The Argosy, October 1906 — page 38: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

412 the side; and before he got through he had reaped a harvest of nickels from the sightseers. In short, when Antonio and his “ little one” returned, they found awaiting them a pile of silver which caused their eyes to bulge out, and evoked from them a per- me : “roaster?” concernedly,. but unable to keep a slight” “tfemble of anxiety out of his voice. fect whirlwind of elated gesticulation. “Ah, Carissima,’ exclaimed Antonio, rapturously embracing his wife, “ it will not be long now before you and I see Palermo once again. If I could but dispose of this pig of a roaster, we might. seven sail upon La Citta del” Napoli, which takes its departure on Saturday next, with our Cousin Luigi Santo aboard.” A sudden idea flashed into Clarkson’s mind, causing him to gasp and gurgle , ander the stress of ‘its overwhelming magnitude. “ How much do you want for the he asked, striving to speak un- (29 I might be able to get you a customer - “for uit.’ ‘““Ah, signor,”’. broke. out. the sotics ‘eagerly, ‘‘ I will seli it;cheap. See, this magnificent roaster with the license paid for one_ year, and this splendid. corner where the cops never bother—all will I let go for’”’—he reflected a moment— “for twenty dollars. It is a bargain, signor. Oh, yes. What you call a ‘good thing’; is it not.so?”’ ~ Horace, looked grave, and meditative- ly #lanceds down at his clothes, recalling what the tramp had told him of their probable value. ‘“T will give you fifteen,’’ he fmally announced. | -It was now Antonio’s turn to deliber- ate.- He looked at the roaster, then studied the sky as. though about to fore-. cast the weather, and then repeated the operation. More than once, Clarkson could see, he was about to shake his head; but always the thought of that re- turn to his birthplace interposed to pre- vent ultimate decision. : ‘» It was Rosina who fmally turned the scales. She had gathered enough of the/ conversation to comprehend what was up between the two men, and she also realized the opposing | influ@nces which : swayed her husband. 3 THE ARGOSY. Now she twitched at Antonio’s sleeve, | ‘and drawing him aside, persuaded him in a flood of rapid, passionate utterance. She gave heed to none of the arguments he strove to enter ; but overbore him with the torrent of her eloquence: : At length he yielded, and returned to Clarkson. ‘Rosina, the impatient one; is Sere ing to wait, signor,” a shrug of his shoulders. fifteen dollars.” Horace succeselullye. concealed his “ex- ultation. “Very well,” he ofits quietly. ‘I will be: around maa close Ahe deal with: you : to-morrow morning,’ ‘ Observing by a neighboring clock that it was-now verging on toward‘seven, he~ “took leave of the Italians, and sét out he explained, with ~ ‘“<Tt shall be--. as you say. -We will sell ;the roaster for voi across. Broadway to the Square to keep™ his appointment with the friendly hobo. ~ - The=latter was already awaiting him, and with the rentark that it might be well for them if they “got a move on them-~ selves,’ 4 pick ‘of the accommodations, he Jed the way rapidly. across and over.to the East Side. tramp, and before they reached their dés- tination Clarkson was beginning: to think yearningly, of the bed awaiting him.- He. = | was also very willing’ to be rid of his as the éarly comers. obtained *the « Fourteenth Atreet It was a long - companion’s. society; for, aS they trudged along, the tramp tgok it upon himself to, cast some light’ upon* the manner and methed of existenge of the “submerged tenth,” and the revelations he made sick= * ened. “Horiee 's soul: He had been ,acquainted with poverty himself, God knows: ;- but that was in a little country town. where ‘the ways. of life, however humble, are clean, and the recital now given him of the straits and shifts to which these rats of the slams are put in the struggle for daily main- tenance, opened up an undiscovered country to him. Moreover, ~ the very freedom _ with which the fellow. described his life, and told of the petty grafts he employed, affected his listener “unpleasantly. Was it possible that men could grow SO. callous as actually to boast of the shame and degradation towhich they had sunk? In his feeling of repulsion, "Horace, - ' i Comicbooks. (Efe)