Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-02-24

brass brayed the words
yWS4&l which / have since OBJ
tanned and print above
for Identification by such as know
their Italy better than /. They will
not thank me for reminding them of q
tune so lately epidemic in that land OF
aloes and blue skies, but at least 1t is
unlikely to run in their heads as the
ribald accompaniment to a tragedy,
and IL does in mine.
II was In the early heat of August,
and the hour that of the lawful and
necessary siesta for such as turn night
into day. 1 was therefore shutting my
window I'm a rage and wondering
whether / should do the same for Raj
fes when he appeared in the silk pa
5amas to which the chronic solicitude
of DR.. Theobald confined him from
morning to night.
! Don't do that, Bunny" said he. 81
rather like that thing and want to
listen. What sort of fellows are they
to look at, by the way?'
i put my head out to see, it being
primary rule of our quaint establish
ment that Raffies must never show
himself at any of the windows. l re-
member now how hot the sill was to
looked down in order TO satisfy a Curl
osity in which could see no point.
DIRTY looking beggars," said l over
my shoulder; dark as dark blue china,
oleaginous curls and earrings, ragged
as they make them, but nothing pictur-
esque In their rags"
"Neapolitans all over? murmured
Raffies behind me, land that's char
acteristic touch, the one fellow singing
while the other grinds. They always
have that out there"
, "He's rather a fine chap, the singer"
said 1 as the song ended. My hat,
Hyhat teeth. He's looking up here and
grinning all round his head. Shall 1
chuck them anything?"
y "Well. i have no reason to love the
Neapolitans, but it takes me back; it
takes me back, Yes; here you arc
one each"
, 1t was a couple OF half crowns that
Raffies put into my hand, but had
Thrown them into the street for pennies
before / saw what they were. There
upon 1 left the Italians bowling to the
mud. as well they might, and l turned
TO protest against such wanton waste.
But Raffies was walking up and down.
his head bent, his eyes troubled, and
bis one excuse disarmed remonstrance.
''They took me back" he repeated.
eMy, how they took me back
I Suddenly he stopped in his stride.
! ''You don't understand, Bunny. old
chap, but If you like you shall I al
ways meant to tell you some day, bnt
never felt worked up 10 it before, and
It's not the kind OF thing one talks
about for talking's sake. 1t isn't n
nursery story, Bunny, and there isn't
q laugh in it from start to finish. On
the contrary, you have often asked me
what turned my hair gray, and now
you are going to hear"
! This was promising, but Rallies man
ner was something more. 1t was
unique in my memory of the man. His
fine face softened and set hard by
turns. / never knew it so hard; new
er knew 1t SO soft. And the same might
be said of his voice. now tender as any
woman's, now flying to the other ex-
IRENE OF equally unwonted ferocity.
But this was toward the end of his
Int Lie DcSlunlHS tibI-
ncteristically enough, though / could
have wished for less cavalier account
of the island Of Elba, where upon his
OWN showing he had met with much |
humanity.
Deadly, my dear Bunny. is not the |
WORD for that glorified snag or for the |
mollusks. fits inhabitants. But they |
started by wounding my vanity, so |
perhaps / am prejudiced after all. l |
sprung myself upon them as a ship |
wrecked sailor, a sole survivor. strip |
ped in the sea and landed without a |
stitch, yet they took no more interest |
In me than you do in Italian organ |
grinders. They We're decent enough. i |
didn't have to pick and steal for a |
square meal and a pair of trousers. 1t |
would have been more exciting if / |
had. But what n place. Napoleon |
couldn't stand il, you remember, but |
he held on longer than did. / put in |
a few weeks in their internal mines |
simply to pick up smattering Of Ital-
ian. then got across to the mainland IN |
a little wooden timber tramp. and un-
gratefully glad / was to leave Elba
blazing In Just such another sunset as
the one yen won't forget.
!. 1.-The tramp was bound for Naples. /