Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1909-01-06
A Thread In
the Wool.
BY WALLACE SNOW.
Copyrighted. 1903. by Associated
Literary Press.


E>~>>>~~>>>>~><>>~
Pietro vincenzo Riga was discour-
aged. II lad been bad day. In fact.
It had been bad month. Generally
when he and Gambietta took to the
road aud Travelled through this section
the nickels and dimes and quarters
fell into Pietro's old felt hat In most
alluring stream.
But this year the weather had been
for the most part rainy, and somehow
Gambietta seemingly had lost his
knnck Of coaxing coins from stubborn
pockets.
What few pleasant days there had
been had proved far from profitable
for the dimes and nickeIs and quar-
tiers were conspicuous by their alb
sencc. and Pietro and Gambietta must
both eat. fair weather or dull.
In vain did they plod the dusty
highways: In vain whenever they
could find . possible audience did
Gambietta do his cumbersome tricks.
Waltz turn somersaults, die. 60
lame. wrestls with Pietro ~ he would.
but few scattered pennies had lodged
In the old felt hat Bankruptcy, grim
and CHASTITY. stared thsm In the face. +
lfoeeoves. 0ambletta was growing
painfully thin. even a. II be had but
recently come from one Of bis long
maps Of htbernation. and Pietro was
beginning to learn ali too frequently
that . handful of berries gathered
from the roadside made q most unsat-
isfactoFy rspast.
They plodded up the long bill slope,
the man stunning along with his shout
ders stopped and his head bent and
the bear following along ct the end Of
h,s ehain, III head rolling from side
to seds ana his scufning feet sending
M choking clouds Of dust that get him
| TO wheeling and coughing in miserable
| fashion.
They were nearing the top Of the hill
when 4 wagon with portiy. well fed
man on the seat drew up beside them.
The well fed man glared at them in
undisguised contempt
Hey. you dago." he called. what
yer dom with that bear here on the
highway? Don't you know there's a
regulation against 1t In this town
| Scares bosses. It does Take him
| through the woods or the fields, but
keep OF the roads-you hearT
Pietro pulled on Abe old felt hat and
bowed respectfully. Then as best he
could In broken English. plentifuiiy
| interspersed with Etruscan dialect, he
! tried to make II plain that neither be
nor Gambietta would willingly or
knowingly transgress the law. But
| the man In the wagon understood no
word Of the servile harangue.
"None Of your lip. now" he inter
| rupted irritably. at the same time
pulling open his coat to display tin
star. I'm a deputy sheriff. am.
You and that bear keep on the roads
or I'll run you both In. Seer
He waved his arm meaningly 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
lost to view in Its shady depths.
Beneath a giant oak tree that stood
beside the little path Pietro sat down
miserably, his head In his hands and
a great despair in his tired eyes.
Gambietta collapsed beside him.
rolled about luxuriously for a mo-
ment, then turned on his side and
went calmly to sleep.
Pietro sat there for time. prey
to his bitter musing. Then he, too.
stretched himself beside Gambietta's
rusty brown bulk and fell into trou-
bled slumber
Now, 1t happened that the path-a
winding wood road-which the two
had chosen, or. rather. which the well
fed man had chosen for them, as a re-
treat led to a cascade. where little
stream fell over series Of granite
lodges.
1t was one of the beauty spots of
the vicinity. a place much frequented
by the summer people who came to
the little town.
Even as Pietro and Gambietta slept
In the shadows Of the oak a smart
trap came slowly down the winding
road from the cascade.
In the trap were stern faced young
man and an unsmiling young woman.
And 1t took no very great intellect to
see that everything was not entirely
pleasant between them.
Indeed. they had fallen into silence
that bitter silence which Is harder to
endure than threats or recrfminations
or open censure. For some time they
drove along, the beauties Of the
shaded wood road lost to their eyes.
The man finally broke the silence.
Perhaps 1t would be better If got
out and walked" he suggested grimly.
perhaps 1t would" said the girl.
and, <eining in the horse. she watched
him climb down from the trap. after
which she fiicked the cob with the
whip. and the trap sped down the road.
The man stuffed his hands into his