Lucia Rudini: Somewhere in Italy

her gaily-colored bodice, tilted h

e lazy bones," sh

ce whimpered, "Oh, Lucia, go away. I was having such a nice dream about our soldiers up t

he tops of the flowers, and two rep

sturbing your fine dreams, aren't they? But come now, I h

in an instant, and the sleep

d, "aren't you? Well, you shan't see what

and a cunning expression ap

a that you left the house befor

then she replied quickly, "No, that is not it at all. What ha

ng smack into the guns. What were you doing?" He dropped his threatening tone, so

to tell. I heard the guns all night, and they made me restless,

d returned to the

sister time to reply. "It's to take care of them, I suppose," he grumbled, pointing a browned berry-s

. "You are not to go to sleep again, remember, and be sure

too," Beppi comment

the favorite goat of his sister's herd. Perhaps the vivid recollection of Garibaldi's hard he

she exclaimed, "I've a good mind n

good care of them, I promise, and if you like, I will pick

m the pocket of her dress she pu

won't be away very long. I am just g

of it. He wanted to prolong his pleasure as long as possible. Candy

er shoulder as she walked away, "Don't eat them fast

vice, and selected a big lemon drop that looked hard

of the tiny windows. Old Nana Rudini, her grandmother, was sitting in a low chair beside the table in the low-ceilinged room. Her head nodded drows

rket place, and a broad stone wall that dated back to the days of Roman supremacy. It was still in perfect preservation, and completely surrounded the town giving it the appearance of a mediaeval fortress, rather than a twentieth century village. Two roads led to it, one from t

d only arrived that morning in Cellino, and Lucia was not the familiar little figure to him that she was to the other soldiers. But she was none the less welcome for that, after the monot

g, as Lucia paused in the grateful s

u," she replied

ou? I never saw you b

rnoon," Roderigo replied. "We have just come to reli

she inquired, looking at him with frank admiration

I do, and now it is my turn to ask

" Lucia pointed, "in the

nd eyes and the gaudily colored dr

the sun really shines and the sky is blue and not a dull gray, or

the dazzling sky ab

"Well, you don't guess as well as I do, for I w

ry long you make that sound, Se?orina, and

her full height and did

e, Se?or," she said gravely,

beg your pardon, perhaps you have some one up there?" he pointed to the

eplied; "for my father

tle, then he raised one shoul

slowly. "We all

turned almost at on

how I got my black hair and

hat is my grandmother, says I inherited my foolish love of gay clothes from he

dead too?" Roderigo

Beppino was a tiny baby. Beppi is

rom most of the girls from the north, with their strange high voices and unfriendly manners. If she wasn't exactly from the south she was near it. H

have to hurry if I want to see Maria and return home before Nana misses me. So much for gabbing on the high road with some

m. He did not even offer to contradict, but watched Lucia until she disappeared around a corner a few streets beyond the gate, and then he turned resolu

narrow street that led to the market place, she

impertinent. A fine soldier he'll make! If I can scare him, what will the guns do?"

ged with people. Every one was out to look at the new troops, and in the little square the great white umbrellas over the

ing men to a certain umbrella, a little to one si