The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-05-21

may possibly be, In following narrative, d
| lack Of technical details which an exact
| Ing public nowadays demands OF, every
| subject, from ballooning to nose. rebuild
Ing However, initdlc-aged English
gentlemen not ns rule gonF in for
burglary, may claim a certain amount
Of originality which may be allurlng, IN
my performance OF the thirteenth OF De-
cenber, three yelrs ago. IN Florence.
~ was sitting In the Club reading
room, waiting for the "Telegraph." which
old Campcstrl, who understands possibly
one English word in TEN was making
nm important prctence OF reading, when
Bcppino scarpestrctti rushed In, ana
dragged chair with q ficndish noise.
across tho floor to me.
He is m emotional youth, and Ind
often seen him frantcally excited but
Of late hc had been quieter and less
pcstlferous, so I WAS surprised as well
as vexed to see his beautiful face, usually
of the most attractive brownish- rosy hue.
white and lined with some strong errio-
ton.
Have they pulled 1t down. at last7"
T asked.
pulled what DOWN.
why, tho Ponte vccciiio You wear
the expression usually corsecrated to
National Calamity, and as that one has
been threatening"
! "Pontc del diavolo he Interrupted
! rudely, jerking HIS chair against my foot,
"Blont--l am lost!"
| Cold water Is the only cure for IN.
valids staci, as he. During my long resi-
dcnce in the land of hot heads have
acquired great faith In the hydropathic
| treatment. SO I tucked my throbbing
~. ts,1 dSx.S1p Nf,t,f n.
and observed with that dryness that
curiously enough is part Of Mental
| Hytlropa thy, YOU were lost when Comma
Duratesta, married. and when your brother.
| followed the Luccioli to the DRgni d
Lucca and when your mare broke her
leg, or her tall, or something. IN the
stceplechase, and when the chorus girl
] with the ea-green hair
per Carita. Bont," he protested, fold.
| ing his whitc-kid hands, implorirA5ly
this is serious.
"Nothing about Alba del Trumontl?"
! / exclaimed suddenly,
Yes That is it, He was pale to
the lips.
''Then tell me at once. Beppe, and
without grooming. please, And don't smell
your sword. or I can't hear YOU. :" n
spoke severely, and frowned at him.
| SO he Strengthened UP, pulled himself
together. and explained
It seemed that he had made his offer
| to Tebaldo del TraInonti for his daugh-
ter, and that Tramont1 had accepted It
condtionally. This had happened the
day before. The conditions werc thnt
Beppino should wait two months before
Alba, who was only seventeen. and to
whom he had never been presented, should
be told Of his proposal. and that he
/ should break with a certain Tina vas
quero. OF the Pagliano chorus. on course.
/ both OF tho conditions had been at once
| accepted and thus far all was good.
Very good, indeed. for Alba Tramont
! was very rich, and tho family as good
MS his own, II not better. Then what
did the idiot do but write long letter
to his chum. Paolo scnzusoldo "a youth
| I had always particularly detested) who
was in Rome, visiting his grandmother.
and send the letter by mistake to Ira
months! The letter was full Of jubilatlon
over the writer's engagement and ended
/ with words to the effect that though.
OF course, 1t was tiresolne TO- marry q
| child OF seventeen. who wasn't even
pretty, and though he had holy horror
OF Maria -Antonietta Tramont's tongue,
he thought he'd manage to put up with
these disadvantages in consideration OF
the dot.
1 Ibid you mention Tina Vasquero?" !
/ asked when he at length stopped, and
i looked at me with tragic. doggish eyes.
He shrugged his shoulders until the
silver fringe OF his epaulette danced IN
i the electric light.
"Of course did. There's no cursed
imbecility left unsaid. You know
Paolo; one says that sort OF thing 10
him" j. l
what did you say about Tina Vas
ouero?" / persisted inexorably.
I. N"I said-Oh, DIo!--I said that that
was all up, but that-'there are ozzers !
This choice bit of American slang was
! very popular in Florence Just then, ana
he uttered In what he considered Eng
4 lsh.
..Eut II didn't mean 1t, Blont," he
added. eagerly, before + could speak, Il
4 am a gentleman-only-one writes that
way to Pn0lo.
"PaoIo may have an apopIexy for what
l care. Tell me now. When did tho
1 letter reach Tramonti?"
ut hasn't reached him at ALL yet.
only posted 1t half an hour ago. ana a ~
\ covered my imbeclity on opening the
/ envelope addressed to Paolo-idiot. creti1.
animal that l am!
i There seemed nothing to do. He had
got himself into hopeless mess ana
would have to bear the consequences as
best he could. j.
I'll was to dine there Tonight" ne
| went on plteOusly, Dut ucH S ua.lo AZ
She was to appear in society Tor the
first time" !.
As he spoke, the clock struck half
"BeppIno! Isn't there to be a ball
there tonight? 1t seems to me havs
card to one
i eyes. yes. Her first BALL"
d know tho Tramonti very well, and J
& know the habits OF the house.
"Tramont! will have dozen letters
by the nine o'clock post" said, "and
they will be put on his stray laple IN
M after dinner Then he'll excuse him-
self from the smoke room. and look over
letters hastily to see whether there are
any Of Importance. The important ones
. he will answer at once. should say
that he might find yours an Important
Beppino groaned. tears stood in his
eyes. ,,or,,
~ always meant 10 marry very