Evening star., 1938-02-20
Mooozins Section

Quer our inheritance - the grandlOSe Empire
that was Rome. This is only Year Fifteen.
Rome took centuries 1t is only the beginning!
A noi!'
Nonno Sandro answered testify England!
You are mad to quarrel with England Eng
land was always our friend Without England
there would have been no Italy. My father
always said - Garibaldi, Cavour and MAJ
zini always said - Keep friends with Eng
land - and all will be well'" He coughed
after the effort of so long speech.
''You live in the last century, nonno San
dro," said Giuseppe. ptyingly Then Eng
land wanted us to grow. just little as a
check to France. But really she never thought
we could be other than romantically- ragged
keepers of ruins. With the Duce everything
has changed, and England hates us for it,
As he was talking, Beppo and Tommaso
scrambled down from the window, came
running across to their father.
Papa" said Beppo. may we go to the
attic? We can't see from here The big flag
gets in the way. Please let us go to the attic,
Papar'
Giuseppe pushed his offspring aside i'm
patiently. "All right! Go to the attic! But
no mischief, mind!'
The two children raced joyously off, ignor-
ing the screamed protests of their Nonna
Maria. The old man could hear them dashing
up the stairs. Once, how long ago it was. he
could dash up stairs like that! He remembered
dashing up the selfsame stairs - but he had
gone further, through the trapdoor to the roof
to see the demonstration in the Piazza
when Venice had been recovered from the
Austrians after &c.
Giuseppe was still arguing with Francesca
that to defeat and sink the English fleet was
the easiest thing in the world. Suddenly the
old man heard young feet tumbling down the
stairs. Beppo and Tommaso dashed into the
room.
Papa" cried Beppo. There is a man on
the roof - man with rifle!
Donna Maria screamed. with rifle! On
the roof" Involuntarily. in that alarm. he,
his chair. Instantly, Teresa was at his side,
calming him. Giuseppe and Francesca had
rushed upstairs. Presently. he heard scuffle
descending. His grandsons were bringing the
man down.
They forced their prisoner into the room.
We've got him." said Giuseppe, breathlessly.
Guess who he ISL
The ancestor glanced to the intellectual
looking young man they held. Fat Donna
Maria screamed: Minor Teresa gasped,
trembled violently as she helped his old limbs
back into the chair Nino! Come back! He had
always been particularly fond of Nino. Nno
who resemblcd Mazzini
The young man laughed shortly as he stood
in the grasp of his diversely uniformed BROTH
ers. ''Yes. It's Nino You didn't expect me,
did you?"
But what were you doing on the roof,
Nino caro?" Donna Maria asked the question
with her usual foolishness, putting and huffng
as was her way in an excitement.
What do you think. Mammal" Nino ut
tered another short laugh. Il was going to
shoot him. Mussolini"
'Shoot the Duce? Dio Mio!" cried his
mother You cannot mean it'
81 do mean it. should have done it, if
these children had not found me. had the
rifle precisely sighted for the balcony"
But how did you get here?" asked Teresa,
white-fac
He smiled. False passports are not diff
cult, sister-in-law. AS for entering this house
j was brought up in it."