The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-01-02
Copyright 1908 BY Thomas H. Mckee.

66"@ANk Colt he's Schneider old Otto
would mutter in deep relief. And
he Schneider huge beyond
all bounds AS he sat at the cash
iers desk in snug little butcher shop his sire
the prodigious body Of Salvatore hour by hour
flowed like wagonoad of hay. until only the bend
ing. creaking legs OF the chair remained in view.
Customers glanced at him In surprise; startled
babies look and ducked their heads in
speechless fright. But babies learned trust
and gaze In solemn wonder. For through the whole
vast labyrinth of his veins the Schneider blood flow
ed quietly, as it had flowed for long generations;
while from morning night the eyes were serious,
steadily fixed. Salvatore made out the bills
But blood is mysterious thing Already it had
produced this exuberance out of Otto and Margarta
his wife, who were both rotund little people. What
other surprise urked deep in this fortress of flesh?
Otto'ha never ceased watching He taking no
Chances.
Nineteen years before in that mighty welding OF
peoples which is to bring forth some day strange
new race of men in the hybrid city of Greater New
York, Otto had become daring pioneer. Reckless
Otto had become daring pioneer. Reckless for
for in his life, romantic and blind with emo
ton he had married the lovely young daughter of an
Italian greengrocer close by. when he had rous-
ed 70 what he mad done It's possible bearing
his career, then Otto had opened his steady blue
eyes and had never quite closed them since. On
the christening day, when Margarta, in all the APP
peaIlng weakness ana cnarm or brand new mother
hood, begged that the bambino be named Salvatore
Otto gave in But this the last OF Italy's tri-
umphs Day by day and year by year. every trace
OF that fiery land of the South toned away.
Margarita grew plump and submissive and beaming;
Otto grew stout and CHEEKY and brisk. And work.
ing in happy domestic accord, they bred in the
pliable soul of their all the virtues of order,
frugality thrift, and hard, patient application to
work.
So here the budding monster sat- towering SLOWLY
but surely into a sober business man. And the dan
ger sprung from the reckless past seemed buried
forever behind.
Salvatore suddenly heaved a monstrous quvering
sigh.
Restessness, the insidious longings of nights and
days. Juggling at the srings-ail burst softly
forth in Salvatores sigh. Then he began making
out new bill:
Two pounds Sirloin Steak. 10 20 40
Three pounds Wiener Schntzel. q rs rs
All at once. with crash of drum and cymba
hurdygurdy wheeled into action close by the omen
door. The noise was deafening. With frown OF
Indignation Salvatore looked around-and stared
Through the open window at his elbow girl
was gazing at him in amazement and delight. When
salvatore scowied with all the annoyance of POM
pous eighteen her eyes only sparkled the brighter
her head nodded twice in vigorous approval, and in
Italian she whispered
"Madre de Dio, come Splendid quel homo come
magnihco!'
Salvatore understood his rosy cheeks turned sud
denly q darker hue and at this threw back her
airy young head and laughed joyousy that even
he relented. On his face there appeared quiet in
dulgent SMILE huge Newfoundland dog might
stare at kitten, Salvatore looked down upon
the girl. And seeing this She gave odd graceful
hitch to her skirts, shifted her tambourine with
tinkie, and stood there wholly oblivious under
eyes, Over her head was kerchief of gray with
Ia n1An
soft black hair strayed in negligent. lazy fashion,
and under the black arched brows were two assert
i've gray eyes that now looked again. challenging
mocking elusive. curious. prying with eager scrut-
my right into Salvatore's soul.
With nervous laugh he tossed her nickel She
caught the coin in her tambourine looked at it,
flushed like a child. and then flashed upon him a
and fell back aghast. And at this the girl sprang
nmbly away. With her old father she seized the :
crazy piano and trundled it swiftly down the street
And Salvatore. LETT alone gazed dumfounded into
the deepening twilight, his great black eyes in
scandalous dsaccord with the rest OF him; twink
ling. eager. restless. dazed, almost ready to fash
So she came day after day in the balmy weeks
that followed. derisive no longer sneering and pry
Ing no longer respectfully curious humble strange
" INTENT waiting until he should her the COIN
The coin was his sign Of dismissal and the girl al
ways obeyed. And now with the first sharp thrill
OF uneasness gone he felt safe, this colossal man
OF eighteen. The whole silent drama was hidden
from Otto and Margarita by the high counter be-
hind And Salvatore, who until now had barely
looked on the face OF woman would look at the
stranger with all the serene assurance of a sagac-
ious old man of the world, and her big eyes would
open wide and look frankly back into his
MY name is Gemma,' she said abruptly in the
midst OF OF these mutual stares. Salvatore
good-humoredly nodded and bent again over his
work. feeling curious branu-new tingling up and
down his spine
Il knew you could she said softly still in Ital-
IAN
Gould WHAT" growled Salvatore
You ore doing it now--speaking like me, You
ere Italian! knew it. You are Italian-l1ke
s-ae!''
salvatore Iooset h4-ev ground saw that he was