Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1913-05-16
H|SSISTER'SDOWRY

The dinner was q success; we all
were In most excellent spirits; We all
Of the party was going to the country
Of colors. sunshine and romance.
Now think It is rather dangerous
Of YOU" I said suddenly.
What is imprudent! Going to
Rome?" one asked.
YES" I said, 1T is dangerous to 60
to Rome. for you may be forced Into
marriage there"
My friends laughed and begged me
to relate my experience there
Now l must tell you that during
the year lived in Rome was In the
habit of getting shaved every day BY
a certain barber and hair dresser,
Bonini. wanted to keep up good
appearance and could not think Of be-
Ing seen with a two-days-old beard.
'T was greatly surprised one morn.
ing to discover that a big. dark.skin-
ned fellow. who resembled bandit.
had taken Bonini's place in the shop.
HE noticed my surprise and said
In the suavest manner:
you will have to excuse Gloom
Bonini today. He is sick In bed--very
sick. I am afraid. have come to
take his place.
las he saw I was about to answer
and possibly object he went on In his
most angelic manner.
"'You must not doubt my talent,
Signor. daily shave the French min
lister. two cardinals. three senator's. a
Spanish duke, Milford Abercrounny
and a colonel. who has Just returned
from our glorious war In Tripoli.
ut was not necessary to say that
much to convince me. must have
barber and might as we'll have him as
any one else. so gave myself into his
hands. But what hands! Gigantic
and muscular. they seemed to belong
to an executioner rather than to a
barber. trembled when l saw him
stropping the razor.
Then he began to talk to me OF
Tripoli and a thousand other things.
Suddenly he drew q deep sigh, and a
tragic expression came into his
swarthy face. .M
"'Alas.' he sighed. I had a sister
once
"'1s she dead. then? I asked. try
ing to appear Interested.
"The tragic expression was follow.
ed by one even more sinister.
mo. she Is not dead he moaned
1T Is far worse. The miserable crea-
ture lives the life OF dishonor. Some
accursed foreigner has carried her on.
I do not know where they are hiding.
but II only knew the name OF the
villain I would kill him within an
hour. II ever meet him with my
poor poor sister. Battistina, I will
have the lives Of both Of, them or my
name IL not -Paolo Capponi.' ~
He kept on raving' furiously. His
hand. which was on my throat, trem.
bled convulsively. As for myself. I
was in q state Of deadly terror. and
beads Of cold Precipitation rolled of
my forehead. e.a ..4
Suddenly the virtuous Capponi
seemed to grow meeker and more con-
ciliatory. Yes, win kill them both
unless he marries my sister. ''s@@"'4'
And softer still he added:
cor give her a dowry. A small. a
very small dowry. But ne must give
It to me. Paolo. who ia the head OF
the family
His rasor was moving round mad
~. At last he finished and I Jumped
out OF the chair. Paolo Capponi, the
strong champion OF morals, took me
before the big mirror and said in his
sweetest voice, while he wiped his in
strument Of torture:
"'Will the signor please notice how
clean Is the shave, how velvety your
skin. and not the slightest scratch.
II, therefore the signor would be kind
enough to give me little tip. say,
200 lires. he will Eever hear OF me-
again. Bonini is sure to be we'll to-
morrow.
1.-TWO hundred lire! This was evi-
IDENTIFY Battistina's dowry. Then he
informed me that the girl had hired
as housemaid was his sister, BATHS
tina. He frightened me into paying
the 200 Tires, but I discharged the girl
on my arrival at home.
THAT is why say 1t Is dangerous
to go to Rome."-Chicago American.