The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-07-31
THE EVENING STORY
Lugi's Lady in White.
By Lulu Johnson.)

ooe NC ~ uuueIStooQ tnat the fraternity
OF street musicians. as well as its lower
and middle classes. has its aristocracy.
Luigi was not one of those swarthy sons
OF Italy who laboriously drag a street
piano piano over the hot asphalt of the citys
lesser lights who. with wheezy melod-
con. huddle in corners and mechanically
f f5sna M 1ss in the sweet by and by, or
first Luigi scorned, the latter he despised:
Tor was he not the proprietor of a horse
outfit?
Every morning except Sunday he drove
into the suburbs, his wagon gay with red
and gold. on which was swung one of the
There was a lad to turn the wheel and
all Luigi had to do was to lead the white
mule and collect coins which showered
flashed beneath mustache as black and
rowing as any that ever graced the lips
made him many friends, even among the
householders.
- AS for the servants-many a rural DO
his conquests. for Luigi. in his smart
Neapolitan costume, was good to look
upon. His red sash with its gilded
were all in keeping with the swarthy
complexion and flashing eyes.
hilt and sca .hS Stnesi it, was but a toy,
reference to the absurd prejudice of the
police who knew nothing of a more bust
nesslike weapon sheathed in the collar of
Lugfs velvet coat. and his clothing had
been obtained from theatrical costumer;
put ne cut most romantic and pictur-
Sundays. when the law forbade his ply
ing nls trade. Luigi sought the Italian
quarter In eminently correct American
We're the establishment of the half-naked
bambinos" playing on the dirty side
walks.
Their mothers turned mute in his au-
gust presence as he picked his way fas-
GGoiousiy toward the tenement owned by
emerge, proudly escortng Paulina, Of the
house of Camera. than whom there was
no prettier girl in all Little Italy.
Pauina but her father had insisted aa wf fRai
his son-in-law should be a property own
e es; year must elapse. figured the
wed.
And on his part. Luigi did not tell them
or the good luck that had befallen him
one of the great houses offered him tips
on the stock market that she had
Wheedied from the butler
Great coups had been planned over the
the rich forget that their servants are
nation had been dropped. Luigi profited
by the tips, but he had not told the Ca
6 deras: ft It was pleasant to spend the Sum
TOO there was the Lady in White, and be-
cause OF her Luigi was silent.
burned in his hH bnsv Of the dreams tina,
the high hopes that he nursed. But since
early spring he had hurried the piano cart
great house on the hill Sometimes he
found only 9TH, the gardener spraying the
ieS a~ or clipping tPp the plants then Luigi
Oftener there were golden days with a
flash of white through the trees and she
came-his Lady in White
Tall and fair she was with ewes more
sweetly blue than the summer skies OF
his beloved Italy. and hair that shone
the hedge and questioned him as to his
life, and Luigi told her all-and more for
to ,.3,.i hoid her interest he drew upon
earlier career as brigand.
He loved to see her eyes grow round
with wonder at. his adventures, and like
a modern .Othe1lo he wooed her with his
tales. AS the summer progressed he saw
her more and more often. and sometimes
little Pietro could rest his weary arms
and the wheel of the piano moved not.
or course. 1t would not do to let Paulina
know Of the Lady in White, for Camera
had declared that when Luigi had made
enough money they would go into bust
ness together; italian fathers had their
own ideas or honor, too. Once married to
Paulina, his piano sold, Luigi would no
longer see the obliging serving maid. she
But if he could swell his fortune to such
respectable proportions that he would be
no mean match even for the Lady in
would go to Italy, where with a few
hundred lire he could purchase a patent
OF nobility h Hsn and d., live happy ever after
Paulina. and bewailed the hard luck that
made the dollars SO scarce. Never did he
maid to whom he had to make eloquent
love in order that he might coax from her
the tips that were to win the wife of his
dreams.
Summer was well advanced when Lugis
devotion to the girl bore fruit At din
ner party a raid was planned on certain
oS ho tie
cussed with perfect freedom before the
butler Luigi got the news and few days
Delirious with joy Luigi led the mule
over the accustomed route. but to his dis
may. the Lady in White did not come
tales of adventure when he had cleaned
from an. old Italian romance after the
work of the day. was done. Though
she did not heed the call. and at last
Luigi went on his way a great new idea
The day was Saturday. On the NOR
row he would dress himself in his best
and make a call upon the object of his
affections.It was a daring plan, but she was
worth the venture, so noon found Luigi
in the waiting room of the railroad sta
ton. shaven and perfumed and in his
unlke Iug Of te Sysand dpess
So it happened that the Lady In White
passed him without recognition though
Luigi half started up in his seat to speak
then thought better of it and sank back
until she had passed Then he rose and
followed her and her escort to the con-
course.
They were standing by one of the pillars
which supported the huge roof and Luigi
managed to conceal himself behind the
other side of the pillar without appearing
to dc so.
From their talk it was evident that the
man was the brother of one of her
friends. and that they had all been on an
automobile trip the dav before. Now he
was escorting her to her home.
1T was delightful trip the girl de-
clared. quite pleasant enough to repay
me for missing my Italian"
Your Italian?" repeated the man in
puzzled tones.
Didn't Grace tell your was the care
less response He is an organ grinder
but very different from the rest of those
sort of people. He dresses like a brigand