El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-05-20
By Giulio Rechi.

y ROM the porch of the barracks the
II captain called him and asked:
= do you want to be my order
ly. sotgiu?"
Sotgiu stood as awkward and clum-
sy as a bear. overawed at the sight
of the beautiful lady. who looked him
over as if he were a domestic animal
she was about to buy
She exchanged a glance with her
husband, who said:
All right, Sotgiu, you start to work
at once. Be at my house at o'clock
tomorrow Mauro will take you
there"
The next day Sotgiu began his work
as domestic, dressed in huge blue
apron. with a brush in his pocket and
a feather buster in his hand.
His duties were not heavy, for, be-
sides the baby Mimi. a little damsel
Of months, there were a chamber
maid and a cook in the house.
But he did not feel at home in this
magnificent house. And with wide
open eyes he stared at the heavy silver
tableware the white tablecloth and
the wealth Of flowers.
He felt at ease only with the nurse,
who was like a real comrade, a coarse,
heavy built country girl from Assist.
magnificent home and Immediately
struck up a friendship with the new
orderly, who, like herself, was born
and brought up in the mountains.
Often. when their work was done.
they sat together on the back porch or
in the attic chatting and looking to-
ward the distant mountains behind
which was their home.
One day when she was trying tc put
arm, Sotgiu said to her:
Let me carry the baby; you can't
work that way"
But she won't stay with anybody
but me-"
~Just let me try."
When he held the baby in his arms,
the feeling tof this soft little creature
seemed very strange to him. He did
not know how to hold it, For the
first time in his life be noticed this
little Baby with the big eyes that stared
in surprise at her new nurse. Blue
eyes and black met for a moment. but
the examination must have satisfied
her, for Mimi opened her little tooth
less mouth and talked to him in her
mysterious language.
Look, She is smiling at me-" he
cried in delight Listen! She is talk
ing to me-. She is saying: Nso! Ngo"
Per Bacco. she is a beauty"
His pride would not allow him to
confess that this little pink and white
creature had conquered him entirely.
Formerly when his work was done. he
used 70 go to some saloon with CoiI-
edoa. another country soldier like him
self. Now ne went out walking with
the nurse and they sat down in
lonely spot outside the walls, where
he was permitted to hold the baby
Mimi pulled his ears, bit his nose
dug her little, fingers into his eyes.
and Sotgiu. was so happy he invented
a thousand tricks to amuse the little
one
Soon Mimi refused to leave her. mill
tary playmate's arms. and, when II
was time TO nurse her, she showed
her anger in a very audible manner
To make her stop, the nurse had to
nut on Antonicu's helmet, and. at the
sight Of this shining object, Mimi at
last consented to be fed.
when Mimi was weaned and the
nurse returned to her mountain home.
Sotgiu became her companion Instead
The barracks. the house. MINIS par
ents. the canteen existed no longer
for him. It was useless to call him or
to ask him to do anything.
Mimi and he spent hours and hours
playing together Ihev iteueu 10
words to understand one another.
Mimi commanded by gesture and her
smallest within was obeyed on the
spot.
One day she was playing with peb-
bles in the park When she had picked
one that pleased her particularly. she
placed it inside Sotgiu's immense fist
Suddenly a big Great Dane caught
sight OF her. and. being young and
playful. jumped at her and licked her
face until she fell backward. crying.
Sotgiu turned red with anger and
kicked the dog, which ran away howl
ing. while a fat colonel, red as a to-
nato. made a rush for the soldier.
"Sacrebleu;" he roared. That is
nv dog. you Internal fool How dare
YOU touch it with your dirty boots?
Sotgiu heard nothing. He was stoop-
ing over the little one, trying to make
her stop crying.
81 am talking to you'll To you, do
YOU hear. Why don't you salute an
officer, you muttonhead?'
The soldier Strengthened up, pale
with anger, clenched his fists and
Kissed between his teeth:
Let me alonet Let me alone, will
ven, ! or you will be sorry"
The expression of his face distorted
with anger brought the colonel back
to his senses. For a moment he stood
dumbfounded, then he said:
Bring that child home and then re-
port at the guardhouse. We will talk
about this tomorrow"
Mimi began to meow like cat, so
he picked her up, pressed her to Ibis
heart and started homeward, broken
hearted with big tears streaming
down his honest face.
The same evening he was placed
under arrest OF course, he lost his
Job as the captains orderly. but.
thanks to his masters Intervention, he
escaped being courtmartialed.
When he came out of the arrest, thin
and green like lizard. he was sent
away and did not get time to say
goodby to baby.
After three long months, Sotgiu at
last returned to the barracks. lie
found Mimi on the terrace playing
with his successor She did not even
look at him, and when he tried 20
pick her up, she pushed him back and
began to cry. She turned her head
away and held out her arms toward
thu ether soldier.
Sot3iu wiped the tears from his eyes
and v ent away
Without knowing 1T. he found him