Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1908-05-21
WHAT THE MUSIC BOX
BROUGHT EMMANUEL
BY Harry A. Armstrong.
Copyright, 1902. by w. r.. Hearst,

(COpyf1ght, l%2, by w. IL. HearSt.)
Forever and ever the sun shone. as I'M
manuel Rego remembered. But that was
back in the hills of Italy when Emmanuel
was a boy and all was sunshine. He
never knew of the snow falling. But it
fell often enough when he was brought
to New York city by his father. A fat
Italian. a monkey and a barrel organ
came into Immanuel's life about that time
and the father dropped out. Emmanuel
was told the fat man was a padrone and
master of little boys and that the monkey
and organ We're his property. The boy
learned if he brought in 25 cents a day
he was treated we'll by the fat man and
sat at the table with other boys.
Two years he turned the organ and sent
the monkey. with the coat of flannel and
cap DOTTED. after pennies. For two years
Emmanuel listened to the same tunes and
said over and over the same words. Then
he was s~tolen-organ. monkey and ALL
and brought to q strange town. This,
Emmanuel learned, was Buffalo. Harder
than the first master was the second, and
after a few months the curly head of
the Italian boy ducked into the hold of
a ship and the darkness swallowed him.
Strange noises found their ways into the
hold and a rocking motion told even this
inexperienced lad of eight summers the
vessel was under way. Past Detroit he
came, up into Lake Huron and finally into
Lake Michigan. Emmanuel could restrain
his hunger no longer and beat upon the
cover of the h~atchway. Sailors heard him
and turned him into the sunshine OF the
deck. hiding him from the gaze OF the
mate and giving him a place to sleep In
the forecastle. So they landed In Chi
cago.
Into South Water street plunged the
stowaway and was hired by Il man who
wanted a helper on his wagon. Emmanuel
carried boxes of berries along the side
walk, shouting his wares and selling to
maid n matron or whoever would buy.
meeting the wagon at some intersecting
corner. For this Emmanuel got but little
more than his board and clothes, but that
little he saved. AT the end Of a year
he was given more money and when he
was IL Emmanuel drove the wagon.
Years passed rapidly. Tho stowaway of
5 was the owner OF q route, q horse and
a wagon at Is.
Mary Angtnea was the only child OF
Immanuel's employer Of former years and
was fast coming into w~omanhood. When
she was confirmed she wore white and
the priest chanted above her and tho boy
swung the censor and all the building was
filled with Latin words and scented smoke.
In the loft the choir sang an anthem and
with the rest Of the class Mary marched
away from the altar out into the rain. On
the walk she met Immanuel, who held
an umbrella over her to the street car.
And that was the opening of his eyes.
He had thought Of her as q toddling child.
wearing gimp aprons and running bare
headed. On his day her gown swept the
floor and the blossoms in her h-.r told
of the sunny soul behind that bright face.
When Christmas time came Mary was
the recipient of many presents, and among
them was q white silk handkerchief with
Immanuel's card tied in the meshes. The
lights OF the tree danced on. but she did
not see them. Neither did she hear her
name called again by the little girl in
white and req who came to the end OF
Mary's pew. this time with q music box.
The young woman took the token me-
chemically and as mechanically thanked
the little one for bringing 1t. The music
box was the tribute of another Italian
boy, and his young man watched the
girl seated among the kerchiefed women
and saw her take the emblem without
comment or smile: saw his hopes dashed
against the rocks of the future.
Emmanuel carried the box to the street
car and when Mary reached her home
he inserted the key and was rewarded
by hearing a tune he had heard in his
boyhood. At first he looked at the box.
then hurried away from the house with
the echoes OF "Home. Sweet Home ring.
ing in his ears. Mary saw him the next
day with bowed head. What Is the mat
ter?" she asked.
1.-The music box" he said.
"If you would rather not hear IT., you
shall not"
After they were Observation-Disclosures and
Mary-he found the music box In q dark
closet, o and abandoned.