Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1909-01-30
A Thread In
the Wool.
BY WALLACE SNOW.
Copyrighted. 1865. by Associated
Literary Press.
BY WALLACE SNOW

Pletro vincenzo Riga was discour-
aged. II had been bad day. In fact.
1t had been bad month. Generally
when he and Gambietta took to the
road and Travelled through this section
the nlckels and dimes and quarters
fell into Pietros old felt hat IN most
alluring stream.
| But this year the weather had been
for the most part rainy, and somehow
Gambictta seemingly had lost his
knack Of coaxing coins from stubborn
pockets.
What few pleasant days there had
been had proved far from profitable.
for the dimes and nIckels and quar-
tiers were conspicuous by their alb.
sence. 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. go
lame. wrcstle with Pietro as he would.
but few scattered pennies had lodged
IN the old felt hat. Bankruptcy. grim
and CHASTITY. stared them in the face.
Moreover. Gambietta was growing
painfully thin even as II he had but
recently come from one Of his long
maps Of Information. and Pietro was
beginning TO learn all too frequently
that handful Of berries gathered
! from the roadside made a most unsat-
isfactory repast.
They plodded up the long hill slope.
the man shufiling along with his shout
ders stopped and his head bent and
the bear following along ut the end Of
his chain. his head rolling from side
to side and his scufiiing feet sending
up choking clouds of dust that set him
to wheeling and coughing In miserable
| fashion.
They were nearing the top of the hill
when wagon with portly well fed
man on the seat drew up beside them.
The well fed man glared ut them In
undlsguised 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 hosses, 1t does. Take him
through the woods or the fields, but
keep off the roads-you hear?"
Pietro pulled off the old felt hat and
bowed respectfully. Then as best he
could In broken English, plentifully
interspcrsed with Etruscan dialect. he
tried to make 1t plain that neither he
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, ut the same time
pulling open his coat to display tin
star. I'm a deputy sheriff. ! am.
You and that bear keep of the roads
or I'll run you both In. See!"
He waved his arm meaningly to-
ward 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 giant oak tree that stood
beside the little path Pietro sat down
miserably, his head In his hands and
a great despair I'm his tired eyes.
Gambletta collapsed beside him.
rolled about luxuriously for 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. It 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 re-
treat led to cascade. where little
stream fell over series of granite
lodges.
1t was one of the beauty spots OF
the vicinity, place much frequented
by the summer people who came to
the little town.
Even as Pietro and Gambletta slept
In the shadows OF the oak n smart
trap came slowly down the winding
road from the cascade.
In the trap were stern faced young
man and an unsmillng young woman.
And II 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 determinations
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 II got
out and walked" he suggested grimly.
perhaps It would" said the girl.
and. refining I'm the horse. she watched
him climb down from the trap, after
which she licked the cob with the
whip. and the trap sped down the road.
The man stuffed his hands into his
pockets. grunted something inarticu-
late and strobe ON In her wake. He
was pleasant looking young man.
| nss Al. 10