The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1916-08-13

is costing made Arturo determine in
stantly to hide from Marie what the let
ter had said.
, There was no thought Of refusal in his
mind. Submission was the only way to
save his Marie.
Hidden under the mattress Of his
cheap white iron bed there was a fiat
iron box 1t held the savings he and
Marie had accumulated during their
Ave years In this country. There were
$500 in that box-S300 TOD precious to
trust to the alien care Of any bank.
A Cruel Demand.
II meant that some day Arturo's
younger brother and Marie's old mother
would be brought over to America and
, that Arturo would have a little studio
OF his own instead Of going about from
house to house to give his violin les
sons.
, Arturo took out the money. replaced
the box and smoothed the covers In the
hope that Marie would see nothing un-
usual when she came into their bed
room.
He said his goodby quickly and sor-
rowfully; He could not long endure the
questioning eyes Of the young wife he
loved SO we'll When he came out of
the street there were two organ grinders
play ing a gay little tune on their hand
plano.
or them he thought nothing. He did
not pay any attention to the fact that
/ they began consulting at sight of him.
Tor did he notice more than casually
wrote something on slip Of paper and
handed II to the other. who at once be-
gan following along In his wake.
As he turned in and out of the dark
revolving in his mind a little inspiration
which had come to him. There was the
law-he could apply to that for aid the
police would not let the Black Hand
Arturo marched up to the police sta
ton with a feeling Of brave and i'm
portant determination. He was an
American citizen-they should see!
he had given so little heed when he left
the hands OF the American citizen"
scrawled across the bit Of dirty crum-
pied paper were these words;
1t was signed with a crudely. drawn
black hand. All Arturo's bravery
crumpled up and became as one with
the pulpy mass of paper in his hand.
For a second he made an effort to rise
above his terror. Desperately he gath
cred his courage and took one step up
ward on his way to the station and the
protection Of the police.
The Fear of Vengeance.
But the menace Of that sprawlins
black hand was too much for him. Ar.
turo came down the steps again. know
ing that he was defeated.
The organ grinder who had given hin
the note. turned and followed. grlml,
tracking Arturo until the young must
clan came at last to the stage entrances
OF the Venetian Theater.
Things might have been different TO-
us had We been given any way o
knowing that the organ grinder wh'
had followed Arturo was the same maj
had seen lurking in the shadows o
"Beppo the Neapolitan" he was called
and he was one OF gang Of bandits ant
anarchists who made their headquarter
In Farrari's saloon.
II was his knife that swung flashing
In dangerous menace above Arturo
head when we three stood covering an
, And the fiery creature against WHOM
Arturo was struggling barehanded an
unconscious Of the knife In his secon
foes hands. was Cello. right-hand ma
3 and co-plotter with Benpo in Blac
8 the moving spirit.
picked myself up from the corne
into which Beppo had flung me an
. turned to Marie. who was crouche'
,, forward and tearfuily beseeching tn
! blessed saints for a miracle that shoul
save her Arturo. We looked around u
for some weapon. but there was none
Death seemed imminent. Marie an
I darted forward, intent. on saving Al
! turno. Put the knife flashed through
the air so quickly and powerfully tina
: II seemed we could not be In time.
Then suddenly the miracle for whic
Q Marie had been praying happened. !
e human body crashed through the elias
q skylight and thudded against Beppc
= flinging him to the floor just one sec
3 ond before his cleaning dagger ha
finished its menacing descent:
3 of his body had saved Arturo there ha
y been wild explosion somewhere out
l side which rent the night air with on
e shrieking burst Of sound-after whic
y came a heavy pail of silence.
What was that sound? II suggeste
q nothing SO much as the explosion of
bomb. We were indeed In the thick Q
olS any as sash Ma
looked up to the Jagged glass. q
the torn skylight through which tbs
q alien figure had fallen. Dark. leerin
= faces were peering down throuFh
= The grimmest looking man ! had owe
of the skylight as II he were goin
Ito follow the man who so suddenl
y broke through It. I turned to look q
II him. He. too. was an italian.
y There seemed no help for us.
Where was Jimmy Barton all tn
10 while?
o We shall have to 20 back few hour