Amador ledger., 1906-06-29

have concealed it, but with a woman's
skill she extracted it from him. Then
she consoled him and bade him have
courage. Perhaps the Government,
she suggested, did not even know of
their existence. There were so many
people in the great city, and how
could the authoritie; keep track of
them all, she said. Angelina took
hope and went back to his work.
Every day he sought the paper
and read the list of marriage licenses,
breathing freely when he found his
name was not among them.
But Nina, whose mother came from
Spain, thought of the list, too. Only,
unlike Angelina, she sought an ex-
PLANTATION from her employer, who was
one of the Italian consular officials.
He told her that in America people to
get married must We licenses, and
that to get licenses they must apply
at the City Hall. Nina asked no more.
A short time afterward Nina, who
had studied and asl d questions, and
learned that marriage licenses could
be had at the great building by the
railroad station, by any one old enough
to marry who could convince the Gov
ernment that all W right, arrayed
herself in her most precious goods and
raiment, all from Genoa, and with a
friend who spoke English she went to
the City Hall; and there she at length
received the ornate document author
izing her and Angelina to be Joined in
matrimony.
Nina N.ent back to her employers
house and her mistress and those
others who saw her observed that she
was radiant, but very silent and very
thoughtful all that day.
1t was late tha- evening that there
came timid knock at the back gate,
and Nina, whose hear. could not keep
still, sent one of the other servants
to open it. A f1ickel;ng gas Jet shed
its uncertain yellow light over the rear
wall; but, poor as the light was Nina
observed, when Angelina entered, that
his Swarthy countenance was W er
than she had ever known it since the
day he embarked for America. And
she then knew he h4u read the lis
What If he had learned her perfidy?
What if after all he was not deceived? ?
Nina realized now, for the first time.
that she had wagered everything on a
single cast of the die, and might lose.
There was a sudden pressure at her
heart, as If it would .urst. But in an
instant she regained her self-control
and went to meet her Angelina. She
smiled and held out her arms. Angel
ino looked at her soberly and kissed
her almost fearfully; but even as he
bent forward she saw the white Eng
lish newspaper in his pocket.
They sat on the bench on the back
porch and talked, or rather Nina
talked, for Angelina was silent and
thoughtful. At last s. too, became
silent and anxious.
Ar Doth ,,rFo15o5 L.
arms and with deep sigh 4rew the
paper from his pocket. "Do not
blame me, Nina" he almost sobbed,
'but-it has come!"
you babe" cried Nina: 'blame you,
and for what am l to blame you, my
child?"
Angelina slowly unfolded the paper
and at length found the little list at
the bottom. He laid it out on his hand
it is; read, my Nina
But" protested she sweetly. "You
know, my babe, that cannot read the
English
You can read this" said Angelina.
''Your name." she said, "and mine.
What can it mean?"
Can you bear it, knowing we have
so little money!" cried Angelina in
torment. "It means that the Govern
ment has ordered US to marry
Nina was silent. Then she arose.
and, turning her eyes upon Angelina,
looked into his eyes with the light Of
a conscious courage. "It is the will of
the Heavenly Father" she cried. eve
must submit
1t was still early the next day when
Nina fastened to the church and
handed the paper with the gorgeous
print to the reverend father. And that
very month, after the bans had all been
said, Angelina and Nina were married,
though they had far less than 500,
and now have even less than they had
then. But they are happy.-Philadel-
phia Record.