Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1911-06-29


the despised flag back at him indif.
ferently. "You may stay In your
America II you wish. shall not!
Pietro Binconte goes back to Italy
next month" she added significantly.
"Pietro Binconte!' Giuseppe cried.
stepping close to her and now furious
"Pietro." she repeated with tan.
talizing nod.
"And you re BinconteY" he asked
savagely.
She had not the slightest affection
for Binconte. She did. however. de-
light In teasing Giuseppe. 1t was such
fun to make a man wild with Jealousy.
She remained silent. letting him infer
whatever his mad passion might
prompt him to- But her coquetry was
very short lived Too angry to trust
himself to remain longer with her.
Giuseppe abruptly stalked from the
room without 80 much as look In her
direction.
Paula listened to his coarse. heavy
shoes humping down the stairs. and
she leaned far out of the window and
watched him make his way hastily
along the street Then she looked
down on her neat white dress. ut her
pink ribbons and ut her new American
hat with the sickeninP sensation that
the great American day. the holiday
when everybody was going some
where. was a blank before her. and the
tiny fat In which she lived was In
sufYerably hot and stnffx How she
wished she had not provoked Giuseppe
and that he would come back!
"And nowT Giuseppe asked himself
as he hurried away, ne didn't know
or care where to No answer came.
Yet In his bitterness OF spirit the alb
surdity of the incident brought grim
smile to hi, lips The flag. the sym.
Dol Of all that which had made 1t pos
sible for him to marry Paula. had
started theil quarrel 1t was because
of his becoming citizen OF the Unit
ed States md displaying something
more than the inanity OF other men,
bers Of the gang with which he work
ed that the construction company had
assigned to him some responsibilities.
with substantial increase In bis
wages.
How he had worked and saved! How
lonely he had been since he had left
Paula two years ago In Italy! How
he had studied and endeavored to
grasp the new language and the Amer
lean ways so he could progress for
Paula's sake.
And now she had literally flung back
all his efforts at him with sorn.
hut maybe II WAS hecnusr the Gear
girl was honrsck He had been home
sick too. when he first came over. BE
Ing homeSick was very disturbing; he
should not have left her 80 hastily,
He turned and hurried back. He
thumppd up the three flights of stairs
to the Sienna fiat again and found that
Paula had gone away with Pietro Bin
conte
In all the eighteen years Of Paula
Senna's life In gay and festival loving
Italy she had never seen anything like
the celebration Of the American
Fourth To be sire. the real signln.
canoe Of the day was unintelliglble to
her. but that didn't matter. From the
time she and Pietro Binconte had gone
aboard the excursion boat until now,
when they found themselves among the
dancers ON n recreation pier Jutting
far out into the broad river. 1t had
been one continuous series of surprises
and wonders to her and che was not
yet through with exclaiming.
The sky was blue; the rivers and the
bays were blue The people. the build
ings. every: hing was In holiday at
tire. But II wns when the boat had
swung out from the dock. while the
band played lively tunes. that the
gloriousness of the Fourth and the
vastness Of the city broke OH the en-.
raptured gaze Of the astonashed girl.
She was sure she was looking ON the
entire area OF America and that the
whole place was covered with red,
white and blue. Oh. what a great
place America was after all.
And Giuseppe belonged to It now.
He was wearing one OF those req.
white and blue flags In his buttOnhole.
Her pretty face grew hot as she gazed
on the proud star spangled banner In
multiplicity She felt its strength. Its
power. She was almost afraid Tor
what she had done. And the more
she looked at II the better she liked 1t.
She commenced to hum tune the
band was playing. Pietro Interrupted
her with an exclamation OF disap'
prevail
THAT'S America" he said. little
sharply. Don't learn those United
States songs. There's no music In
them. Come. Paula mia: come over
there with me. and we will sing our
own beautiful music"
He found IN unoccupied corner on
one side Of the boat beside the slant
ing roof Of big wheel. and they sang
Italian melodies together for awhile
as they idly drifted past the beauti-
full scenery Then Pietro commenced
to talk What he had to say chiefly
concerned his contemplated return to
Italy and of how he desired to marry
Paula and take her back with him.
He had money. He had been engaged
in the fruit business In America for
some years and could now afford to 90
home and live in ease on little farm
In the province.
II am betrothed to Giuseppe" pro-
tested Paula, with the hOmesick tears
In her eyes.
"Ancona will never go back" Pietro
replied: neither will he save any
r,onay He amends too much on the