Democratic Sentinel, Volume 5, Number 35, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 October 1881 — TERESINA’S PRIZE. [ARTICLE]

TERESINA’S PRIZE.

Pausilipo is a suburb of Naples, stretching along the western side of the beautiful bay, about which so much has has been said and written. Along the steep banks that descend abruptly to the. sea are many charming villas facing directly on the water, and reached from the main road by zigzag paths, through gardens rich in all .he luxuriant growth of Southern Italy. With the deep-blue water washing the rocks upon which these houses stand, and beyond the sea; the mountains belund Sorrento, Gastellamare and Vico standing out in bold outline ; with Vesuvius rearing his head solemn and threatening to the left—there is here to be found about as fine a view as the heart of man could desire. And when the eye, as it is apt to do, tires of these grander beauties, itisonly pecessary to turn round to regale one’s senses with the soft greens of the figtree, olive, chestnut/^udlemon, the odors of the orange-blossoms and roses, and the varied hues of the many flowers with which nature supplies this land with so liberal a hand. In one of the prettiest of these villas lived an English family; and at the time of the present story some tender passages were taking place between the eldest daughter of the house and L M'd Ardley, whose yacht was in harbor at Santa Lucia, whence it was his frequent custom to sail across in the dingey when the wind was favorable, both as a short cut, and to avoid the dust, jolting and evil odors along the Chiaja.. The usual companion of these journeys was a lad of 18 years, an Englishman, who, some few years previously, had been cast adrift at Naples by one of those strange chances which are liable to befall a young sailor who finds himself with a brutal Captain and a drunken crew. After many shifts and much misery, by dint of sheer honesty and industry—virtues at a considerable premium in this city—and aided by a quick intelligence, he had acquired a fair knowledge of the language, and a decent position as guide, courier or commissionaire, as occasion offered. His name was Frank Lloyd. Lord Ardley had taken a fancy to him, and attached him to his special sarvice during his stay in the neighborhood, finchng him both useful and discreet. Now it happened that adjoining the Villa ‘Santangelo was an untenanted house, placed under the care of a gardener, named Baldelli, who occupied a small house close to the water’s edge, which served for bathing apartments when the main building was tenanted. With old Baldelli lived his niece Teresina, an exceptionally beautiful girl of 15, who had rather a hard time cf it to make things comfortable for her surly and avaricious uncle, to whom the expenditure of every soldo for household necessities was an agony. Teresina was a great favorite at the villa, where she was often required to assist the ladies with her needle ; and there some of her happiest days were spent, much indeed to iler own advantage ; for, taking an interest in her, they had taught her habits and modes of life which raised, her considerably above her countrywomen of the same class. Deprived early of her parents, she mixed little in the society of her own class : for Baldelli was strongly averse to anything in the nature of sittings or junketings, as involving expense, and his miserly habits made him unpopular among his neighbors.

Teresina had been for some time attached to Frank Lloyd, much to the displeasure of old Baldelli, who hated him very cordially for the way in which Lloyd steadily set his face against the monstrous impositions attempted by the old man, though he frequently put little commissions in his way for flowers, fruit, poultry and the rest, Baldelli’s son, Luigi, was also a thorn in the sides of the lovers. He was a typical specimen of “ those Neapolitans,” a term of contempt used specifically for a loafing set in Naples by the surrounding towns. Just a shade above the lazzaroni, who are fast disappearing, they are as idle and worthless a set of cubs as are to be found in Europe. Work is hateful to them; they would sooner filch a shilling than earn ten any day; their time is spent rottnd the doors of cases, in the piazzas, on board the bay steamers, in the gardens of the Chiaja; always in gangs, gambling, idling, smoking, singing sometimes—but rarely—fighting, but never working. Where they find means to dress their unclean bodies in

the tawdry pseudo-respectable clothes they wear, and for the lavish display of collars and cuffs—the less said about their under attire the better—is a mystery. Luigi had graduated highly in this set; but, having a notion to settle down into a less precarious mode of life, had thought that Teresina might prove a useful appendage, and, perhaps, by her cleverness and industry, supply him with means for his o wn particular pleasures. Affairs thus stood when a stroke of fortune, which befell Teresina, gave rise to the trouble of which this story tells. Like many wiser and better people than herself, she occasionally dreamed drgams, and often threw away her small savings in the public lotteries upon same lucky number which was to make her fortune. One day, however, she found herself to be one in a thousand upon whom fortune smiles. She was the winner of £SOO. It is needless to say with what alacrity she presented herself at the banco di lotto, and her disappointment on finding it was impossiMe to pay the money over to her. She was too young: She must bring her parents or guardian. With a heavy heart she returned to Pausilipo, no longer thinking of the joyful surprise she had in store for her darling Frank, when she should place the money in his hands, and tell him to take her with it; but with a presentiment of some misfortune that must oris* from her uncle’s greed or her cousin’s envy. But she had been taught a courage and independence from her association with the English, whioh determined her to make a stand for her rights. “Clint! What do you do so late?” growled her uncle as she entered the house. “ I have been to the banco di lotto, my father.” “Lotto! What have you to do with lotto ? O, little devil ! it is not enough that you should beggar me by giving macaroni to any blind beggar who passes, but you must play lotto, eb ? while Luigi sleeps all day; and drinks anisette like a Prince ! Curse you both !” “ But I have' gained, my father. And it was not with your money, but some that I earned from the English ladies.” “ Gained ! Humph ! Nine or ten litra for yoqr trenta centesini, I suppose ?”

“ I have won twelve thousand five hundred francs.” Old Baldelli dropped his hands to his side, fell back iu his chair, and, with open mouth and staring eyes,* he seemed to have lost all power of utterance. “It is true, Uncle Baldelli, and you are glad of my fortune are you not ?” “Twelve thousand! Why, we shall be rich, my little Teresina. But where is the money ? Let me look at it, let me feel it,” and his lean fingers trembled with excitement. “I have not yet received it. They said you must apply for it. But here is the ticket.” Old Baldelli seemed lost in thought. “Yes, yes; I will apply for it,” he said, “and then what gay doings shall we have! And you shall have the brightest silk scarf in Naples, and a silver necklet worth 40 francs, if I can’t get it cheaper. And when you marry Luigi—”

“ But 1 am not going to marry Luigi.” “Ah, but that will all come in time. And we will buy the little orchard on the hill above, and your old uncle—your loving, kind old uncle—shall do all the work, and Luigi shall play at moro and go to the theater, and the little Teresina shall look after the house and be as extravagant as she pleases.” And the old man chuckled over this pleasant arrangement. But Teresina’s spirit rose at this. “I will never marry Luigi, Uncle Baldelli, for I have plighted myself to Frank Lloyd.” Her uncle looked black at this ; but any care about his niece’s marriage was, at present, absorbed in thoughts about the money. He saw no connection between the two at the time, he took it for granted that what was hers was his, and if she would nothave Luigi—well, it was very desirable, certainly, but Luigi must look to himself. “And you will take 5,000 francs for yourself, undo ; for, although my father, I believe, left you sufficient for my support, I would not appear ungrateful. For the rest, I wish it to be given to my future husband.” Baldelli stopped in the middle of some calculations Ire was making; looked fixedly for a few moments at his niece, and over his face came a look that frightened her. , “ Bah, little fool, you know not what you say ! Will you sacrifice your family to this accursed fairfaced foreigner ? ” “The foreigner loves me. My family’s kindness is but small.” At this moment a servant from the Villa Santangelo appeared to request Teresina’s presence at the house. “Say no word of this to the English people,” was her uncle’s injunction as she left. “ I will say no word, but I will do as I have said and there was a determination in her voice that there was no mistaking. Baldelli sat for a long time, never moving but to make a gesture of anger, or to utter an oath. Presently he went to a cupboard, took from it a bottle of wine that had laid there many a month, and drank it at a draught. And then, as the unaccustomed fumes mounted to his brain—for he rarely took stimulants—he paced the chamber to and fro, excited and restless. It was late when Teresina returned, and it was with surprise she found herself accosted by her nncle in amiable tones. “You have said nothing at the villa of your fortune, child? ” ‘’Nothing, my father.” “And you will not marry that poor Luigi, and you will give all this money to the Englishman ?” “It is only just, Uncle Baldelli.” “ And your poor uncle will remain in Pausilipo, and work, work for his little plate of macaroni, and his dear little Teresina will be quite proud, and ashamed of him !” and there was a sneer in the old man’s tones, and a dark look in his eyes, that belied the softness of his speech. “No, no,” replied hisnie.ee, “never that, I hope. But you will go about this for me to-morrow, will yon not ? ” “Yes, I will see to it. And now we will take a cup of wine in honor of my Teresina’s good fortune. See here, it is ready;” and he took from a side table two tumblers already poured out. “Ah, this is very kind of you, my father. But how bitter it is ! ” “Finish it, finish it,” he said fiercely ; “a bumper to the lucky number!” and she, not caring to irritate him, complied. She shortly after retired to rest, drowsy and tired.

Half an hour afterward the old man crept toward her room, muttering : “La Sonnambula, La Sonnambula! Luigi said that the opera at San Carlo was like real life. Somnambulists do strange things.” And he passed into her room. Frank Lloyd was sitting in a boat, waiting for his employer at of the Villa Sant-angelo. He was surprised to see a light burning in the gardener’s house at so late an hour ; but he knew that Teresina often sat up late after her uncle had retired; indeed, he had had many a sweet stolen interview with her at the window, when waiting as he waited now. At this moment he heard the voice of Lord Ardley joining in a duet with his fiancee at the villa. ‘‘ He won’t come away just yet,” said the sailor to himself ; so, taking a clean jump over a strip of water that separated the two basements, he clambered up to the gardener’s window. He had placed his hands on the window-sill, and was drawing himself up, and about to give the usual signal, when, to his intense astonishment, he saw old Baldelli staggering from the opposite room, half dragging, half caiTving his niece. What could it mean? Was she ill? Was it fresh air she required? He had not much time for thought, for the window, opened suddenly outward by Baldelli, struck his hands from their hold, and he had only time to drop quietly into the water beneath. As he came to the surface—great heavens ! he could neither shout nor prevent it—the slight form of his sweetheart was hurled from the window into the black water below; and the old man, not daring to look upon his handiwork, closed the window abruptly and disappeared. It was the work of a moment for the young sailor to reach the body of his sweetheart, and to place her in his boat under cover of a sail. But what was he now to do with his precious burden, which lay safe, but still unconscious, near him? He might indeed place her under the care of the ladies at the villa ; but then he feared the chatter of servants, nor did he know what power her uncle might have to claim her from them, for Italian courts are slow to recognize the interference of foreigners in domestic difficulties. While he was still in doubt he was joined by Lord Ardley, to whom he related his adventure. The nobleman listened to the agitated voice of the poor lad, and, making a shrewd guess at their relations, he said : “Your sweetheart, eh, Lloyd ? ” “ Yes, sir; not a doubt of it.” “And you’re going to marry her ? ” “Now more than ever, sir. Ah, my Lord, you don’t know what difficulties we’ve had to fight against, nor yet how dear she is to me ; ” and then he told the whole story of his attachment as they rowed vigorously, each at an oar, toward Santa Lucia, where Teresina was placed on board the yacht. On the following day Baldelli, haggard and anxious, at an early hour, presented himself at the banco di lotto. “I have come, as the guardian of my niece Teresina, to claim the money she has gained in the lottery.” “Very good, signore/ And first the ticket, if you please. ” He eagerly presented it. “All right and in order,” said the clerk. “She presented herself here yesterday?”

“She did.” The clerk took out a large roll of notes, which he began deliberately and without haste to count. “What a stroke of fortune for one so y °Bafdelli needed his head impatiently. The clerk tied up the bundle of notes, and began t» whistle “Addio! ma bella Napoli.” “ Well, well,” said the gardener sharply. “Am Ito wait much longer ? ” “ But, signore, you seem to be in a greater hurry than the signora. ” “ What do you mean ? ” “Why, we wait the arrival of Teresina Baldelli, of course (stupid old imbecile,” muttered the clerk to himself). Baldelli looked aghast, and then blustered out: “ Don’t I tell you that she has told me to get the money ? Have you not got the ticket? What more do you want? Am I not her guardian? Do you doubt that ?” “ Not for a moment? But this money will he paid in her presence alone.” ‘ ‘ But how can. she come here ? She is ill. The excitement was too much for her. ” “ Ah, then we must wait until she has recovered.” “But this is too much. Am I not a respectable citizen ? Am I not—” “ Basta! That will do, signore;” and the clerk replaced the notes in his desk. Old Baldelli fumed and swore, whined and entreated, but with no effect. “Give me back the ticket, then. I will report you to your superiors.” “ The ticket! Certainly. Here it is !” And then the gardener left the office. The clerk had ' seen a good number of strange things in his time, and was given to the observation of the countenances and emotions of his fellowmen ; so ne wrete a note to the chief office, where in due time Baldelli presented him’self. And the official at this place was altogether polite and amiable, and much regretted that it was against the rules to comply with Baldelli’s request ; but if the signorina was unable to attend, but still anxious for the settlement of her claim, why, he would accompany the gardener himself to the house for the purpose. To which the gardener objected strongly, and retired with a face so worn and anxious and frightened that this amiable official thought it as well to send a detective officer to look after the old man, and, if possible, to get at the bottom of the mystery, for queer things often happen with these lotteries. The result was that nobody had seen or heard anything of Teresina, and old Baldelli was unable to account for her disappearance, and maintained a dogged silence on the subject, for the disappointment to his hopes and the consciousness of guilt had completely unnerved him. All the circumstances were so suspicious that the police felt justified in connecting him with her disappearance, and, accordingly, he was brought before the head of the police to answer for himself. In the meantime Teresina, having recovered consciousness, was gradually brought to by the assistance of the stewardess. On being questioned by Lord Ardley, she gave a truthful account of the events of the previous night, but said that, from the time she retired to her room, her mind was a complete blank. She related vrith some blushing and hesitation her conversation with her uncle about the lottery-ticket, not forgetting his Unaccustomed liberality in giving her wine to drink to her good luck.

“Pretty clear, my Lord, I think—drugged,” said Lloyd. “Very likely. Horrid old villain! But what’s to be done now ? ” “With your permission, sir, I will go into Naples and see what is going on. ” “By all means, Lloyd. And look here, I am going to be married in a few days, and if Teresina doesn’t wish to return to that pleasant home of hers, I’ve no doubt she will make an excellent attendant on Lady Ardley in our coming cruise about the Greek islands.” “ Many thanks, my Lord.” Oh going ashore, Lloyd learned that old Baldelli had been interrogated, with the result that he now suggested the possibility of her having drowned herself ; that she occasionally walked in her sleep ; that he had found her door and the window open on the morrow of her disappearance. This was contrary to his statement at the office, nor could her body be found in the tide less water. He refused to sav anything further, and was sent to jail to await his trial on suspicion. Lloyd readily obtained permission to see him. The old man, filled with rage and remorse, cried to him to “ Begone ! ” but dare not look in his face. “Assassin, I know all !” Baldelli cowered in a corner, and said nothing. “I know all, and I almost hesitate to relieve your villainous mind from the terror that agitates it. Under God’s hand, but through no fault of yours, she lives.”

“Lives,” and his whole aspect changed. “Then why am I here? Curse their meddling! Who says I murdered her ? And you, fair-faced fool, what do you bluster here for ?” “ Ge: lly, gently, old man. There is such a thing as attempt to murder, for which a considerable term at the galleys is not infrequently given, Teresina lives, and, so far as the crime of murder is concerned, you are not guilty, by an accident. Now I mean to make terms with you. Listen : I witnessed your dastardly attempt, and I saved her life. She will not return to you ; she will become my wife; she will bid you farewell, and will not be told of your wickedness; and she will carry out her intention for your benefit, and give you the five thousand francs she promised you, though you more richly deserve five years at the galleys. If you consent to this, good. If you refuse, lat once proclaim you to be the attempted murderer of your niece.” “ Maladettd ! May every evil—” “ Enough. You are no fool, though a great rascal. ” The programme was carried out in its entirety. • Baldelli was released on the appearance of Teresina, who, alive to some rascality on the part of her uncle, was satisfied to receive from him a scowling assent to her marriage with Frank Lloyd. After some months in the Mediterranean with Lady Ardley, she went to England, her future home, as Mrs. Lloyd ; and it was not till after the old man’s death that she learned the true story of the tragical event that might have followed on her lucky hit at lotto.— London Society. •