Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1908-02-13
FROM OVER HI SEA.
By Harriet Monroe.

boys OF the Italian colony. Three years
had passed since ne left his native town
of Amalfi. which climbs boldly skyward
up the rock like a ciiif-dwcllers' village.
and sailed away from Naples IL the big
ship to better his fortunes. In beautiful
Italy he was very poor aud very deep in
love, end in rich America he hoped to re
licvc both cO~nditions-in America, where
Il man might earn az much as ono big 81
Yer dollar a day and put ii away. so lie
could rome back for a wife.
For in Italy 1t was no usc--a man could
not be sure even of the few poor sous for
the polenta to put into his stomach. And
then there were the taxes~-no one could
be poor enough TO escape the taxes. One
day his brown-eyed sweetheart had come
running to him In tears--h:s beautiful AZ
varetta, who lived with her sisters FAM
lily high up near Ravello. and sold flowers
to the tourists chat drove grandly N and
out OF Amalfi.
"Ah, Tomaso milo, what shall we do?"
cried Alvlrctta. cone Of my sisters baby
twins is dead. and we cannot lift it from
our only bed TIL. we have paid the death
tax. Tell me, j pray you in the name of
God. how are we to raise five lire"'
Tomaso's black eyes grew still darker.
This is an urholy thing. this death tax"
he cried; "it makes me hate my coun-
try"
- " Z III WOLOs ~
gentle Alvaretta. r not angry. but tell
me how to pay the five lire when we nave
but two"
Tornaso could add but eighteen sous
less han a lira-to the little store; so to-
sether the lovers went to the vineyards
where Tomaso often worked and persuade
ed his employer to lend them the rest, so
that great Italy might lift its heavy hand
from the little dead baby. Then they ran
IN debt for a tiny coffin. and in IL few
days Alvaretta was smiling again.
But Tomaso could not forgive hia king
that death tax. He wrote to his cousin
In America and IN n few weeks came the
ticket which would carry him far over sea
and land. He almost ran to show 1t to
Alvarctta, and could not understand why
she wept.
But there are beautiful ladies in Amer
ica. she cried: you will forget your poor
little devoted one"
Then Tomaso swore by a long list Of
saints that not the very queen of all
America should drive Alvaretta from his
heart. II will grow rich and come lack
and marry you and dress you in silk and
Jewels and carry you far away and he
called her by many IA musical pet name,
until she was consoled.
So 1t was that Tomaso looked coldly up-
on the very flower OF the Italian colony
when he reached the big city in that
strange new world. For a year he helped
his cousin at his fruit stand, until he had
learned n. bit of English and repaid his
passage money and even stored up a few
OF the big round silver dollars. Then,
thinking Of Alvarctta, he became advent
urous: bought a secondhand car for "a
do.lah n quatah'' and pushed it through
the streets shouting Bananas! b%ananos.''
And In two years more. because he was
not ashamed to share q room with seven
,Othlr mon and IN 1fIrN nm pnlopto o~A
bananas instead of meat. he found him.
self rich enough to buy his own ticket and
q suit OF most gentlemanly clothes with
which to GO in search of his beloved.
And when he had crossed the seas once
more. when he had landed in Naples and
hurried to Amali and ran up the hill to
RavellO, he began for the first time to
wonuer whether she would love him as OF
old. Suddenly he saw her coming with
her flowers down the steep road against
the succeed wall, and he leaned heavily
in II corner under the sudden shadow OF
his doubt. Gracefully she came down, bal
ancing her basket IN her head: coldly she
glanced at him and passed him by: and he
had scarcely strength enough to call after
her-"Alvarettn!"
But with the word her basket fell and
all her flowers tumbled in heaps over the
rocks, n the girl herself wheeled and
leaned half fa.nting against the wall. To-
maso ran to her, took her in his arms
"Ah. Tomaso. do not touch mel" walled
the girl. II am betrothed!"
Tomas started. released her, stood
erect. "Betrothed-and to whom, then?'
"Ah, but l nav been unhappy! she
cried, land now you come back so strange
~ dressed / know o not. You sent no
~word-they told me you would not come
they made me pledge myself to Emilio.
For food has been scarce-we were starv-
ing"
d You owe him."
"No! I have dom nothing but weep"
Listen, then. You Shall come with me!
A ship sails from Naples tonight, and in
New York we will be married."
"Ah! But. Tomas. my word is given. and
next week Is the wedding"
Then must we hurry the faster, to esq
cape Emilio and the sister who will not
consent. We must slip down the other
road and away
"Ah, but-Tomaso-'
u you love me enough?" this with a
look In her eyes.
Do I love youo Dio Smio!''
s'Then thank the Blessed Virgin / have
come In time. A betrothal Is nothing in
the country we are going to. And did YOU
not promise me first ~.
And 8 o Tcmaso carried o hts bride.
And now Alvaretta has Ii four-room fiat.
and two or three children, aud q silk
waist or two, and speaks .xe Englis'' in .
soft Neapolitan fashion Of her own.
Reminding the Burglar.
From the Penny Pictorial.
Jones was a very courageous man, ana