Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-03-12
Luigi's Good Fortune By FRANK H. SWEET
lCopyrisht, lyOs. Dy Joseph :. BovIes. }
Author of The Capture of the
 Expedition" etc.

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 Luigi ran his push-cart into an al- ley, looked sharply to the right and left, then stepped behind the cart and took his money from his pocket and counted 1t anxiously. Seventy-two cents-three lira and half. At home a lira would keep him. with prudence, for whole week; here. 1t took lira to pay for his corner of room for a single night. and another lira for the rent of his push-cart. And Rhetta's mother had told him he must never finger at their fruit counter again un- til he could show at least a hundred lira.
 A long, hopeless sigh started from the depths of his chest. only to be cut in half by a vigorous thump of his fist upon the push-cart. That was how the man had done when he shoutcd to them from the top of barrel the night before, telling how the straight road to the presidential chair was through voting for the right alder man. It was good, strong, vigorous way, "get there" way, as the man had said; and once more Luigi's small Italian fist came down with the big American thump. Did he not have the three and half lira already, and was dot his cart rounded into pyramids with fresh fruit-two whole punches of banan', cut into five and seven and twelve fingers, to fit various needs, with half of an American box of or anges. and apple and peach and g-r-rape? He would hurry back and make the hundred lira in the quick New York way. and then take it to Rnetta's mother to buy fruit for their stand. A stand was more lordly than a cart, and he and Rhetta would stay behind the counter and hold hands and sell, while the shrewd old mother did the buying and looked after their whole room-or perhaps two rooms as they became rich.
 A vigorous push sent the cart from the alley back into the midst of the clashing turmoil of obiurgation and wheedling and disputing. the lodging of wagons and horses feet and the el- lowing of competitors. Luigi's eyes were bright and his checks flushed with the vigor of his thoughts, but some how, in this maelstrom of trafilc, the attaining of the purpose did not seem SO easy as it had back there in the al- ley. All these keen-eyed, crowding vendors were after the same thing money, money, money; and they were veterans in the pursuit, while he was but a newcomer Could he hope to grasp the hundred lira in the wild scramble?
 All the good corners were occupied, all the eligible places along the curbs and at the crossings. AS he pushed his cart in toward the sidewalk from time to time, or sought place near a corner. in hope of customer he was scowled at and thrust and threat. ened aside. These were their places. they said. He must go and ind some unoccupied spot.
 DO he pushed on and on. keeping as close to one or the other sidewalk as he dared, and seeing customers pur- chase from carts adjoining without so much as noticing his entreating voice and beckoning fingers. But of course it was natural Where there were so many carts. people bought from the mos. convenient.
 However. Luigi had one quality for success which few of his competitors possessed, and that was liberality. He had never heard of the great French banker Lafitte, who was so kind d-hearted and generous that he was a universal dupe. yet who. be- cause of this very quality, rose from a poor boy to be one of the richest and most influential men of France; or of many other great men whose chief cause of success was the liberality that brought them friends and patron age. Indeed, if Luigi had paused to consider his generosity as business factor, he would have felt depressed and very likely taken himself to task for the failing. When he gave bana- mas and oranges to big-eyed street urchins whom he caught watching his cart hungrily. 1t was through a mo- mentary kindly impulse. without thought of the past pr future. But then Luigi was only IS and but three months in Elizabeth street. and the warmth of his own sunny Italy vas stiil in his heart and eyes and voice.
 At length he stopped in the very busiest part of the street. with two carts between him and the curb. He had not made a sale in an hour and. if no better. this spot could certainly be no worse: 1t certainly would aford him more things to look at.
 Among these objects were presently two weazen faced children. scarcely old enough to be away from their mothers skirts. They were standing near the end of his cart. holding hands. their big. hollow eyes fixed hungrily upon the fruit
 Luei did not hesitate an instant Sc lecting the two largest of the oranges and bananas from his cart he gave them 10 the children. and then stood watch ing the wondering. incredulous eyes snd the almost savage joy with which they began to devour the fruit
 He was too absorbed to notice upon the sfaevs1k a group of persons vho had just left a carriage to -see- the