The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1915-09-09
with its rent and gas bill. bathed him

Ginsburg, with his roll of bills and hi
undivided one-twentieth interest In a
adjacent tenement, represented tn
very pinnacle Of financial soundness
In Palermo. this humble tailor nigh
be a veritable prince he reflected;
veritable prince In Palermo--the bar
utterance of the name impelled hin
toward his guitar. Soon his falsettt
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
! ution. emitted II 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 scrawied figures ON the back of an
envelope.
The ownership OF an undivided one
twentieth interest in n tenement house
has its disadvantages. They-that Is
to say. the syndicate of twenty. had
purchased real estate to sell at quick
profit and not as an investment, but an
untimey slump in prices had frustrat-
ed their plans. Only two short weeks
must elapse before payment OF S.
600 would fall due on the purchase
money mortgage which the syndicate
had executed to its seller.
In vain did Ginsburg cover the back
OF his envelope with intricate computa-
tlon-the staggering deficit of hun
dred odd dollars confronted; for what
looked like retiring competency to
Annibale. represented the paltry sum
OF $125.
The distracted Landowner glanced
around the little store and mentally APP
praised the wooden piece goods on the
shelves
"Suckers." he Kissed; mot hundred
dollar bill in der whole store. und dot
gentle sings yetr'
The melody came I'm sbriI pusts
through the scantling partition. This
time 1t 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 10 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 early
in the month. and. besides. the gas
bill came In white envelope. Once |
before he had received letter other
than the gas company's misslve. 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! Ii had |
been 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 n free-for-al fight
as he had ever witnessed-five 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
his bank roll and tenement house: he
,Lomonte, would be merry while he
could.
He, Lomonte. would show-he con-
inued to reflect as he tore open the
,nvelope-would show that premature
y aged Hebrew that he. Lomonte. was
io-he withdrew the inclosed sheet
vas no fossil. No. indeed. he-"Santa
losalier' he shrleked as he spread the
paper on his knee.
Almost its entire surface was over
aid with the impression of n human
land In printers ink. from beneath
which there grinned skull and cross
'OHes Hedliy eAeSuleu III CuTmlue. "
'ore an Italian legend In capital let
ers. the import of which even Lo-
nonte's agitation could not render diff
cult OF apprehension:
Do you want TO die? Then dlsobey our
'ill We demand $500 The time. next
friday. at noon The place, In front OF
he restaurant OF the three AbruzZi. on
iott street There one win say to you
Monte Pelegrno." Speak OF this to not |
nan nor woman nor child.
LA MANo NERA
Annibale stared into vacancy and re-
Gated mechanically, LA Mano Nera"
he Black Hand, while his throat
rev parched and his heart thumped .,
idly in his breast. He sank into
'thargy OF panic from which he was
reused by Ginsburg's bedtime sup
locations u
Apparently Morris could perform no I.
fice Of his daily life without sancti-
sing it with ritualistic color Did he
ash his hands. then Annibale was
sgaled with the appropriate blessing
andered in Ginsburg's strong bari IS
me. The salt herring and potato. II
'hich formed Gmsburgs evening re- s.