El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-04-08
PaoLa Head of the Family
A short Story.

" he dinner was a success, we all
were in most excellent spirits as
l. one Of the party was going u
/ the country Of coIors, sunshine ana
/ romance.
Now 1 think it is rather dangerous
OF you, said suddenly.
What is imprudent? Going n
/ RomeE one asked
Yes" 1 said 'it is dangerous to on
; to Rome for you may be forced into
marriage there"
Ny friends laughed, and begged me-
to relate my experience there
Now l must tell you that during
the year I lived in Rome I was in
the habit of getting shaved every dav
by a certain barber and hair dresser
BOninL 1 wanted to keep up a good
appearance and could not think OF
being seen with a two days old beard.
was greatly surprised one morn
ing to discover that a big dark
skinned powerful fellow. who re-
sembled a bandit, had taken BOninFs
place in the shop.
He noticed my surprise and said
in the suavest manner:
You viii have to excuse Gicomo
Bonini today He is sick in bed-very
sick. am afraid. 1 have come to take
his place"
As he saw I was about to answer
and possibly object. he went on in
his most angelic manner:
You must not doubt my talent. Sig
nor, j daily shave the French minister
two cardinals, three senators, a Span
ish duke Milford Abercrounnv and a
colonel. who has Just returned from
our glorious war in Tripoh
1t was not necessary to say that
much to convince me. I must have a
barber and might as well have him Is
anyone else, so gave myself into HIS
hands. But what handsi Gigantic ana
muscular, they seemed to belong to
an eXecutioner rather than to a bar
Der I trembled when I saw him stop
ping the razor.
Then he began TO talk to me Of
TriOpi and a thousand other things
Suddenly he drew a deep sigh and
tragic expression came into his swar-
90 Alas he sighed. 81 had a sister
once"
Is she dead then? I asked trying
to appear interested
The tragic expression was followed
by one even more sinister.
No. she is not dead he mOaned.
1t is far worse. The miserab crea-
ture lives the life of dishonor. Some
aCcursed foreigner has carried her off.
1 do not know where they are hiding.
but if 1 only knew the name of the
william, I would Kill him within an
hour If 1 ever meet him with my
poor sister, Battistina. I will have the
lives Of both Of them or my name is
II
He kept on raving furiously. His
hand which was on my throat trembled
cOnvulsively. As for myself I was IN
a state of deadly terror and beads OF
cold perspiratiOn rolled off my fore
head.
Suddenly the virtuous CapDoni
seemed to grow meeker and more con-
ciliatory. Yes. I Will kill them both
unless he marries my sister
And softer still he added
" or gives her a dOwry- A small.
very small dOwry. But he must give
it 10 me, PaOlO, who is the head Of the
family
His razor was moving around mad
". At last he finished and I jumped
out of the chair PaOlO CappOLi. the
strong champion OF morals, took me
before the big mirror and said in his
sweetest voice. while he wiped mis-
instrument of torture;
Will the SignOre please notice how
clean is the shave, how velvety your
skin. and not the slightest scratch II.
therefore, the SignOre, would be kind
enough to give a little tip. say 200
Iires, he viii never hear of me again
Bonini is sure to be well tomorrow
Two hundred lirei This was evil
IDENTIFY Battistina's dOwry. Then he
informed me that the girl I had hired
as housemaid was his sister, Battisttn7-
He frightened me into paying the 200
lires but I discharged the girl on my
arrival at home.
That is why I say it is dangerous to
90 70 Rome"