The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1915-09-04
with It's rent and gas bill, bathed him
In perspiration.

WIN us rent ana gas Dill, Datneu MIN
In perspiration.
To his poverty stricken Imagination,
Ginsburg, with his roll of bills and his
undivided one-twentieth interest in an
adjacent tenement, represented the
very pinnacle of financial soundness.
In Palermo this humble tailor might
be u veritabe prince he reflected; q
veritable prince in Palermo-the bare
utterance of the name impelled him
toward his guitar. Soon his falsetto
was uplifted in temporary forgetful-
ness of his plight
"Ogni sera di soto al milo balcone."
he walled, and rolled his eyes, while
Ginsburg, on the other side of the par
tition, emitted a succession of "phoo
ees" to the bolts of wooden that lined
the walls Of his store.
Had his neighbor been visible to An
nibale through the scantling party wall,
the sight might have afforded him
more solace than his song; for this
was no opulent landlord that laborious-
ly scrawled figures on the back of an
envelope.
The ownership of an undivided one
twentieth interest in Il tenement house
has it's disadvantages. They-that is
to say. the syndicate of twenty, had
purchased real estate to sell at a quick
profit and not as an investment, but an
untimely slump in prices had frustrat-
ed their plans. Only two short weeks
must elapse before !: payment of 81.
60
money mortgage which the syndicate
had executed to its seller
In vain did Ginsburg cover the back
OF his envelope with intricate .omrufa
t1on-the staggering deficit If IL hun
dred odd dollars confronted: for wnaI
looked like retiring competency 10
Annibale. represented the patry sum
of 1925.
The distracted landowner glanced
around the little store and mentally an.
praised the wooden piece goods on the
shelves.
"Stickers," he Kissed; mot a hundred
dollar bill in der whole store, und dot
gentle sings YETI
The melody came in shrill gusts
through the scantling partition. This
time it was popular Neapolitan song,
and Annibale threw back his head as
he trolled forth the romantic stave:
"Occhi neri. perche mi sorridete." he
sang; "occhi neri, perche mi sorri"-
The entrance of the mail carrier
caught him midway in the refrain,
where he paused to receive letter in
closed in a blue envelope
Annibale's schooling had been of
such primitive order that he was I'M
able to decipher script and could only
read Roman capitals with some diff
Guilty. He made out the postmark to
be New York. but obviously this could
not be the gas bill, for it was too eark
in the month. and. besides, the gas
bill came in a white envelope. Once
before be had received a letter other
than the gas company's missive. which
proved to contain an invitation to the
grand ball of the Societa San Rocco di
Savoia di Lucania
What sensation he had created in |
his hired dress suit. which fitted him
as though he really owned it! 1t had |
been a most enjoyable occasion from
every point of view There had been
excellent music and the usual quota
Of good looking girls the whole end
ing with as pretty a free-for-all fight |
as he had ever witnessed-fiye casual
ties. with mortality Of 40 per cent.
Perhaps, he reflected. there was to
be another dance. In that event he |
could utilize the diamond ring, which
had a convertible setting, as a shirt
stud. After all, youth is the time for
enjoying oneself. Let Ginsburg have
his bank roll and tenement house; he
Uomonte) would be merry while he
could.
tinued to reflect as he tore open the
envelope-would show that premature
ly aged Hebrew that he, LomOnte, was
no-he withdrew the inclosed sheet
was no fossil. No, indeed. he-"Santa
Rosalie!' he shrieked as be spread the
unfolded paper on his knee.
Almost its entire surface was over
laid with the impression Of human
hand in printers ink, from beneath
which there grinned skull and cross
bones neatly executed in carmine. 1t
bore an Italian legend in capital let
.ers, the import Of which even Lo-
agitation could not render diff
icult Of apprehension:
Do you want to die? Then disobey our
WILL We demand $500. The time, next
Friday, at noon The place, In front of
he restaurant of the three Abruzzi, on
Mott street. There one will say to you
Monte Pellegrino." Speak of this to not
nan nor woman nor child.
LA MANO NERA-
Annibale stared into vacancy and re-
'eated mechanically, LA Mano Nera"
the Black Hand, while his throat
rev parched and his heart thumped
wildly in his breast He sank into
ethargy Of panic from which he was
reused by Ginsburg's bedtime sup
locations.
Apparently Morris could perform no
flee Of his daily life without sancti-
ying it with rituaistic color. Did he