Lucia Rudini: Somewhere in Italy

picked up a stone and tossed it int

wn to the road. The beggar took something out of the pocket of his coat, ha

, but instead they waited until the beggar was out of sight, and then hurri

low the beggar. Now that the Austrians were out of sight there was no need for her to avoid the open path, and she hurried to it and ran quickly in the direction that the man had taken. She did not know w

lookout for the beggar, but he had apparently disapp

od three miles from Cellino. She was very tired and very hungry, but she sat down to consider the best plan to follow. She knew nothing of what h

the speed of the Austrian soldiers made

aid aloud to Garibaldi, "that is the best p

at the foot of a valley. It was not long after that, when she saw the little white cottage ahead. The sight of it gave her courage. There, at

bed was stripped of its sheets, and all the familiar ornaments had gone. Lucia stood dumbfounded trying t

ars came in spite of her and in her disappointment she threw herself down on the bed and sobbed

or suddenly the guns broke into a terrible roar. The air was

lumes of smoke arose to the east, and higher

n the opposite direction from the town. Without realizing the personal danger to herself, she ran as fast

ly under the fire of her own guns, but the noise from both sides was so great that she did not know it, and she forged ahead

ay, the Italian soldiers had come from, and slipping and sliding, but always goaded on by

t suddenly everything was black before her eyes, and the noise of the g

d holding a water bottle to her lips. She drank gratefully and opened her eyes. Th

p, "or I will go away again." Going away was the only

d gave it to her. Lucia ate ravenously, and the q

ou escape?

sudden wave of memory, and

et by the foot-bridge, over there where the noise co

Italian's e

the mountains across the river. I could not follow without being seen, and when I

ed abruptly and put h

rt, and from the distance of the hill it looke

t it to his eyes. Then without a word he dashed off. Lucia followed him. A giant tree gr

ranches. She heard the Italian calling some directions, and knew that a telephone must be hidden somewhere in the tre

e. The Austrians are advancing on the other side of the ri

get to it?" L

If I can reach it we

t wait to

ly down the rough trail below her. The shells were coming ne

th and shouted aloud when he picked himself up and stumbled on. He reached the road and was just starting across th