El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-10-17
By Salvatore CellinL

rTIS name was Pietro AntOninL You
could see it on his little fruit
- cart, painted in beautiful, big
yellow letters, "Pietro AntoninL Fruit
erer."
Many times, as a child. he had Won
dered why his father seemed to dislike
him. until one day he heard him answer
gruffly to somebody's question; NO,
have no children, only cripple Inen
he understood. and the iron entered his
childish soul, and the scar renamed
through all his life.
Pietro had established his cart on
We're street and College street ana the
tronized him daily. At first they nag
Z laughed at his grotesque galL enu
called him Jumping Jack one uay
a lady. who was one Of the teachers
in the We're street scnool' loun9 mn ~
tears, and her tender sympalns ul7"
out the cause Of his trouble.
do not cry PietrO' she said on
are handsOmer than any Of them GU
have beautiful, soft dark eyes lke
WOman's, and you have black s-LAeu
curIs that anyone might envy. And you
have something that IS more tnan az
these things-yOU have oeautlIul
soul"
Pietro listened, and V as glad to know
this but what were silken curls and q
beautiful soul compared with sItonsl
straight legs? And he put MS nedu
down on the edge Of the cart " mar
was two wears ago, when ne was e4ls
ID he never cried now. He only tOld-
Cd his lips very tight, and II the Tears
sometimes filled his dark eyes Lney
never fell. and one would not cali LndI
crying, would OneE ~
moved his cart to new corner. On
the second morning two young girls
on their way TO Work stopped Dsslue
his cart while a wagon passed, and one
said TO the other, They say you VIII
marry that Ross, Ninette.
Ninette tossed her head and laughed
They are mistaken. Why, he has a
club foot. would never marry 9
Pietro turned with a sudden pain il
his heart and looked 1T her' and thousn-
he had never seen such merry race
and such white, flashing teeth
Besides" added Ninette' with
saucy glance at PietrO, Il do not IKE
blondes. I like dark eyes and black
curly hair"
Her words fingered with him all day.
and in the evening Wnen sue pd5ae-A
on her way home, he STOOD up very
Straight on his sound leg, holding the
other bent under him. and returned ner
nod and smile.
The next morning he took his place
earlier than usual and pousneq up nus
wards, and arranged his oranges IN q
neat heap. He patted the bananas with
a loving hand, smiled at the cneerLul
red apples, and hoped Ninette Woulo no
tice how nice the cart looked
She cana tripping by alone. GOOD
morning, PietrO," she added DrlghIlys
seeing the name on the cart.
Good morning, Ninette,' answered
Pietro, whereat she laughed and nodded
her head at him rogutshly.
You are very pretty 6aLl EAtLA U
boldly.
And YOU are very impudent" she re-
torted, smiling, however, as if she liked
Pietro felt his heart thrill as he
looked into her bright, dark eyes ana
he leant over the cart and held out one
of his finest oranges. ~ ia you please
please to take iti' he cried eagerly
Ninette's face lit up with pleasure,
and she took the orange and hurried
her way, turning to press 1t mlschleV-
ously to her lips. Pietro was delighted
He did not know that Ntnette was a
born couuet, and that, in spite Of her
brief years, she was an adept IN Inese
captivating little arts and Sraces- his
lonely heart went out to the DrlgnL
eyed sparkling, viFaciOus creature, and
every day he watched for her, morning
and evening, and stood up very straight
until she had passed
Even the rainy days that had once
been so insupportably dreary became
refoiced in, for then he spread a tar
paulin tent-wise over the cart, and
Ninette came closer under its shelter
and leant over the cart very near him
1t was under the tent on a rainy day,
when Ninette's laughing face was up
turned within a foot Of his, that Pietro
suddenly leaned over and kissed her.
ooh, Ninette, I love you, / love you
SOL You are the whole world to me.
Can you love me a Itue2 Oh, say that
YOU will, and then Wen be married, and
I viii take care Of you always. Ninette,
darling, viii yOU?'
Had Ninette been able, she would
have coyly eluded Pietro and made him
wait several days in tantalizing sus-
pense for his answer, but he held her
hands tightly in his and his grave,
dark eyes searched her face in their
earnestness, so she said soberly, Yes,
Pietro, I will"
Pietro did not sleep that night From
heights Of ecstatic happiness he plunged
into depths Of despair, for had not Nj
nette said that she would never marry
a cripple and ne, weak, miserable cow
ard that he was, had with infinite care
concealed from her his deformlty. He
had seen her only on week days behind
his cart had uar-n- crrraH-eT