The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1908-12-25
A Thread In
The WOOff.
Nv WALLACE SNOW.
..,sbted. 1858, by Associated
COP! Literary Press.

# had hCen " ''''' -
astu' i noen 4 bad month. Generally
II i'' 10 and Gambietta took to the
Wien wi troyelcd through this section
Foau ni-kels and dimes and quarters
the nl, IN piptro's old felt hat in a most
alum" nc year the weather had been
D4 .ha most part rainy. and somehow
lu WI seemingly had lost his
Ga, ns If coaxing coins from stubborn
pockets. ,o,.on+ davs +here bod
"nI had proved far from profitable,
oeeD Tho dimes and nickels and quar-
III wore conspicuous by their alb
vly and Pietro and Gambietta must
sS.s ont fair weather or dull.
O1'n vain did they plod the dusty
,, - in vain whenever they
Ds nld find a possible audience did
eUu,G do his cumbersome tricks.
TaItz turn somersaults, die. go
,mo wrpstle with Pietro as he would,
a.. - fpw scattered pennies had lodged
=, D the old felt hat. Bankruptcy, grim
VI rbostIv. stared them in the face.
w Moreover, Gambietta was growing
.,,nfnIly thin. even as If he had but
rscpptl, come from one of his long
Nv. . ~ Information, and Pietro was
l la TO learn all too frequently
.hst handful of berries gathered
t,om the roadside made a most unsat-
sfactory repast.
They nodded up the long hill slope,
,o man shutting along with his Shout
doris stopped and his head bent and
tho hear following along at the end of
Nc cbain, his head rolling from side
n eide and his scuffiing feet sending
m choking clouds of dust that set him
n vhppzing and coughing in miserable
fashion.
They were nearing the top OF the hill
when a wagon with a portly, well fed
man on the seat drew up beside them.
The well fed man glared at them in
mdisgused contempt.
"Hev, you dago," he called, what
,or dom with that bear here on the
highway? Don't you know there's n
r1lIation against it in this town
Scares bosses. it does. Take him
through the woods or the fields, but
keen off the roads-you hear"
Pjetre pulled off the old felt hat and
bowed respectfully. Then as best he
could IN broken English, plentifully
hterspersed with EtHascan dialect, he
tried to make it plain that neither he
nor Gambietta would willingly CT
knowingly transgress the law. But
ihe man In the wagon understood no
word Of the servile harangue.
"None of your lip. now" he inter
npted irritably, at the same time
pulling open his coat to display a tin
star. I'm a deputy sheriff. l am.
You and that bear keep off the roads
or I'll run you both in. See!'
He waved his arm meanjngly to-
ward a little wooded path that led
from the highway to the left and sat
In his wagon watching the sorry pair
until they had turned into 1t and were
hst to view in its shady depths.
Beneath a giant oak tree that stood
beside the little path Pietro sat down
niSerahy, his head in his hands and
a great despair in his tired eyes.
Gambietta collapsed beside him,
plled about luxurfously for a mo-
ment then turned on his side and
went calmly to sleep.
Pietro sat there for a time. prey
to his bitter musing. Then he, too,
stretched himself beside Gambietta' S
rusty brown bulk and fell into trou-
bed slumbar.
Now, it happened that the path-a
winding wood road-which the two
had chosen, or, rather. which the well
led man had chosen for them, as re-
treat led to a cascade, where a little
Stream fell over series of granite
lodges.
1t was one of the beauty spots OF
Inc vicinity, place much frequented
OE the summer people who came to
The little town.
Even as Fiatro and Cambietta slept
ID the shadows of the oak a smart
rap came slowly down the winding
FOau from the cascade.
III the trap were Il stern faced young
Llah and an unsmiling young woman.
Ald 1t took no very great intellect to
%e tnat everything was not entirely
peasant between them.
Indeed, they had fallen into silence
'nat bitter silence which is harder to
eluure than threats or determinations
VI open censure. For some time they
utVEe along. the beauties of the
'Iaued wood road lost to their eyes.
~, Inc man finally broke the silence
iefnaps 1t would be better if l got
". ana walked" he suggested grimly
rerhaps 1t would" said the girl
r.u' relnng in the horse. she watched
nun climb down from the trap, after
m mp,en she fiicked the cob with the
" M ana the trap sped down the road
no ine man stuffed his hands into his
lo. grunted something inarticu
e ana strobe On in her wake. He
nus bs pleasant looking young man
aa le iroWn that furrowed his forehead
p. sadly out of place
nut ~, there was something about tn;
a svu'n which said he had will of his
sh. A ana somewhat more than his
~ VI stubborn pride.
on. .esentiy, by way Of soothing his
h, .wrought nerves, he pulled from
ho.l pOcket we'll worn brier pipe ant
p saa 10 NIL 1t from his tobacco pouch
nj. u' scarcely was the task completed
dor from ahead there arose sud
b,.' eoinmotion, cracking of under
q