The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1909-11-07
(Copyright.)

Scotch He was truculent when sober
and actively pugnacious when drunk
1t may be said TO his credit that he was
not drunk very often, and that when he
was drunk he was canny enough to
keep out of Mr.. Jasper's way. But one
night after a prolonged political dis
cussion at Galatians saloon, he was I'M
steadily steering homeward across the
side lawn just as young Mr. Harry Jas
per and two friends who were visiting
him emerged from the gap in the hedge
that divided Jasper Place from Willow
brook, next door. The gentlemen We're
returning from a dinner and were
clothed in evening dress. They in no
wise resennbled tramps but David's
vision was blurred and his fighting
blood was up. He possessed himself of
an armful of damp sods and warily ad-
Vanced to the attack. He was not in
q condition to aim very straight, but
the three shining shirt fronts made an
easy mark. Before his victims had re-
covered from the suddenness of the on
slaught sufficiently TO protect them
selves he had demolished three dress
suits.
The next morning David was dis
missed The other workers. both at
Jasper Place and WillOwbrOOk appre-
ciated the justice of the sentence, but
were sorry to see him go. DaVid'S ar
gumentatiVe temper and David's ready
fists had added Zest to social inter-
course. They feared that his successor
would be OF a milder type and less en-
'fertaining The successor came some
three days later, and Peter, the coach
man at W1llowbroOk, observing his ar
rival across the hedge, paid an early
lcall on Patrick. the coachman at Jas
per Place, TO see what the newcomer
was like. Peter returned to Willow
brook disguised.
yes a Dago! A jabberin' Dago out
lof a ditch. He can't talk more'n ten
words, an he don't understand what
they means Mr. Harry picked him all
right for peaceful citizen who won't
be spoilin' no dress suits. He amt got
a drop O. fight in him. Ye call him a
liar, an he smiles an says, Sank
iyou!'"
Vittorio set about the wedding of his
flower beds with the sunny patience
bred of love. Whatever were his fail
ings in English and the warlike arts,
at least he understood his business.
Mr.. Harry watched his protege with
ipleased approval He had always ad-
lmired the italian character theoretie-
ally, but this was the first time that
he had ever put his admiration to the
lactual test; and he congratulated him
self upon finding at last the ideal gar
ldener with the pastoral soul that he
had long been searching. Mr.. Harry
had no racial prejudiCes himself and
he took 1t for granted that others were
las broad
Vittorio's pastoral soul. however. won
less approval among his fellow workers.
Peter did not share Mr.. Harry's enthu-
lsiasm for the Italian race, and Peter
largely swayed public opinion both at
Jasper Place and WillowbroOk.
It's somethin awful" he declared.
the way this country's gettin' clut-
tered up with DagOes. There ought to
be a law against lettin' 'em come in -
In so far as he was concerned, Peter
refused to let VittOriO come in; and the
man was consigned to social darkness
and the COmpaniOnship of his plants
He did not seem TO mind this Ostracism,
however. but whistled and sang at his
work with unabated cheerfulness. His
baby English shortly became the butt
of everybody's ridicule, but as he never
understood the jokes he bore no
grudge. The only matter in which ne
showed the slightest personal prejudice
was the fact that they all persisted in
calling him Tony"
MY name no Tony" he would pa
tiently explain half a dozen times a
day Ny name Vittorio Emanuele,
same-a de king"
Tony, however, he remained.
The mans chief anxiety was - learn
English, and he was childishlS CRATE
ful to anyone who helped him. The
stablemen took q delighted interest in
his education; ii was considered espe-
cially funny to teach him scurril-
Gus slang. Come off your perch, you
old fool" was one of the phrases he
patiently committed TO memory and
later repeated to Mr.. Harry with smil-
ing pride at his own progress.
Mr.. Harry spoke TO Peter on the sub
ject-
Yes, sir" Peter agreed easily, TT 5
disgustin', the language these Dagoes
picks up. 1 can't imagine where they
hears it, sir. They're that familiar. ye
can't pound no manners into them"
Mr. Harry wisely dropped the mat
ter. He knew Peter, and he thought il
safest to let Vittorio work out his own
salvation.
Several of the practical jokes at the
mans expense should, logically, have
ended in a fight. Had he taken up the
gauntlet, even at the expense of a whip
ping, they would have respected him
I'm SO far as Irishmen can respect an
1talian-but nothing could gOad him
into action. He swallowed insults with
q smiling zest, as though he liked their
taste. This unfailing peaceableness
was held to be the more disgracefu
in that he was a strongly built fellow
quite capable of standing up for his
rights.
He amt so bad looking" Annie, the
parlOr maid at WiilowbrOok, commented
one day, as she and Peter strOlled VI
To the hedge and inspected the new
gardener at work with the clipping
shears. And. at least, he's tall-that's
something. They're usually so little
them Eye-taiians."
HUH" said Peter, size amt nc
merit. THE less there is of an Eye
Italian, the better. His bigness DOM
help along his courage none. Ye're g
coward Tony. Dye hear that?"
Their comments had been made with
perfect freedom i'm Vittorio's presence
while he hummed a tune from Fra
Diavolo" in smiling uncOncern. Unles:
one cOuched ones insults in kindergar-
ten language and fired them straight
into his face, they passed him by IN
scatched.
''Ye're a coward. Tony Peter re,
peated
"Cow-ward? ' Vittorio broke off hi.
song and beamed upon them with {
flash of black eyes and white teeth
How you mean, cow-ward? No un
derstand''
"A coward" Peter patiently ex
planned. lis a man who's afraid L
fight-lil<e you. Eye-taians are cow
ards They don't dare stand up mar
TO man an take what's comm to 'em
When they've got a grudge to pay they
creeps up in the night an sticks