The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1908-06-23
A LITTLE THIEF

/ We are here, and here We must
abide. Perhaps II the saints would
kill me outright somebody would be
kinder to you and carry you out OF this
I cruel place-all stones and noise and
clatter, and full OF food and drink
for those whose bellies are full
already, and never bit or drop for
those who starve in It,"
do not die. Norma" said Lillino.
clasping his arms about her. do
not die and go away into the earth.
Pray. pray do not. | have only you"
MY poor little one. and what good
am IL" she murmured. laying her
: hand in blessing on his head. An
old log, not even good for burning.
for | have no sap left In me. Alas!
Alas"
But she was all he had 10 care for.
this bundle OF rags under her ragged
coverlet. and he had known her all
his life; she had been always exceed
ingly good TO him, and in that time.
though already aged, had been a
strong and hearty woman, and his
earliest memories had been OF merrily
running beside her, with his hand on
her skirt, to cut watercresses In the
bitches, or drive the ducks TO the riv-
ulet. or gather olives. chestnuts, black
berries. wood strawberries, or do any
one OF those other lighter labors
which occupy the old people and the
young children in the fields and
woods, and make everybody useful
from three years old TO ninety.
Now Norma was OF use no more and
Lillino tried with all his might to do
his utmost 10 be OF use for two. He
never doubted that he belonged 10
her, or rather he never thought about
IT,; he had always seen her near him,
and he had always heard Mamma Ro-
sa. who he had been taught to believe
was his mother, call her grandmother.
No one had ever told him that he
had patrician blood In his veins. This
poor old creature, scarcely alive. ex-
cept In the warmth OF her affections
and the pains OF her limbs was all he
had on earth, and he chung to her
with the tenacity of tender and tim
Id nature. His idea was that IL he
could only get Norma back TO the
country she would become well and
strong once more, and able to walk
out in those green places and
amongst those grassy streamlets.
which neither she nor he had ever for
gotten.
Il am sure she would get WE'LL" he
thought, as he leaned over the ston-
parapet and watched the river glide
away under, the moon.
But how 10 carry her there? , She
was like log. as she said, with
limbs which were wholly useless, with
out power to move any part OF her ex-
cept her lips, dependent on her neigh
bors for every bit and drop. Nothing
but a miracle could ever raise her
again on her feet; but Lillino believ-
ed in miracles or. more truly speak
ing, miracles seemed natural TO him
"a constant part OF daily life.
True, he saw them no more In the
streets and the houses. but he saw
them In the frescoes, In the sculptures
in the carvings In the churches. and
he thought the halt and the blind and
the sick could all be cured II some
one unseen and unknown would be
good enough TO do II. But all he saw
and heard in the unkind streets be
gan to make him feel that the real
meaning OF miracles was money-that
strange. dirty. ugly paper thing
which was. he saw, so powerful In
such amazing ways. What was IL II
not q miracle that a scrap OF soiled
paper. ,crumpied and dog-eared, could
procure bread for the hungry and wine
for the weak? Even those black-rim.
med bronze coins-how much they