The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1916-05-19
An Italian Girls
Vengeance
A Story of Sorrento
BY F. A. mitchell

Sorrento, the famous Italian seaside
resort, Is built on cliff several hun
bred feet high. The cliff is curved.
the northern end fianked by Mount We
suvius, the southern end pointing to
the Mediterranean sea. The town is
composed chiefly Of hotels and villas.
some Of them set in the center of or
ange groves. At the base of the cliff
are the homes of fisher folk, their boats
moored On a narrow beach. There Is
no sea view In the world more beauti-
ful than that from Sorrento. One may
gaze upon the ever changing hue of
the waters beneath, the islands of Is
CHA and Capri, here and there ship
or the little white steamer that car
Ties passengers between Naples and
the islands. while shoreward to the
right is the cone Vesuvius with its
mist of smoke about its summit
Julian Hemstreet, young American
or fortune who was travelling abroad
previous to settling down to the man
agement Of his estate, went to Sor-
rento and was so charmed with 1t that
ing sailor instincts he was drawn to-
ward the shore directly beneath where
the feet of -fishiag craft was either
hauled up ON the beach or nodding at
anchor.
Entering a wine Bhop, he asked a
girl he found there how he should pro-
coed to hire a boat. He knew enough
~ kha tall Ran 70
fairly well, and she gave him the nee
aessary information. While she was
doing 30 Julian ordered liter of wine,
which she brought and set on a table
before him. There was nothing in the
shop to look at except the girl, so Ju-
Liam fixed his eyes upon her, and the
longer he looked the more he found
feed for admiration,
Lita-that was her name-was dress
ed I'm the costume of Italy, which has
IN tia good deal Of color. Like all, or
nearly all, Italians, she was brunette,
with a wealth of black hair and eyes
of a dark brown. She was comely In
her way, but not beautiful; nevertheless
there was a novelty for Julian in her
makeup, especially her costume. 1t
was not long before he was paying her
compliments, which meant little to
him, but meant much to the girl.
Julian, having learned where he
could get boat. went for sail on
the bay, for he was accustomed to
handling such craft, and when he re-
turned called at the shop for another
liter of wine. He was a handsome
FELLOW, entirely different from the men
to whom the girl who served him had
been accustomed. 1t is question how
fur q man is responsible for girls
falling IN love with him. In this case
Julian would not have proven 1t even
by refraining from the little compi-
ments that he considered due any wo-
man. She was confronted by that
which dazzled her and was dazZled.
Possibly If Julian had realized the
damage being done he would have
withdrawn, though later, when 1t be-
came plain to him, he did no such
thing. But then 1t would have been
much more difficult to withdraw than
at the beginning.
One morning Julian was in the
orange grove that surrounded his hotel
,plucking the ripe fruit, when from
another part Of the grove came rip
pie of feminine laughter, and mo-
ment later q girl appeared from among
the trees. On seeing a young man her
features changed from mirth to serious
ness and she passed on into the hotel.
There could be no greater difference
between two women than between this
girl and the Italian at the foot OF the
clifr. The former was a blond whose
complexion was still soft as that of
child, rose tint mingled with its
Wilderness. The eyes were blue, the
hair what Is commonly called golden.
She was Mildred Twtning, a member OF
an American family who were touring
In Europe. Julian, who was OF an age
10 be easily impressed with feminine
beauty, was much pleased at the sud
den change on the face of the girl, on
coming upon him so suddenly. Sew
eral other persons with whom she had
been In the grove, including child,
followed her into the house, passing
him closely, but so charmed was he
with the girl that he took no note OF
the others.
Americans abroad are as prone to
make friends with one another as they
are to stand apart at home, and 1t was
not long before Julian formed the &C
.ouaintanee Of the party of which Miss
Twining was a member. The ease
with which tourists become friends Is
extended to the sexes, and there is no
more prolific source of uniting hearts
than sightseeing in foreign lands. Ju-
Han Hemstreet attached himself TO the
Twining party. or, rather, to Mildred
rwining, and everywhere they went
he went.
One day Julian proposed to his new
fonnd friends to take them to sail on
the bay. They accepted his invitation
and, having descended to the beach,
stood waiting while Julian was making
preparation for the debarkation. Lita,
the wine shop girl, saw the party ana
went out to watch them. When Julian
handed Mildred on to the boat Liza
was watching him and saw an express
.,on on his face as he looked down into
Ar, hl,.a ayes that caused within the