The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1907-10-16

eaten up Will piie. hcpiihhs Woh
you answer me?"
Leprina bent her head still further.
She was ready to burst with laughter,
she attend to the COW? She the wife
of that block of flesh? Mother Eve
deliver her
They were in the Via Montebello.
In the distance the tall acacias of the
Cascine made one open ones mouth,
to breathe with all ones lungs, while
from the Fosso Macinante rose the ex-
halations from the stagnant water
and sun-fermentec mud.
Leprina looked at the beautiful
earrings that Malta had bought for
her with little pile Of money hoard
ed for a different and nobler purpose
when he was still thinking about
his old mother.
Malta carried his bundle Of clothes
to a mean room in the Via Nova.
where Leprina had promised to meet
him again.
He now awaited her there, striding
up and down, and, in fancy, fondling
the slender little figure, whose like
had never been seen at Maona among
the hills.
When he had been obliged to part
from her at the street corner, he had
sighed with sufficient force to have
extinguished a, street lamp, had one
been lighted; and he had scratched
his noddle, and given most languish-
ing looks. The gravity Of the step
| he was about to take now impressed
him fully. Not Nanna's wild-eyed
face, warnings and threats, nor his
| employers orders to return at once
to Maona, nor his own secret misgiv-
ings, could avail to restrain him, for
Leprina had promised to 60 to the
ends of the earth with him.
"Until later!" he had exclaimed,
while Leprina had answered Good
by" and walked of, with her eyes
fastened on the gold pendants.
Malta, when a certain hour had
come, fixed his eyes on his old silver
watch, and, as the outer atmosphere
gradually darkened, his countenance
became white with emotion. Then,
Just the reverse occurred, for, as the
sky lightened towards morning again,
his face grew more gloomy, until the
broad daylight found him as dusky
as cuckoo. He had crick in his
neck from constant watching out of
the window, an empty stomach,
parched lips, and hair all tousled
from the manifold scratchings that he
had given his head. Hitherto he had
never learned how to swear, but dur
ing this night he discovered collec-
tion of original oaths. Rest he could
not think Of, and uttering curse,
he sailed from the house.
Away, away, he sped through the
streets, like madman. High and
low did he search, wherever there
was a chance of meeting Leprina and
flinging in her face the fury that de-
voured him.
"Can 1t be possible?" cried he.
After so many promises!"
| When evening was again come, ut
terly exhausted, with his tongue pro-
truding from his mouth, he reascend-
ed to the room that had been an in
ferno instead Of paradise. No news
of Leprina. Not soul had seen her!
Then Malta thought of his old
mother, and Of the little hoard Of
quattrini which would have been a
fortune for her.
Thief" he cried, hoarse with
rage, "thief!" and there, where he
had hoped to kiss an angel, he aban-
doned himself to weeping over the
infamy of a demon.
A hand clasped his. He jumped up,
with the tears streaming down to his
lips, and a face to have evoked the
liveliest pity.
Before him stood Mama. Mama,
whom he had despised; Mamma, who
had been able to give him advice;
Mama, who had kissed him on the
forehead, who had followed him, and
who now was gazing at him with
those big white eyes full Of tender
ness.
With heaving breast Malta threw
himself on her neck In a way to have
sent her sprawling on the floor.
Swaying to and fro, she let him
have it out. The tears from his eyes
fell on her dress, and the black locks
of that great dolt mingled with her
blonde ones; while sobs shook his
chest and his feet stamped on the
floor as If they would go through it,
She still suffered him to relieve his
feelings for while. Then, giving
him kick and flinging him on the
bed, she giggled in his face: You
plowboy!"
He ceased to weep, and, pulling
Mama toward him, planted a huge
smack on her nose.
There was a knock at the door.
Ere Malta could stir. Mama had
opened it and rushed out like wild
beast.
Malta heard her gnash her teeth.
and then tegan such battle of cuffs
and scratches as would have scared
the dead out of their graves.
But 1t did not last long.
Mama nraoauflv roturuad NTH n