The daily Alaskan., 1915-09-07
V.-THE ILL WIND
ICopyrlght, The Frank A. Munsey Col
  (Continued from last issue)

his finger-a fine canary colored stone, almost flawleSS-the very clothes on his back. were purchased and owed for on the weekly payment plan, while the mere thought of the first of the month with its rent and gas bill, bathed him in precipitation.
 To his poverty stricken imagination, Gnsburg, with his roll of bills and bis undivided onc-twcntieth interest in an adjacent tenement, represented the very pinnacle of financial soundness. In Palermo, this humble tailor might be verltable prince he reflected; ycrltable prince in PalermO-the bare utterauce of the name impelled him toward his guitar. Soon hIs falsetto was upllrted in temporary forgetful- ness of his plight.
 "Ogni sera dl sOtto al mic balcone," he walled, and rolled his eyes, while GinSburg, on the other side of the par tition, emitted a succession of ''phoO- ecs" to the bolts of wOolen that lined the walls of his store.
 Had bis 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 fin a tenement house has its disadvantages. They-that Is to say, the syndicate of twenty, had purchased real estate to sell at a quick profit and not as m investment, but an untimely slump In prices had frustrat- cd their plans. Only two short weeks must clapse before a payment of S5,- 900 would fall due on the purchase money mortgage which the syndicate had executed to Its seller.
 Iu vain did Ginsburg cover the back of his envelope with intricate computa- tion-the staggering deficit of a hun dred odd dollars confronted; for what looked like a retiring competency to Annibale, represented the paltry sum of Sl25.
 The distracted landowner glanced around the little store and mentally ap- praised the wOOlen piece goods on the shelves.
 "Suckers," he hissed; mot hundred dollar bill in der whole store, und dot gentile sings yetr'
 The melody came in shrill gusts through the scantling partition. This time it was q popular Neapolitan song, and Aunihale threw back his head as be trO!led forth the romantic stave:
 "Occhi neri, pcrche ml sorridete." he sang; "Occhl neri, perche mi sorri"- The entrance of the mail carrier caught him midway in the refrain, where he paused to receive letter h. closed in a blue envelope.
 Annibale's schooling had been of such primitive order that he was un- able to decIpher script and could only read Roman capitals with some dlfi- Culty. He made out the postmark to be New York, but obviously this could not be the gas bill, for 1t was too early in the month, and, besides, the gas bill came in a white envelope. Once before he 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 a sensation be had created in his hired dress suit, which fitted him as though he really owned itl It had been q 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 q free-for-all fight as he had ever witncsSed-fve casual. ties. with a mortality of 40 per cent.
 Perhaps, be 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 UOmontel would be merry while be could.
 He, Lomonte, would show-he con. 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 DO 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 a skull and cross. bones neatly executed in carmine. It bore m Italian legend in capital let ters, the import of which even Lo- montes agitation could not render diff ficult of apprehension:
 Do you want to die? Then disobey our will We demand 800. The time, next Friday. at noon The place, in front of the restaurant of the three Abruzzi, on Mott street There one will say to you Monte Pellegrino." Speak of this to not man nor woman nor child.
 Annibale stared into vacancy and re-