Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 208, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 September 1917 — Pietro’s Secret [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Pietro’s Secret

By ALICE E. IVES

(Copyright, by W. G. Chapman.) Pietro played among the second violins in the orchestra. He was a quiet man, seldom going off with the other men, but- geaew»Wy-- making directly for home when his work was done at the theater. He was thinking of Tessa and the baby whom he would find waiting for him In the little flat out on the East side of the great city. They called the little one Rosey, and although she was not yet two years old she would listen with wide open eyes, as still as could be, when Pietro played the violin. Tessa was a very happy little wife and mother. She kept the little flat neat and clean, and when her work was done wheeled the baby out toward the river where the air came freshly and there was always plenty to see, with the big ships going and coming. Tessa had been born in this country, so she was perhaps more American than Pietro, who had come from Italy only nine years before. She had a TXiri friend who lived near by who often walked with her down to the river and sat with her on the pier while they both sewed or knitted. One day a young man whom her friend knew joined them on the pier. He was well dressed, good looking, and an agreeable companion. He amused the girls with merry talk and laughable stories. Tessa liked the young man, whom her friend introduced as Mr. Lonna, exceedingly, and was not sorry when a few days after this he again appeared down by the river. This time she was alone, and was all the more glad to' have company. She feared he would be disappointed when he did not find Lisa there, and would not stay long. But the absence of Lisa seemed to make no difference to him. .He stayed till she said she must go home to get dinner for Pietro. After that he found his way quite often to the pier, and almost always when Tessa was there alone. She cared nothing for him further than the pleasure of his merry company, and was so innocent in all her chatter that she did not see he was thinking of her in quite another way. Then one day he let her know what he meant. He told her he loved her, and was plainly astonished when she shrank away from him to indignant surprise. “How could you say that I” she cried. “You know I have Pietro —and the baby. And Pietro is the truest and the best in the world. Lonna’s lip Curled incredulously. “You think he is the truest and best,” he sneered. “How little you know about it. Have you been much around the theater?” “No,” she answered. “Pietro does not care to have me come to the stage door. And why should I? I have Rosey to look after.” “Of course,” he answered. “Why should you? You would be in his way when he wants to meet someone else at the stage door.” “That is not true!” she stormed. “How dare you say it?” She caught at the handle of the little cart and walked quickly away. When Tessa had given her answer to Lonna she felt exactly as she had spoken. Then fearful doubts beganto come. The serpent had entered her Eden, and she began to wonder if she had been a trusting fool in believing so implicitly in Pietro. A few days after Lonna had seen her, Pietro brought a letter in from the box. Tessa noticed the strange look he gave when he opened the letter. He turned away, read it hastily, and thrust it into his pocket. “Who is it from?” she asked. “Just a man—wanting somethingbusiness,” he answered evasively. Always before he had either told who the writer was or handed her the letter to read.

It seemed horrible if she must believe Lonna’s words, but what could this letter mean? Pietro had gone into the bedroom before leaving. What if , he had taken money to give to this woman? She went quickly into the —other room to satisfy herself, though she had a kind of shame in the doing of it The little savings they were putting in a small tin box under a bag in the closet With trembling hands Tessa drew out the box. There had been two hundred and sixty dollars there a few days before. She opened the box. Only ten dollars remained. Torn with the horror of the revelation, Tessa was for some minutes stupffied and unable to think. She determined to go to the theater and watch, but Hosey fretted and was a long time going to sleep, so that by the time she could leave her Pietro would be already in his place in the orchestra, so she determined to wait till the closing time tnd get somewhere In a •place to watch the stage door. She dressed plainly and went out. She was rather early and paced back and forth till people began to emerge from the stage entrance. Soon she saw her husband come out. He did hot meet anyone, nor did he wait, but walked on. It was not in the direction of home, and she fol-lowed-him unobserved. On and on he went till they were in a very doubtful locality. At a corner where the buildings seemed all dark he paused and a ——~rr — 7 —— ;

looked about. Then he crossed over to 6'stand for newspapers, now closed and deserted. He stopped at the stand as though searching for something. Then he drew a letter from his pocket, put it under a stone or weight which might have been used for holding down the papers, and walked away. Tessa was so amazed at this mysterious performance she paused for a moment. Then she determined, as soon as Pietro was well out of sight, to go and get the- letter from under the stone. She was Just crossing the street to do this when a woman darted out from an areaway and made for the news stand. Tessa lifted up the stone, but the woman was too quick for her, and she ettught the letter from her fingers and started to run. But Tessa clung with a strong grip to her arm and demanded the letter. “Give it to me!” she cried. “It is mine. I say! Mine!” For answer the woman swore and dealt Tessa a blow that well-nigh felled her. But she did not relax her hold, and began to scream shrilly for help. Strange to say, a policeman was within hearing, and came running up as the two were struggling, and Tessa still screaming. He gripped the two women by the arm and demanded the cause of the disturbance. “She was trying to rob me!” she ex* claimed, pointing to Tessa. “I have money in this envelope, and she tried to snatch it!” »

“No! No!” protested Tessa. “The money is mine! She has no right to it!” “Would I be screaming for help if I were robbing someone ?” asked the woman with a fine show of reason and innocence. “But it was I who screamed!” cried Tessa.-. Ois—“lf you will take her in charge, Officer, I promise to appear against her," said the woman coolly, startiftg to leave. The policeman tightened his grip on her arm. “No.” he said. “You are both coming with me to the station. At the police station where the tw<J women were taken there were several drunken and disreputable men and women to be attended to before them. They had to sit on a bench and wait. Tessa began to think of little Rosey there alone. Suppose she should wake and cry. Suppose Pietro should come home and find her gone? That had never happened before. What would he think? Well, he had'made her suffer, It was Just as well he should.

But the baby! When she thought Of her she began to sob and beg the officer to let her go. This told strongly against her, for the other woman was calm and quiet, and the man at ths desk had quite made up his mind that Tessa was the guilty party.

After some questioning, and Tessa found she must either furnish bail or remain all night in the station, the thought of little Rosey made her swallow her pride and resolve to try to Pietro on the telephone. The other woman had already called someone to her aid. The telephone was in the lower hall at Tessa’s home in the flat building. What if Pietro were out searching for her and no one answered? But, yes, he was there, Just starting out. He came as quickly as he could. He made Tessa explain In. a whisper, when she pointed out the woman whose back was toward them at the desk arranging for her bail with a man who had just come in. Pietro rushed up to a policeman, said something, and as the man and woman turned to go stopped them. Then Pietro laid an open letter before the man at the desk.

“Hm!” exclaimed the officer. “Caught redhanded I So you were going to kill this man’s child if hp didn’t give up two hundred and fifty. ‘Black Handers,’ eh! No bail for you two. We’ve been looking for you quite a. while.” Then Tessa saw that the man was' Lonna as the two were being taken to a celt == 777- — : ——

Pietro could not understand how Tessa had found out about It, But she was too full of remorse and shame to speak. She buried her head on his breast in a passion of sobbing. 1. < “You see, little one,” he said, trying to soothe her, “I Couldn’t tell you to make you so frightened, so unhappy. But the money, everything we had was nothing to save the little dear one, was it?” . ... And Tessa kissed his hand and mur* mured: “No.” <

"No Bail for You Two."