as she told him, between the bursts of weeping, of her fathers determination to have her wedding take place within a month, Willis had understood the ne- cessity of putting an end to the TO- nance an idle spring day and peas ants fete had been responsible for. @ It had all been idyllic and innocent enough. Being a good fellow in the main, and moreover, not wildly in love, Willis was capable of & sharp twinge of conscience when he realized the child's distaste for marriage about which she had at first prattled happily enough. But Rosetta was so pretty, so full of distress! Who could resist the temptation of seeing her once more? Besides. had he not prom ised himself to speak wisely and firm 1y, as became mature 23 when advis- ing inexperienced 172
 Such, however, is mans inconsist- ency, that when the trysting- place ap- peared, void of the trusting maiden, he experienced none of the satisfac- tion popularly supposed to reward the yirtuous. It is enc thing to confront @ pair of beseeching black eyes, in the role of stern representative of duty, and quite another to be anticipated; to find the play played out and the curtain rung down. without any of the plaudits so dear to self-saerifice.
 Now, avoiding procession of damp pilgrims, in whom the odor of hu- manity predominated over that of sanctity, the young man strolled down the great nave with lowered head and thoughts bitterly intent upon the in- constancy of woman. Thus he did not notice bucket dangling from the end O. a rope until he struck sharply against it. As he recoiled it rose in the air and he saw it was rude de- vice for carrying water to some work men who were repairing the mo- 5 ornamenting the dome Willis ID curled with English intolerance of such methods-his glance following the unwieldy contrivance until it reached a haven under board stretched from side to side of the rail- ing surrounding the dome.
 'The signore might perhaps like to see the work nearer. It Is very inter- esting,'' said low-toned voice at his elbow, in Italian.
 tIrS1.. 7 countering a pair of brilliant, shifty eyes, set in a handsome face of the better type of peasant. s f"It is forbidden to enter the dome during repairs" he replied curtly in the same tongue.
 ''But I have brother among the workmen See, I am taking him the macaroni,'' holding up a small basket, as he spoke. Then, as Willis shook his head impatiently, he added: t'The old sacristan is also my uncle, SO, if the signore pleases, will gladly con- z duct him to the dome"
 Willis looked at the speaker with more interest. Rosetta had once point ed out the sacristan, speaking of his !. great age and of his, relationship to 1 her. Could this young man be the cousin lover against whom the girl re- belled? His good looks deserved a stronger hold upon her fancy.
 "How did you know I understood Italian?" Willis demanded abruptly.
 sI heard the signore speak to a beg gar at the door."
 Evidently the fellow had been fol- lowing him. That he should wish to conduct him to the dome was a singu- lar coincidence but he dismissed as Improbable the idea of any stronger motive than the hope of pos sible fee, and, moved by an unexplain- able impulse, he determined to ac- cept the offer he had been on the point of declining.
 Ten minutes later, stepping through the doorway opening upon the mar row platform surrounding the dome, he heard sharp click behind him, and turned to see his companion cooTly pocket the key he had just removed from the lock.
 "The signore appears surprised" he said, regarding Willis with a smile of triumphant malice. "He has perhaps never seen rat caught in trap. To understand, he must first regard the scaffolding closing the platform on the left''
 The other had mechanically turned to the point indicated. Certainly the left was completely blocked by the scaffoIding; but no matter-they could pass to the right.
 Still that smile of triumphant ma1- ace. Willis made a step forward, but recognizing rather late the value o1 discretion, paused before the steely glint of a.stiletto. Nevertheless he re- turned the Italians gaze without fiinching, leaning against the wall, and thrusting his hands nonchalantly into his pockets.
 The signore will remain without stirring-or---" The gesture was sig nfficant.,
 "I understand. No need to illus $rate." said Willis. Besides there's nothing in my pockets, but the small change I keep for your compatriots