TOHNLUTHERLONG
 
 RI. Till (iKK.AT BAKU! K I AISIh. AND, WITH A TklMIN 
 
 Dors Fi.nrKisn. I\i \n WHAT Hi HAP \\ KITTK\. 
 
 (I AC.F. JO I
 
 FELICE 
 
 BY 
 
 JOHN LUTHER LONG 
 
 AUTHOR OF "MADAME BUTTERFLY," "THE WAT 
 OF THE GODS," ETC. 
 
 WITH FRONTISPIECE BY 
 
 JAMES MONTGOMERY FLAOG 
 
 NEW YORK 
 MOFFAT, YARD & COMPANY 
 
 1908
 
 Copyright, 1908, by 
 MOFFAT, YARD & COMPANY 
 
 NEW YORK 
 
 Published, September, 1908 
 
 Tht Plimpton Prut Norwood Man. U.S.A.
 
 TO THE GENTLE STRANGERS IN 
 OUR GATES WHO SPEAK IN 
 OTHER WORDS AND UNDERSTAND 
 IN OTHER WAYS THAN OURS 
 THAT BOTH WORDS AND WAYS 
 MAY BE MORE AND MORE ONE
 
 CONTENTS 
 
 PAGE 
 
 I. ASSAULT is THE SKEER OF VIOLENCE . . 1 
 
 II. IT is BETTER TO STARVE THAN STEAL . . 6 
 
 III. ALWAYS A LIE is UNTRUE 14 
 
 IV. Is IT A TIME TO BE POLITE WHEN THREE 
 
 FOUR STARVE 20 
 
 V. Tis LAUGHTER MAKES THE SUN SHINE, 
 
 Tis SORROW MAKES IT RAIN ... 31 
 VI. SOME HOARD VANITY AS OTHERS HOARD 
 
 GOLD 34 
 
 VII. THE FOUNTAIN PEN is MIGHTIER THAN 
 
 TROUBLE 39 
 
 VIII. THE SPECIAL STAMP is SWIFTER THAN 
 
 JUSTICE WHEN IT GOES BACKWARD . 48 
 IX. THE EARLY CHILDREN KETCH THE MAGIS 
 TRATE 55 
 
 X. THE SOVEREIGN OF THE CITY ALONE HAS 
 POWER TO TURN AWAY THE CHILL 
 SHOULDER OF THE GENDARME ... 60 
 XI. A NEW STOVE COOKS CLEAN, EVEN AS A 
 
 NEW BROOM SWEEPS 66 
 
 XII. FOR, TO STEAL is NOT TO BE THIEF 
 
 ALWAYS 72 
 
 XIII. SOME MISTAKE 76 
 
 XIV. BUT THE TONSORIELLE OF THE GREEN 
 
 MOON WAS LOCKED 82 
 
 XV. THERE is NO JOY IN THE Q. S 87 
 
 v
 
 vi CONTENTS 
 
 PAGE 
 
 XVI. THE COMMONWEALTH vs. PICCIOLI . . 91 
 XVII. THE STRANGE WORKING or THE CON 
 SCIENCE OF THE COURT 99 
 
 XVUI. MUST RYAN EAT His HAT? 108 
 
 XIX. THE TRUTH THE WHOLE TRUTH AND 
 
 NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH .... 118 
 
 XX. RYAN WON T EAT His HAT 137 
 
 XXI. THERE is A LANGUAGE WHICH NEEDS 
 
 NEITHER WRITING NOR SPEAKING . . 139 
 XXII. THE OPEN SESAME is MOST DIVINE. . 142 
 
 XXIII. FROM FAIRY-LAND TO THE LAND OF HEART S 
 
 DESIRE 146 
 
 XXIV. THERE is A LARGE BEAST AND LITTLE 
 
 BEAST, YET NO ONE NEED REMAIN 
 BEAST 150
 
 FELICE
 
 FELICE 
 
 ASSAULT IS THE SKEER OF VIOLENCE 
 
 THE question was whether any 
 thing should be done for the relief 
 of Signore Piccioli, who had been 
 arrested the night before, and was 
 now in detention at the white palace 
 where the streets crossed. And it was 
 the shop of the great barber, Signore 
 Martinos, the Tonsorielle of the Green 
 Moon (that being the color most avail 
 able to the sign-painter) which, you are 
 to be informed, was the forum for the 
 adjustment of the disputes of all the 
 world but most, of those of his be 
 loved, and his own, Little Italy. 
 
 " Speak, all, the American langvage," 
 begged the barber, - - superfluously, 
 since this was always understood here. 
 
 "For, signori," -he was speaking 
 from the glittering chair which bristled 
 
 with springs and levers, - " had we not 
 
 i
 
 2 FELICE 
 
 been born Italians we would desire to 
 have been born Americans. There 
 fore this assault " 
 
 There was not assault," ventured 
 Teti, the rash farmacien. 
 
 Instantly Martinos leaped to a shelf 
 concealed like a shrine by a silken cur 
 tain, and raped from it a book. 
 
 " Assault, " he translated, "is the 
 skeer of violence without the accom 
 plishment." 
 
 "Signori," he continued, "when a 
 mal-efac-tore rush madly in a baking- 
 shop, and, with great force, tear two 
 loave away is not those the assault 
 upon bread ? " Thus avers Avvocati per 
 Tutti--this "Everybody s Lawyer" 
 - and he flaunted the great book in 
 their faces. 
 
 All but the unhappy Teti were fain 
 to admit that he had demonstrated his 
 contention. 
 
 "Precisely! He has skeer the vio 
 lence without accomplishment. Re 
 mark, fellow citizen and Italian breth 
 ren, it is the skeer of the violence not
 
 FELICE 3 
 
 the perfection thereof Had he un 
 happily accomplished the whole vio 
 lence it would be assault and bat 
 tering." 
 
 Again he was interrupted. Rafaelle, 
 the undertaker, entered. 
 
 " There is no harm," said the under 
 taker, misunderstandingly, "in a bit of 
 domestic drunkenness. If the intoxi 
 cation occur at the fireside - 
 
 Larceny ! shrieked Martinos . 
 "Quiet your uproar and observe that I 
 spoke of larceny. And the skeer of 
 violence." 
 
 "That is the bane of a drunken 
 ness," said Pamphilio Carazin, the 
 proprietor of the marionette theatre, a 
 still newer comer,- "the public dis 
 order." 
 
 The wild despair of Martinos ex 
 pressed itself in a fixed and silent glare 
 at Carazin. 
 
 There is the beating of the wive and 
 children --there is the hunger and the 
 grief." 
 
 Carazin was the only one in Little
 
 4 FELICE 
 
 Italy who had in the least Martinos s 
 gift of oratory. He had once been 
 chosen to make the Fourth-of-July ora 
 tion. Martinos had promptly printed 
 a more fervid one in II Vesuvio. And 
 now they were scarcely friends. 
 
 *We have here establish," amplified 
 Martinos, in his most velvety voice, and 
 in entire ignorance of any speech of 
 Carazin, "in Italia Minora, with long 
 use, internal order and domestic tran 
 quillity, and now it is fracture in pieces 
 to the disgraze. It shall not be! Do 
 you hear me, signori, it shall not be! 
 He who steal our bread, purloin our 
 best name away!" 
 
 There was applause at this, and the 
 diminished Carazin slunk to the rear 
 with a too false pretence of indifference. 
 
 "Now, who knows of his ancestery ?" 
 demanded the triumphant barber. 
 
 "I hear he was a gondolier," said 
 the man whose trade was the mysteri 
 ous milk-balls. 
 
 "Ah!" cried the barber, encourag 
 ingly-
 
 FELICE 5 
 
 "And is to the World s Fair to gon- 
 dol on lake like a saucers," amplified 
 Pistolio Angina, of the Broad Street 
 "white-wings" cleaning squad whose 
 English was disgraceful. 
 
 "Aha!" cried the barber, "and the 
 larceny has lost him his employmen ? 
 It is just." 
 
 Cesare Gargantua answered: "Li- 
 bera Rosa Rocco, she is most w r ise, for 
 a woman; she say it is the lose employ- 
 men occasion the lar-cen-y. He got to 
 larcen or starve." 
 
 "Shall we then basely aid to release 
 him from his chain?" demanded Mar- 
 tinos, irrelevantly. "Shall we not the 
 rather contend that his chain remain 
 upon him and he stay away forever? 
 This dam Piccioli ? Then have we 
 always the grand peace, signori, it is 
 most good! What you say?" 
 
 The sentiment of the elders was with 
 the barber, and against the criminal.
 
 II 
 
 IT IS BETTER TO STARVE THAN STEAL 
 
 "Now, then!" cried Martinos, from 
 his splendid chair, like another Ceesar, 
 "where is this Giovanni Nardi, the 
 baker who was stole from ? Why is he 
 not here? Let him be brought!" 
 
 This was a royal command. And, 
 almost instantly, the fat and good- 
 natured baker was before them, and 
 uncomfortable under the suspicion of 
 having shirked a patriotic duty. He 
 was in a white cap with a transparent 
 green visor, his apron was on, and his 
 sleeves were turned up from his flour- 
 powdered arms. He panted and his 
 fat quivered as he spoke. 
 
 "Va!" he laughed; "perhaps it is 
 true. But let him keep the bread. I 
 make a present to him. What? The 
 man was starve! Fame! Affamato! 
 Any one could see that. And do you 
 
 6
 
 FELICE 7 
 
 suppose that if I starve and smell fresh 
 bread I will not steal ? Virgin ! I will 
 first kill. What? Has no one smell 
 fresh bread when he was hungry? 
 Then he dun no . Well, once on the 
 streets of Napoli I - - Virgin ! It was 
 three days I had not eaten! Well? 
 What ? I broke the window. I did not 
 run. I only ate, ate, ate, before they 
 took me. Well? Could they take it 
 from my belly? Twenty days. So. 
 The baker was a man. He come to the 
 prison. I say I am sorry and was hun 
 gry. I will make reparatione by work 
 ing for him. What ? When my time is 
 out he took me in his shop. And now 
 I am baker myself and have shop! 
 Virgin ! If any one is that hungry - 
 as I was - - what ? Let him come and 
 steal of Nardi the baker. He will turn 
 his fat back. And so I will say to the 
 newspaper the advertise -- the eccel- 
 lenza the judge. There I go now." 
 
 A moment s frightened silence greeted 
 this innocent flouting of the great man 
 in the chair.
 
 8 FELICE 
 
 "Stop!" said Martinos, as the baker 
 started away. That is the anarchy 
 which occasion the killing of many 
 people. Stand still! You are but 
 baker panettiere. You can declaim 
 the sentiment of the p ilosop er! Ha! 
 It is not your bread. It is of the right 
 eous! Virgin! You are of the animal 
 call the ass! Stand still! You know 
 nothing but the how it w r as. You are 
 but baker panettiere. Now tell me 
 the manner how he stole. The ques 
 tion is but to determine the skeer of 
 the violence, not what you p iloso- 
 p ize." 
 
 The baker did this with subdued par 
 ticularity. 
 
 " Behold, I am in my panella La 
 Panella Italiana il nome. I see him 
 come. First he pause at the delicates 
 sen shop of Fritzen, among the sau 
 sages. Then he smell my new bread. 
 It is the first batch of the morning. He 
 think no more of sausages! Vergiano! 
 Who would think of sausages when 
 there is the smell of fresh bread ! What ?
 
 FELICE 9 
 
 The smell of fresh bread is good, 
 signori! Bu-ully." 
 
 He was becoming too rhetorical. 
 Martinos brought him to earth : 
 
 "Concerning how he steal! 
 No more!" 
 
 "Then he come at my window. His 
 face is pale. His lips work as if he 
 masticated already some of my bread. 
 Well? Then he smell he smell, do 
 you hear ? So." 
 
 The baker sniffed ecstatically. No 
 demonstration could have been more 
 perfect. 
 
 "The how!"" said Martinos, inex 
 orably. 
 
 "Smell, and look all about and steal 
 to the door. Well? Virgin! There is 
 a pile of new loave on the counter 
 perhaps an hundred. I know he is 
 going to steal I turn my back I 
 hear the door open softly - - 1 hear it 
 close nothing! Nobody is there! I 
 have seen no one steal! I cannot take 
 the adjuration to that effec ! I laugh! 
 He will be free!"
 
 10 FELICE 
 
 And he laughed then long and 
 happily. 
 
 "Stop!" commanded the outraged 
 
 barber again and the baker stopped 
 
 -thougli his fat still laughed. "When 
 
 again you looked at your bread, were 
 
 there not two loave gone?" 
 
 "I did not count - 
 
 The truth!" cried his inquisitor. 
 
 "Yes," admitted Nardi. "And I 
 am glad." 
 
 "Now, behole how the rascality tri 
 umph!" cried Martinos, pointing a 
 finger at the baker. 
 
 But yet again, the recalcitrant baker 
 laughed, defiantly. 
 
 "Va! The loss is four cent. The 
 gain to him is that he not die life! 
 I laugh! Aha, ha, ha! And I invite 
 the signori to steal from me when they 
 starve! I will turn my back! Ta ta! 
 I am Nardi, the fat baker." 
 
 But now the barber was become 
 terrible. 
 
 Virgin! Here is a man steal by 
 stealth and skeer and the stole-from
 
 FELICE 11 
 
 one laugh! What is the morale of this 
 when one laugh at larceny? Soon he 
 will steal hats, coats. Soon all will 
 steal. Italia Minora will be call but 
 the Rogue Harbor! Convegno di Mal- 
 f attiori ! No, no one will occasion him 
 self work. Why shall he? It is good 
 to steal more good than to toil. All 
 will steal. The hat, the coat, the pant! 
 Then the money from the pocket which 
 is call pick! Then the knock-down in 
 the dead night! The deceased dark 
 ness! Then the homicide. Then the 
 incendiar. Then the fracture safe in 
 bank. Well, you all like those? You 
 desire that if any one seek a mal-efac- 
 tore he come first at Italia Minora? 
 The land of the steal and the home of 
 the bu-um ? Is it enough I have de 
 claim ? Steal, steal, steal, from one an 
 other! Sir, it is better to starve than 
 steal. I will write that upon a sheet of 
 papiere for the hat that you may learn 
 it. I say it is better to starve than steal ! 
 And this" - Martinos was thundering 
 now " is the maintainer of the domes-
 
 12 FELICE 
 
 tic tranquillity! Sir, what was the end 
 ing of the unhappy event?" 
 
 "All the time," Nardi went on 
 less surely, "is a gentarme watch the 
 stealer, and when he have accom 
 plish the ack he clasp him. He cannot 
 even bite the bread. He is stagger 
 away with his head down ashanie . 
 But he bring him in my shop and as 
 me do I see him purloin. Though I 
 say no he oblige me that I go at the 
 palace of justice and other thing, where 
 the streets cross, and make the adjura 
 tion against the stealer. I go thence 
 now. He also --the poliziotto take 
 with him the loave to witness." 
 
 "And there," cried the savage barber 
 to the entire assembly once more, "is 
 the maintainer of the domestic tran 
 quillity the internal peace of our Italia 
 Minora!" 
 
 There was a vague murmur of hos 
 tility. 
 
 "Well --what?" asked the baker, 
 dizzily submitting himself to them, 
 well subdued now.
 
 FELICE 13 
 
 "Go go! Now! You! You only 
 baker, panettiere, not p ilos p er, in 
 stantly," commanded Martinos, "to 
 the palace of justice and other things - 
 as you designed, yes, but for different! 
 Go, for the more righteous! Give the 
 adjuration that will send to prison for 
 ever the mal-efac-tore who stole from 
 you! Uphole the domestic tranquillity 
 the internal peace, and the large name 
 of our Italia Minora! Depart unto il 
 palazzo di giustizzia! Fast quick!"
 
 Ill 
 
 ALWAYS A LIE IS UNTRUE 
 
 THE baker, frightened by the hos 
 tility to his generosity with which the 
 barber had, somehow, charged the air, 
 yet still striving to be defiant, paltered 
 with his fate, and at last, and in the very 
 least, desired humbly that he might go 
 home and change his attire for such 
 as more became the magnificence of his 
 mission to the palace of justice and 
 other things. But instantly the bar 
 ber, more savage, the baker more meek, 
 detected and scotched this reptilian 
 suggestion. 
 
 "But did you not this small while ago 
 twice declare that now you go thence, 
 Now?" And, again, his tone was the 
 velvet one which concealed the iron. 
 
 So, the baker went sullenly. 
 
 "Fast! Quick! Else I deny you my 
 shop forever hereafter!" 
 
 14
 
 FELICE 15 
 
 It was this which did it. You must 
 know that it would. To be denied the 
 entree of the shop of Signor Martinos 
 - the Tonsorie of the Green Moon 
 by Signor Martinos himself, was, per 
 haps, only a little less terrible than to be 
 denied the sacraments by Father Isoleri. 
 
 "Always a lie is untrue!" said the 
 barber, when he was done, looking 
 after him terribly, and out upon his 
 assembled neighbors warningly. "And 
 it is better to starve than steal. Re 
 member! For, the starve damage but 
 one. The steal damage much and 
 many." 
 
 And, presently, when the baker re 
 turned, in a tremendous perspiration, 
 and his fat hanging like rags upon him, 
 he would have slunk past the door had 
 not his watchful inquisitor flung it 
 wide and cried imperiously to where 
 he walked softly on the other side: 
 
 "Enter!" 
 
 The baker did so as if he dragged 
 a ball and chain.
 
 16 FELICE 
 
 Your appearance is of guilt," said 
 the barber, inspecting him, briefly. 
 "Did you testify all those things they 
 desire of you at the palace of justice?" 
 
 "Yes." 
 
 "And what is the punish?" 
 
 Thirty day. It is so suppose." 
 
 The barber leaped at him, but did 
 not touch him. Yet the threat of vio 
 lence was as immense as that of an 
 arrested railway train. 
 
 Thirty day! That is the premium- 
 ize of the crime ! At the end he will be 
 again here to disturb the tranquillity. 
 But thirty day of the grand peace. 
 Sir, this is of your doing! It should 
 have been thirty year! Sir, you have 
 deceive me. You have not swear 
 strong! You have deceive all Italia 
 Minora! Sir, you have pity him!" 
 
 Yes!" and the baker was defiant 
 once more. " So did he, the most wor 
 shipful, who administer the justice. 
 He, Signore Ryan allege if he could he 
 would not punish! Except the law 
 demand him to do so. \Yhat? I am
 
 FELICE 17 
 
 call prosecutore. And if I deny the 
 larceny there will be not punishment 
 therefor whatever. So say that Sig- 
 nore Judge Ryan. Well? This I do 
 not but for you. What ? I would say 
 I present the loave to him --but for 
 you. Therefore it is you who imprison 
 the larcener! You! What? I have 
 it not on my soul. Dam." 
 
 But the barber, instead of being 
 appalled by his fell power for evil, said 
 righteously : 
 
 "It is well. Sir, if you had not done 
 the duty till you sweat, as I now ob 
 serve, no matter how little accomplish, 
 I would deny my shop to you never 
 theless. Pity! Ha ha! I, myself, will 
 go at the palace of justice and other 
 thing and make the adjuration so that 
 the mal-efac-tore is imprison for many 
 years. Pity-- 1 have not pity!" 
 
 And he would have done so instantly, 
 but that he observed the spent con 
 dition of the baker. 
 
 "Signore," he said, as he always did 
 when he was become gentle, "mas-
 
 18 FELICE 
 
 much as you have attend to your duty, 
 no matter how small accomplish, I will 
 relieve you of the sweat of labor, ac 
 count you are fat, with my Tonique di 
 Quinino, free of all payments!" 
 
 Which, though the baker who had 
 only a little hair, protested, he did, lead 
 ing him to his chair with great but 
 firm gentleness, and working the levers 
 and springs so that he lay therein as on 
 a couch, and therein went to sleep. 
 
 And then came the undertaker to 
 further delay him, which, I think, in 
 deed was fate, as you shall see. So 
 that it was at least a half-hour before 
 he was once more ready to start on 
 his sinister errand. 
 
 "Sir," said the barber, "I would not 
 stop to serve you, except that you hurry 
 here, there, and everywhere to serve the 
 dead, and must git shave when the 
 dead permit." 
 
 He told his purpose to the under 
 taker, who entirely agreed in it. 
 
 Indeed, as they passed, he called in 
 the elders of Little Italy to counsel, as
 
 FELICE 19 
 
 the Roman consuls used to do, and 
 presented to each a lurid picture of the 
 vacillation of the recreant baker, while 
 the baker, stealthily walking, departed 
 like a thief in the night. As one and 
 all agreed with Martinos, his fury rose, 
 more and more, and he sent them forth 
 that he might lock his shop a pre 
 caution he had adopted only since the 
 advent of the chair with the springs and 
 levers.
 
 IV 
 
 IS IT A TIME TO BE POLITE WHEN THREE 
 - FOUR STARVE 
 
 BUT a strange little procession ar 
 rived just then. So that the great 
 barber paused with the key in his 
 hand and forgot all about the criminal 
 and his righteous fury, while a smile, 
 such as no one who did not know more 
 about him than I have told here would 
 ever have suspected, spread over his face. 
 
 First was a starved and sleepless- 
 looking little girl of twelve, who carried 
 in one arm a baby of three months, 
 while another, of perhaps three years, 
 held tightly her other hand. Yet an 
 other, a year older, trailed at the hem 
 of her skirt much too large and long 
 for her. 
 
 "Is this the shop of Signore Marti- 
 nos?" asked the eldest one, in quite 
 
 Florentine Italian. 
 to
 
 FELICE 21 
 
 The barber leaped laughing to the 
 pavement. (Did I tell you that chil 
 dren were his besetting sin? That it 
 was said that he would go hungry at 
 any time to feed them? Besides, Fir- 
 enze was the land of his birth !) 
 
 "Ecco! Si! You have come to the 
 correck door with your caravana, signo- 
 rina! Enter in! Signore Martinos him 
 self speak with you ! Eh ? What do 
 you desire? To be shave? Aha, ha, 
 ha! To be hair cut? Aha, ha, ha! 
 No, no, no! Not for a million soldi 
 would I cut those hair! Perhaps dye? 
 Aha, ha, ha! Or bleach? See, I have 
 here forty-seven hair shades! Capelli 
 Colorite! Aha!" 
 
 And now, having dragged them with 
 caresses and laughter into his shop, he 
 exhibited the glass-covered card of 
 samples of his hair-shade. 
 
 You the chair of judgment!" he 
 
 cried to the eldest one, putting her into 
 
 it with a bewildering clatter of levers. 
 
 You in the place of the counsel," and 
 
 he deposited the one of three in the
 
 22 FELICE 
 
 high chair. You on guard," as he 
 perched the one of about four in the 
 other chair. "And as for you, sirrah!" 
 with a touch that made the baby crow 
 instead of cry, he balanced him on his 
 shoulder! So that all were more un 
 comfortably apart than they had ever 
 been. 
 
 "Next the candy!" 
 
 He drew from behind the silken cur 
 tain where the great book was the box 
 w r hich always waited there for children. 
 The one of three put two tiny thin 
 hands greedily into the box. 
 
 "No, no!" laughed the barber. 
 "One! One at a time. It is not to be 
 greedy!" 
 
 The little hands, used to obey 
 ing, regretfully let fall all but one 
 piece. 
 
 "She has not eaten since three days," 
 said the eldest one, gently, hanging her 
 own head. 
 
 "Virgin!" cried the barber, his face 
 ablaze. "And you! --you have eaten 
 all! Little animal!"
 
 FELICE 23 
 
 "I have not eaten since four days," 
 droned the piteous little voice. "Per- 
 dono!" 
 
 The barber leaped at the one of three 
 so as to frighten her. He snatched the 
 box, snapped shut the tin lid, then flung 
 it on its shelf again. 
 
 "Wait!" he cried savagely. "Do 
 not move! I understand. Virgina, you 
 starve." 
 
 He leaped out of the door in his fury, 
 and the babies did precisely as he had 
 told them. They did not move. He 
 had been too terrible. They only 
 turned their frightened eyes upon one 
 another, as those may do who await a 
 common execution. 
 
 It seemed but a moment when he was 
 back his hands full of smoking; sau- 
 
 o 
 
 sages, a loaf of bread under each arm. 
 And in another moment each one, not 
 excluding the baby, had in one hand a 
 huge piece of sausage and in the other 
 a ragged piece of bread - - torn ruth 
 lessly from the loaf. All to the de 
 lighted laughter of the magician who
 
 24 FELICE 
 
 had so it must have seemed to them 
 - brought manna from the skies. And 
 all the while he chattered. 
 
 Virgin! I am larcener myself! I 
 rush in that baking-shop. I say noth 
 ing. Alas! how Nardi look skeer! 
 On the counter is a hundred smoking 
 loave ! Only I clasp two loave - - the 
 same as he! Aha, ha, ha! and rush 
 away ! Well ? If a gentarme had been 
 to see, it would be all op with me. 
 There is no explanation. It is the 
 skeer of violence without it is accom 
 plish. I am grand stealer! And Frit- 
 zen! Aha, ha, ha! I think he pursue 
 me now with troops!" 
 
 He went to the door to look. 
 
 : Well? Is it a time to be polite 
 when three four starve ? " 
 
 He laughed again. 
 
 "So was it with him other stealer! 
 And I do not go at the palace of justice 
 now! Aha, ha, ha! I am bad rascal 
 myself now ! I git pinch ! And Fritzen 
 is there, perhap, with the adjuration 
 against me!"
 
 FELICE 25 
 
 Which did not seem to worry him 
 much. 
 
 Each little stomach was filled pres 
 ently. 
 
 "Oh!" cried the barber, with a sud 
 den compunction and once more darted 
 forth. 
 
 When he returned he had, balanced 
 skilfully in his hands, four pieces of 
 brown paper, on each of which was 
 piled something which would, under 
 more favorable circumstances, and with 
 more desirable constituents, have been 
 ice-cream. 
 
 "Milk-ball!" he cried. "Milk-ball 
 for dessert, signorine!" 
 
 As they ate it licking it up from 
 the paper w r ith their tongues --he flung 
 anathema at the vender of milk-balls : 
 
 "Va! It is beast that milk-ball 
 man! He has offend me ! He shall be 
 deported from Italia Minora! No more 
 shall he enter the Tonsorielle of the 
 Green Moon. Beast! To as the pay 
 when three four are starve! There 
 is no time! Can he not see there is not ?
 
 26 FELICE 
 
 And to announce Thief! after me 
 when I rush away! Aha! Well, I am 
 thief! I am grand rascal! Dam!" 
 
 Even this was now eaten, and no 
 one had spoken a word but the happy 
 barber. There would have been no 
 opportunity. Each small mouth was too 
 busy otherwise. Now he said, with the 
 baby happily asleep in his lap: 
 
 "Presently the name of my guests. 
 Then the purpose for which they arrive. 
 Signorine, it is most impolite to be 
 not introduce and to not speak with 
 your host as you eat. The names!" 
 
 "Felice!" said the eldest, with such 
 brevity that one might have suspected 
 her also of an intention to sleep. 
 
 "Hah! Little mother!" cried the de 
 lighted Martinos. " It is a little mother ! 
 And the next descending?" 
 
 "Issa," answered the little mother 
 for her. "And Litle, and the baby is 
 Ricciotto and Floris!" 
 
 The barber humorously leaped and 
 looked about. 
 
 "What? Is one overlook? You
 
 FELICE 27 
 
 speak five name, but here only is four. 
 Resolve me this mystery ! Item, I have 
 all times to count and see whether three 
 or four enter my shop one is so small. 
 Aha, ha, ha!" 
 
 " Floriendi," said Felice, "is home 
 sick. She will die. We must go back 
 to her! I forgot!" 
 
 The little mother hastily slid out of 
 the chair, this momentarily forgotten 
 duty strong upon her so strong as to 
 be remorse! 
 
 And the savage barber s voice was 
 small as the child s as he asked: 
 
 " Sick ? Yes, come. Yet wait one 
 moment!" 
 
 Again he plunged forth, again com 
 mitted larceny, and skeer three times, 
 again returned - - with more of the 
 sausages, another loaf of bread, and a 
 tumbler full of the milk-ball man s 
 product. 
 
 "Now!" 
 
 At last he locked the shop door with 
 the key which had all the while been 
 in his hand, and set forth in happy
 
 28 FELICE 
 
 fury, through the snow of the streets, 
 with the baby still asleep in one arm, 
 Litle in the other, while Felice and Issa 
 walked demurely at each side and 
 carried the food. And I don t know 
 which was the happier! 
 
 Felice had utterly forgotten the holes 
 in her shoes, through which the snow 
 had come when she traveled in the 
 other direction, and the barber forgot 
 that there had ever been a heinous 
 crime to the disparagement of the do 
 mestic tranquillity and the loss of 
 repute of Little Italy even to con 
 doning his own evil-doing. 
 
 "For," he explained, "it is heinous 
 to steal. Yes! But law is one thing, 
 hunger another. Aha, ha, ha! Hasten. 
 It is wrong to desert the ill. The sick 
 one should have eaten first. And also, 
 the gentarme might take me en route! 
 Oh, yes ! There is no doubt I have com 
 mit not the petite but the very grand 
 larceny, two, five, six time! I am very 
 grand rascal! Yes! I am worse than 
 ho! Have I not said in my vanity that
 
 FELICE 29 
 
 it is better to starve than steal? Aha, 
 ha, ha! But no, it is better to steal 
 than starve. If I can steal I can also 
 reverse myself. Who are the lovely little 
 ladies ? Where do they come from and 
 when do they arrive ? I do not know 
 them. And I know all in Italia Min- 
 ora. So, you are stranger. Well ? You 
 shall kiss me when we arrive at the 
 home. Will you? The most chaste 
 salute." 
 
 Of course they would. Now! And 
 two mouths were put up. But he 
 stopped them. 
 
 "No! I will have my kisses at 
 leisure to the greater joy of them! Yes. 
 Also, it lack of decorum for ladies to 
 kiss gentlemen in the seeing street. 
 When we arrive at home." (In fact 
 he was embarrassed.) : Who is your 
 father ? Who is your mother ? What ? 
 Why come you to me?" 
 
 We starve," said Felice simply. 
 
 How could one answer everything to 
 garrulous M artinos when he was in his 
 happy furor? Besides, they were al-
 
 30 FELICE 
 
 ready come to the place they had called 
 home. 
 
 "What? Already arrive? Virgin! 
 Direckly behind my shop! You are 
 my neighbors! And I must love my 
 neighbors as myself. Aha, ha, ha! 
 Suffer little neighbors to come to Mar- 
 tinos ! The beast ! Who destroy them ! 
 Eat them all up! Shave their face! 
 Cut their hair! Bleach it from ugly 
 blue to lovely yellow! Aha, ha, ha!" 
 
 But it was well that the barber 
 laughed then. He could not have 
 done so in a moment more.
 
 TIS LAUGHTER MAKES THE SUN SHINE, 
 TIS SORROW MAKES IT RAIN 
 
 FOR they went up, up, up, to the top. 
 And then you must excuse happy Mar- 
 tinos for weeping. For there on a hor 
 rid bed lay the fairest flower of a 
 maiden any one had ever seen! So 
 frail she seemed that Felice s words 
 appeared true. She was to die. And 
 her hair was not dark like the others, 
 but fair, and her great eyes were blue 
 as the sky. She was a little older than 
 Felice. 
 
 And here it was that the great barber, 
 with a heart even greater than his 
 fame, knelt, like a mother, at the horrid 
 bed and wept. But I cannot tell you 
 - no one could of the something 
 which instantly passed from his heart 
 to that of the little sick girl. So that 
 the dear small face smiled up at him as 
 
 31
 
 32 FELICE 
 
 if she were not afraid, and as if he 
 were not a stranger. Indeed, it was 
 said that the faces of children al 
 ways smiled at him. But the tiny thin 
 hands of Floris went out to him also, 
 and no mother has ever taken her 
 child s hands more gently than did he, 
 this barber of Little Italy, take those of 
 pretty Floris. 
 
 "She is not ill," said he to himself, 
 shutting his teeth tight at the fate which 
 made such things to be, "she is only 
 starve! Steal! Yes, the baker is cor- 
 rec ! Kill to save life! That I under 
 stand now. Kill the ugly life to save 
 the beautiful life. Yes, that is right. 
 So is it among the beast of the field. 
 Virgin! I am glad I am stealer." 
 
 There was no time for the dainty 
 food which the barber, as well as you 
 and I, know the child ought to have 
 had. But since he fed her the sausage 
 in very small bits, and smiled and 
 whispered, and even sang to her as he 
 did it, that humble food of the street 
 seemed quite ambrosial.
 
 FELICE 33 
 
 " There must be flowers for the flower 
 to feed upon, and then the bees will 
 come and kiss the flower and make 
 sweet honey. But to-morrow for that! 
 To-day it is Fritzen s bad sausage! 
 Aha, ha, ha! Yes, courage! To-mor 
 row and we shall eat flowers and drink 
 dew!" 
 
 All of which made the little sick girl 
 laugh; and the others, seeing this, and 
 knowing that it is birthright of children 
 to laugh, came and clustered round and 
 laughed too. So that into that room 
 where the sun never shone the barber 
 seemed to have brought it. 
 
 : Tis laughter makes the sun shine : 
 tis sorrow makes it rain so my 
 mother say to me when I was not three 
 feet long!" laughed the barber. "And 
 so I now say to you, who are but three 
 feet long, Floris, cari mio!"
 
 VI 
 
 SOME HOARD VANITY AS OTHERS HOARD 
 GOLD 
 
 "Now it is time to explain," re 
 minded the happy Martinos, presently. 
 " Why is it that the dear, dear cara- 
 vana come happily to the door of my 
 shop of the Green Moon? Who in 
 form you of it?" 
 
 But they all fell silent. Suddenly it 
 seemed as if he had again taken all the 
 sunshine he had brought. 
 
 "Where is the mother, lovely one?" 
 he asked of Felice. 
 
 "Dead." 
 
 Virgin!" whispered the barber, 
 looking at the youngest. "How long 
 ago?" 
 
 "Month," she added. 
 
 "And your father?" 
 
 Martinos was whispering now, and 
 the ready tears were at his eyes. 
 
 34
 
 FELICE 35 
 
 "In prison." 
 
 Virgin! Then his name ! He shall 
 soon be out. What a government is 
 that will take so needful a father from 
 so needful a family no matter what 
 the crime! The name! I, myself, will 
 go at the palace of justice and get him 
 for you. It is outrage upon the grand 
 peace and the domestic tranquillity. 
 And also the happy repute. The name ! 
 Have I not the pu-11 ? Do we not vote 
 aright? Aha! The name!" 
 
 Spoken like not alone a dictator of 
 that city, but of the whole world, to the 
 children! The barber raped his foun 
 tain pen from its pocket to make the 
 necessary record and cried again: 
 
 "II nome!"- 
 
 ;< Virvaso Piccioli," said Felice. 
 
 The pen dropped from the hand of 
 the barber to the floor, while he stared 
 distractedly from one small, terrified 
 face to another. Presently he said, as 
 if he but breathed it: 
 
 " Signorine, I have ruin destroy 
 you! I. I, who would die for you!
 
 36 FELICE 
 
 It is I have riveted your parent s chain 
 for ever and ever! Virgina, here is the 
 punishment of vanity! Ah, vanity! 
 Ah, vanity! Some hoard the vanity as 
 other hoard the gold. I have not gold. 
 No! Always is my rent not paid till 
 gentarme come. But vanity! That I 
 have sufficient to bu-urn! Bestia!" 
 
 Those he had made so happy a mo 
 ment before now huddled together away 
 from him, at his self-abasement. 
 
 ; They told us to go to you. They 
 called you the great barber. She said 
 that you were kind Libera Rosa 
 Rocco. The kindest man in the world. 
 You would not let us starve --you 
 would get our father back!" 
 
 "I am beast!" cried the barber, smi 
 ting himself savagely on the chest. 
 
 Then, seeing the terror this inspired, 
 he said again: 
 
 "No, no. I am kind. Do not be 
 skeer. I am kind all right, but only 
 animal call ass. That is all. I do not 
 know what to do for first time I am 
 stun. Virgin!"
 
 FELICE 37 
 
 He was stalking up and down, when 
 he suddenly stopped, laughed, brought 
 the sun back, and had them once more 
 all about him in a tight, thrilled audience. 
 
 "Oh, my children, I have a large 
 thought. Thus it is my large thoughts 
 come in the distress. When I laugh 
 and cry that is the time for large 
 thought. Not alone when I laugh. 
 Then it cannot. Not alone when I cry. 
 Then it is not easy. But when both! 
 Ah, then!" 
 
 He was doing both now. 
 
 "Here is the great thought." He 
 looked about as if there might be other 
 hearers, and then went on. "I must 
 undo myself. Also, I must be punish. 
 Well? I have sworn to the people. 
 All the city is my witness. If I am 
 wrong they never trust me no more. 
 But, observe, there is a foolish baker - 
 panettiere stole from. Well? If a 
 mediatore went ? If I ? And there is 
 a better mediatore than me!" 
 
 : Who?" they all asked at once. 
 This was hard to fancy.
 
 38 FELICE 
 
 "You!" he lauged. "All of you! 
 Together! As you came at my shop! 
 Yes! Excep Signorina Florendi. 1 
 have a plan also for her. But you shall 
 go at the palace of justice and other 
 things!" 
 
 "Us?" came three terrified little 
 voices, once more. 
 
 "But first we will write. That is the 
 way a royal meeting is arrange. The 
 letter. Quickly! Can you write? 
 the English? No. Then 1." 
 
 He had already recovered his foun- 
 tian pen and was at work with his accus 
 tomed fury.
 
 VII 
 
 THE FOUNTAIN PEN IS MIGHTIER THAN 
 TROUBLE 
 
 " Eccellenza: 
 
 " It is true that for long time the grand 
 peace and the domestic tranquillity has 
 been here preserve, according to that 
 Declaration of the Independence of 
 Signore Washington. Yet, sometime, 
 has it been broke beyond the wish of 
 us and to the terrificatione of the peace 
 of the city. For these we regret. But 
 it is well known to us, Eccellenza, that 
 the regret do not mend the fractured 
 peace, nor establish once more that 
 independence which lightens the word 
 and we throw down. Moreover, it bring 
 into evil repute that certain Piccioli 
 whom you have there in chains. Con 
 cerning him, especially, these are writ 
 ten. Permit it to be known to your 
 excellency - 
 
 39
 
 40 FELICE 
 
 Here the great barber paused, and, 
 with a tremendous flourish, read what 
 he had written, to the awed little 
 family. 
 
 "It is all correck English, signorine, 
 each word, and, observe, the American 
 spirit is preserve, according - 
 
 But it occurred to him that the Ameri 
 can spirit w r ould not matter to them. 
 Yet, it should be otherwise. 
 
 " Do you know, my little ones, my 
 piccoli fanciulli -- that it was an Italian 
 who found this great country ? Ameri 
 go Vespucci! Si! We are brothers 
 with the Americans, and no one can 
 cheat us of that. It is true that the 
 Spaniard call it, on the map, Columbia. 
 But the people us w T e call it every 
 where and all time II America! Aha! 
 Liberty or death!" 
 
 The letter again: 
 
 " So let us write that his majesty the 
 mayore may be well dispose. Speak you 
 those thing which happen to you, as 
 children speak, and so I w r ill put them 
 down in the English which is as that
 
 FELICE 41 
 
 I have written. Correck and also im 
 posing. Thereby will his heart be 
 weaken -- il grandito sindaco! call 
 mayore and subjeck to the grand 
 mercy - - like the heart of a beautiful 
 old lady in a cap and spectacles who 
 takes snuff. Aha, ha, ha! To-day I 
 have the very grand thoughts together 
 with understanding. Now proceed as 
 if all were yours but the fountain pen. 
 I present you with what I have already 
 compose. Signorina, the fountain pen 
 is mightier than any trouble! Viva la 
 penna a fontana!" 
 
 "Sir," began the little girl, perspir 
 ing, but understanding the tremendous 
 importance of it. 
 
 "No, no, no! Eccellenza! Another 
 eccellenza is proper at this place. Ec 
 cellenza! On, on, my dear, dear 
 child!" 
 
 Thus applauded, the little girl stead 
 ily pursued her duty - - perhaps the 
 most difficult of her small life. Fancy 
 her dictating a letter! To the great 
 barber! The magician who had
 
 42 FELICE 
 
 brought the manna straight from the 
 skies for them! And to be read by 
 that sovereign of the city who held her 
 dear father in chains according to 
 the rhetoric of the barber, which she 
 had quite adopted. And yet more 
 than all the rest, it palpitated with the 
 momentous theme of Liberty or Death 
 - again in Martinos s Fourth-of- July 
 phrases. He may have known it is 
 entirely likely that he did --that petit 
 larceny is not punished with death 
 in America. But the little girl did 
 not. 
 
 "Eccellenza, if our father is still 
 chain at your palace, send him home 
 that we do not starve. Yesterday he 
 go to get food at the baking-place call 
 La Panella Italiana and is pinch by 
 gentarme. And our mother is dead 
 soon ago. And Ricciotto is three 
 month and yet eats only milk. And 
 Floris is sick so that she die. And 
 Litle is three years, and Issa is four, 
 and I am twelve. My name is Felice. 
 I am call "Little Mother." And we
 
 FELICE 43 
 
 all were hungry until Signore il 
 barbiere 
 
 " Not a word ! Not a word ! " shouted 
 the barber at her so that she was fright 
 ened. "Not a mention of the name of 
 the beast who - - No, no, no ! That is 
 my punishment. Also it will ruin you. 
 See, I must erase three word. I am 
 only animal! No part have I in the 
 rescue that is my sentence. I erase 
 Barber." 
 
 This he did by the simple and direct 
 expedient of moistening the end of his 
 little finger quite as he did when he 
 had, now and then, through inattention, 
 the misfortune to cut a customer. Only 
 then he would put alum on the tip of his 
 finger when he had moistened it. 
 
 "Now from the word hungry. Affa- 
 mata! On!" 
 
 But at that moment he looked and 
 saw two tears stealing down pathways 
 they themselves made on the little girl s 
 face. 
 
 Well, what barber could help it? 
 Presently he had two of his own to
 
 44 FELICE 
 
 mingle with those of the little mother, 
 and the letter went on with one arm 
 about her after that. Which, you must 
 know, if you have been a hungry, lonely 
 little girl, with a large family, no mother, 
 and a father in prison, is much better 
 for both the letter and the little girl. 
 Perhaps for you the letter itself 
 may prove this. 
 
 "So that, yesterday, my father went 
 to that panella and got pinch, account 
 we need the bread and have not the 
 silver. We cannot come unto you, 
 Eccellenza, for the baby cry. He will 
 not stay with any one but me, and 
 that- 
 
 "Stop! Stop! You shall come unto 
 him! I have said it!" 
 
 Again the barber had to warn her 
 then urge her on. 
 
 "All night, sweet Eccellenza, we 
 wait, wait, wait. He is not come. We 
 are that sad and hungry. We do not 
 sleep, only wait. And then, in the 
 morning is come a gentarme and tell 
 us he is pinch and at your palace in
 
 FELICE 45 
 
 chain. And then our heart is break. 
 Eccellenza, he do that for us who are 
 hungry so long. So, break off his chain 
 and punish us. That will be correck." 
 
 The child was at the end of her re 
 sources. But the barber knew the 
 value of vernacular. 
 
 "More! More!" he cried. " It con 
 vinces ! It will have power to break the 
 chain of the captive and set him free! 
 More more! It is better for chain 
 than ax!" 
 
 "Eccellenza," the child toiled on, 
 "thus we are tempted. It is three days 
 we have not eaten. And I take the 
 children out to look in the windows. 
 In that of Signore Fritzen, who maintain 
 the delicatessen shop, is beautiful sau 
 sages oh, very beautiful! In that of 
 Signore Vespasiano are cakes that smell. 
 Cakes with small fruits in the top. 
 And as we look and smell we are starve 
 more and more. Eccellenza, it is three 
 days!" 
 
 Again the happy barber clamored for 
 more. But the child had exhausted
 
 46 FELICE 
 
 both the powers of her body and the 
 contents of her mind. 
 
 "I cannot!" she said weakly, relaps 
 ing upon the barber. 
 
 "Nay, nay, nay! Think, think, 
 think!" 
 
 While he waited for her to think he 
 found a tin cracker-box which had been 
 the bright treasure of Issa, and made a 
 fire of sticks in it at the side of the bed 
 of Floris whereat all laughed happily 
 and never minded the choking smoke. 
 
 "Well?" he demanded of Felice. 
 
 "I have emptied my head," said the 
 child, desperately. 
 
 "No, no, no! Bite my pen! So it is 
 I woo the great thought by the biting 
 of the pen! Bite my beautiful fountain 
 pen!" 
 
 And though he thrust it recklessly 
 into the rosebud of a mouth, nothing 
 more came from the beleaguered little 
 head. 
 
 "Well, then," concluded the barber, 
 cheerfully, "it is sufficient. And we 
 will finish it so : Permit me, most sweet
 
 FELICE 47 
 
 Eccellenza, to remain your obliged, 
 obedient, humble friend: Issa, Floris, 
 Litle, Ricciotto, and Felice! Aha, ha, 
 ha! Now then, know there is a thing 
 call special delivery stamp. Well ? One 
 we put inside, on envelope address with 
 the number of the great barber shop. 
 One outside to the mayore--il grand 
 Sindaco aha, ha, ha! --and quick 
 like lightning come back the answer: 
 Your prayer is grant. Here is your 
 parent and much money. Be happy 
 ever after. Virgin bless you! Mayor 
 of the city. II grandito sindaco. Vir 
 gin! Hah! I am also prophet!"
 
 VIII 
 
 THE SPECIAL STAMP IS SWIFTER THAN 
 JUSTICE WHEN IT GOES BACKWARD 
 
 ALL this the barber did. Yet not all 
 that he had planned happened which 
 is usual or perhaps I had better say 
 that not all he had planned happened 
 as he had planned it but much 
 better which is unusual. 
 
 The letter, indeed, went on its errand 
 as swiftly as he had hoped almost as 
 if it knew what need there was for haste. 
 And, even more swiftly than any one 
 could have fancied, the answer came 
 back. But, nevertheless, between the 
 two events there was time for some 
 things to happen which belong to the 
 story, and which I must tell first - 
 according to your patience. 
 
 " For the special stamp," sighed Mar- 
 tinos, "is swifter than justice when 
 it goes backward." 
 
 48
 
 FELICE 49 
 
 These are the things which happened 
 to the story between the sending and 
 the getting of the letter. Martinos 
 said they were also for his penance. 
 But, if that were true, it was the hap 
 piest of penances. 
 
 First, he took them all shopping on 
 the South Street. There was a certain 
 Pietro Ardano, who in the life of the 
 city was coachman to the millionaire 
 Martin Muffin. But in Italia Minora 
 he was a man of substance - - having a 
 private business of his own L - the owner 
 of no less than two carriages, which he 
 let for hire. One was a mere cab. 
 But the other was a hack. It was this 
 the good barber comandeered, without 
 a word of the expense, and into it he 
 packed Felice and her family saving 
 Floris, for whom he had reserved some 
 thing more exquisite about which you 
 are to learn. 
 
 They came first to the store of Isa- 
 dore Kron where a barker without, who 
 screamed of the bargains within, invited 
 them to alight. Without more ado the
 
 50 FELICE 
 
 barber, who was not wise concerning 
 ladies attire, did this only to dis 
 cover that Kron sold nothing but cor 
 sets of which his family, as yet, knew 
 nothing. But the next descent yielded 
 well. Here a young gentleman brought 
 to the very window of the hack a dress 
 in red and green checks, very little 
 worn, which he offered for twenty-three 
 cents. There was no paltering with 
 such a bargain as that! Especially 
 when Issa s eyes threatened permanent 
 enlargement as the frock became hers. 
 The young gentleman then led them, 
 like a conqueror his captives, into his 
 store. For he averred that it was his 
 own. And, lo! there were shoes to be 
 had, just as little worn and stock 
 ings, some of them with absolutely no 
 darns in them and small petticoats. 
 One, the young gentleman -- who said 
 his name was Von Lichtenstein said 
 had come from a perfectly unbeliev 
 able source. He let them understand 
 that the child of a millionaire in mis 
 fortune had worn it. It had a separate
 
 FELICE 51 
 
 box all to itself on the shelf, and was of 
 pink flannel, so soft that they had seen 
 nothing like it before, and embroidered 
 in blue silk. There was not a blemish 
 upon it, and it smelled splendidly of 
 camphor balls ! But the price! When 
 that was mentioned, in whispers, after 
 long consideration --they decided that 
 it was quite impossible. But they 
 were, of course, likely to be mistaken 
 about the opulence and power of the 
 magician who had brought down the 
 manna for them. Seventy cents ! Yet 
 the great barber not only took it, but 
 paid seven cents extra for the box in 
 which it was kept and more, he 
 took out his fountain pen and wrote 
 on the lid: 
 
 "Floris. From her adorer Marti- 
 nos!" 
 
 Then they came to the shop of Pas- 
 quale Rezzio, where a beautiful sign in 
 red and green, which swung to the 
 breeze, announced that he was a jew 
 eler. 
 
 Well, he had a ring for each one
 
 52 FELICE 
 
 which he would guarantee to wear a 
 year without turning black. But one 
 of them --the one for thirty cents - 
 had on it the figure of a heart in blue 
 enamel, pierced through with an arrow 
 of crimson. Again did the barber buy 
 a box, and again did he write on it: 
 
 "Floris. From her Martinos." 
 
 He could have written more this 
 time, so do splendid things grow by 
 repetition, but there was much less 
 room for writing. 
 
 But you are not to suppose that on a 
 day when the temperature was down to 
 twenty, and when the snow was falling, 
 the barber was unwise enough to waste 
 much of his time and money on rings 
 and such frippery. He knew, on the 
 corner, a store where there were in the 
 window wonderful over-garments - 
 some of real Astrakhan, according to 
 the placard. It was here that he next 
 told the coachman to drive. 
 
 When they emerged from the shop the 
 barber would have shivered if he had 
 not been so happy, but the little ones
 
 FELICE 53 
 
 had never been so warm. They were, 
 indeed, entirely too warm. The bar 
 ber cast open the collars of their coats, 
 which the shop-keeper had buttoned 
 close about their necks. 
 
 "Not too warm, my children. It is a 
 cold country a most co-old country 
 until you get at the heart. Then it is 
 more warm save one in all the world. 
 Italy! Italy! But to-day! Could one 
 be happier even in Italy? Not too 
 warm, my beloved children!" 
 
 Next came the household utensils - 
 about which the great barber had to 
 descend to seek information from the 
 little mother. But together they bought 
 a clock at Vardi s with only a few bits 
 of enamel off of the dial. And a cook 
 ing-stove, two coal-oil lamps, a can for 
 the oil, and sixteen yards of rag carpet 
 as good as new. Besides, there was a 
 picture of Garibaldi in a cocked hat for 
 decoration, and two blue glass vases for 
 the mantel which Martinos remembered 
 to have seen. Last was the fuel for the 
 stove and the things to cook on it.
 
 54 FELICE 
 
 Then they went home and put the 
 things in place, and afterward each 
 took a hand at the cooking and there 
 was never a happier family than this 
 one which the barber had suddenly 
 adopted, as it sat down to eat its own 
 cooking. 
 
 "For my penance," he explained 
 again, concealing his happiness as well 
 as he could, - " my penance to the 
 dead mother and the chained father 
 whom I have insult. And the punish 
 ment of the vanity for being animal 
 name ass!" 
 
 Lastly, with the help of the levatrice 
 who came in, the Libera Rosa Rocco, 
 who had sent them to the barber, they 
 manufactured and sent a telegram, at 
 frightful expense, to the World s Fail- 
 concerning Piccioli s employment. And 
 again I say that if this were a penance, 
 it was the happiest any one had ever 
 performed.
 
 IX 
 
 I DO not know everything about that 
 letter to the palace at the crossing of the 
 streets. But I do know that on that 
 very day yet, as swift as a special-de 
 livery stamp could bring it, came an 
 answer to the barber shop, whence it 
 went, yet more swiftly, in the barber s 
 own hands, to the little garret back of 
 his shop. 
 
 Though it was addressed to the bar 
 ber, of course he would not open it. He 
 was far too polite a barber for that. 
 And even when the little mother begged 
 him to do it because she could not read, 
 he first said, 
 
 ; Then, by you leave, signorine!" 
 though he was quite mad to rip it open. 
 
 "His Honor the Mayor has sent me 
 
 55
 
 56 FELICE 
 
 your letter," it said, "and, if all it says 
 is true, you are a brave little girl, and 
 deserve to have what you ask. But 
 tricks are so often played upon judges 
 that I must make you come here, to 
 the city hall, where I may see and ques 
 tion you. You know, the letter is written 
 in a grown-up hand, and this address 
 is a barber shop. Besides, Officer Vin- 
 cenzo tells me that you cannot write 
 English at all. But I think if you will 
 come here we shall understand each 
 other, and something may happen. I ll 
 see. 
 
 "I am very sincerely yours, 
 
 JAMES RYAN, Magistrate" 
 
 Even before he had reached the end 
 of it, the barber was leaping from one 
 end of the small room to the other - 
 indeed, bumping his head furiously 
 against the shingles before he was re 
 called to propriety. 
 
 "Aha, ha, ha! Was it not right to 
 have the large thought --and a cele 
 brated shop ? How he deteck me that
 
 FELICE 57 
 
 it is I write! And my shop! Perhap 
 he have read on the Fourth of July, in 
 II Vesuvio ? Aha ! He is already free ! 
 Mourn no more, my children ! Ragazzi 
 cari, mourn not! Did I not tell you? 
 Now go to sleep. There is no worship 
 ful judge to-day no more. But to 
 morrow! Ah! Perhap" -and for a 
 moment he was plaintive - " perhap, 
 after the penance is enough, after all 
 is well, we may tell that it was the great 
 thought of Martinos, the barber bestia 
 in the tonsorie of the Green Moon 
 and the Seventh Street. Sleep! Sleep! 
 Dormire, ragazzi!" 
 
 But do you think that any one but 
 the baby slept in that garret on that 
 wonderful night? And the hours 
 dragged leadenly, you may be sure, 
 until ten in the morning which the 
 barber knew was the hour for the awak 
 ening of the judicial Juggernaut! 
 
 So, promptly at ten, he arrived, cry 
 ing, even before he reached them: 
 
 "Go, go, go! In haste go! What, 
 not ready? I have been detain with
 
 58 FELICE 
 
 the shave of a dead man. Now go! 
 At once! Be the very early children!" 
 
 The frightened little girl begged him 
 to go with them. 
 
 "No, no, no!" almost whined the 
 barber. " I have not right to the glory. 
 I covet it --Virgin! how I covet it! 
 But I have no right. It is my penance! 
 Yet it was a most great thought was 
 it not, my children ? Never have I had 
 a more greater thought. Go, go; the 
 glory is yours. I will wait here in 
 my penitence --I and my dear Floris. 
 He say that you are brave! Well, who 
 knows this better than I?" 
 
 As he dressed them in their old cloth 
 ing they still needed urging. 
 
 " Beside, who will preserve the home 
 in the absence ? I. And the brave and 
 very ill Floris! I remain to preserve 
 the home in penitence and tears I, 
 and the beautiful but ill Floris and 
 you go and return all fill with the glory 
 of the palace ! What ? Yes ! But the 
 old clothe . When you go to beg, wear 
 old clothes."
 
 FELICE 59 
 
 They were now ready. 
 
 You take the baby yes just as 
 when the caravana came at my shop. 
 And here hold the hand of Issa. Here 
 of Litle. Now! Aha, ha, ha! Will 
 not he that gives and receives justice 
 rejoice in the beautiful caravana ? Did 
 he not speak those about bravery! 
 Well? For that reason the more you 
 appear unto him the more his joy is. 
 Suffer the little children to arrive at 
 the magistrate! Ah! And the very ill 
 Floris and I will wait and be sad until 
 you return." 
 
 (But there was not a bit of sadness in 
 his plan for himself and Floris, as you 
 shall learn!) 
 
 "Nevertheless, not in the new clothes. 
 For the new garment make the bad 
 laughter and the haughty derision. 
 But the old clothe make pity. Aha!"
 
 THE SOVEREIGN OF THE CITY ALONE 
 HAS POWER TO TURN AWAY THE 
 CHILL SHOULDER OF THE GEN 
 DARME 
 
 Now, they had no more knowledge of 
 where the palace of justice and other 
 things was than they had of the where 
 abouts of the antarctic circle. And the 
 barber did not tell them. This was 
 part of his cunning plan. 
 
 "As - - as - - as ! Unto the poliz- 
 ziotto the gentarme unto whomso 
 ever you come say, * Our father is 
 chain at the palace of justice and other 
 thing. \Ve go to break his chain that 
 he may be free. Behole! Are we not 
 most brave ? Then observe if any one 
 turn unto you the chill shoulder! Aha! 
 La reffreddore di spella! Aha! 
 
 "First, they will observe the ancient 
 clothe . Then is arrive in the heart 
 
 60
 
 FELICE 61 
 
 pity. Aha! Next, say that the sover 
 eign of the city has sent for you and 
 that you shall be guide unto him. 
 Well, well, if they doubt then show 
 the letter. Alas! it is all done and 
 there is nothing but the huzzas!" 
 
 Many people saw that little caravan 
 as it frightenedly made its way through 
 the snow from the Seventh Street, along 
 the street called Christian, to the Broad 
 Street, where lived the millionaires. 
 And to many they repeated those say 
 ings of the barber, which they had 
 memorized. And to others showed the 
 letter, so that all the way there was an 
 ovation for them. The windows were 
 filled, and the doorways, and one told 
 to another what it meant. And smile 
 gave birth to smile, all along the poor 
 and dirty street for, curiously enough, 
 the news of their progression preceded 
 them. Presently, save here and there 
 a tear where some one was, like the 
 barber, too filled with sentiment, the 
 poor street was lit with one great smile. 
 And more. Many were not content
 
 62 FELICE 
 
 with this. One might hear some mur 
 mur aves. And others ask the Virgin 
 to go with them. Yet others all 
 women whom one would know for 
 their poverty came and stopped the 
 little ones to cumber them with strange 
 gifts - - of food - - milk - - as if the 
 journey to the palace of justice and 
 other things were far. And they did 
 not refuse the curious things, but took 
 them, and so increased their burdens, 
 but smiled back at the givers, and 
 repeated those sayings of the great 
 barber, and showed that letter. 
 
 So, when a woman with a child in 
 each hand let one of them present her 
 kitten to Issa, it was a gift too exquisite 
 in the giving and the taking to be left 
 behind. 
 
 Thus, at last, they came from the 
 mean little street called Christian to the 
 one called Broad, whose splendor, they 
 did not know, was indeed that of the 
 Broad Way, while that they had trav 
 ersed was the travail of the narrow 
 way. Here they stood bewildered, and
 
 FELICE 63 
 
 would have faltered before the magnifi 
 cence had not Officer Vincenzo at once 
 spoken to them. For he had seen the 
 little caravan and its accompanying tu 
 mult coming up the street called Chris 
 tian. Only, as they approached the 
 Broad Street, all that happy people who 
 had followed and God-blessed them 
 ceased. For no one ever came willingly 
 from the little street called Christian out 
 into the great one called Broad. It did 
 not seem their country. So that they 
 were suddenly lonely and terrified. 
 The baby clung closely about the neck 
 of the little mother, Litle held her hand 
 with her mightiest grip, the kitten sunk 
 his claws deeply, while Issa closed up 
 so upon Felice s heels that she could 
 scarcely get along in the snow and her 
 new shoes. But it was at precisely this 
 moment, when they needed him most, 
 that Officer Vincenzo, whose beat be 
 gan at the city hall and ended at the 
 corner where the broad and narrow 
 ways met, came up to them. 
 
 Now, the city had done many evil
 
 64 FELICE 
 
 things and had put many bad men into 
 office. But once in a great while it had 
 done something good and had given an 
 office to a good man. This latter thing 
 had happened when it made Vincenzo 
 a policeman. At least it was a very 
 good thing for the little caravan, for he 
 had a heart almost as kind as that of 
 the barber, and he could speak Italian 
 -- of course, with such a name as that ! 
 And so, after they had told him those 
 sayings of the barber and showed him 
 the letter, he laughed, and took the 
 baby from Felice, whom he perceived 
 to be very tired, and, with her tremb 
 ling little hand in his, led the whole 
 procession along his beat, to the very 
 gates of the city hall. There he gave 
 them to another officer, who took them 
 straight to the great magistrate in a 
 car which sailed up into the air many, 
 many stories with everybody won 
 dering and smiling and saying the very 
 happiest of things, and wishing them 
 the best of luck. 
 
 Well, I think that when very many
 
 FELICE 65 
 
 people wish one the best of luck it is 
 bound to come. 
 
 But, first, stop and think of that 
 march up the glittering Broad Street, 
 in charge of an officer of the city, in 
 full uniform of blue and gold! They 
 had heard of the progresses which 
 kings make to their thrones, and it was 
 to this that they, in their beautiful, 
 clean little minds, likened their own.
 
 XI 
 
 A NEW STOVE COOKS CLEAN, EVEN AS A 
 NEW BROOM SWEEPS 
 
 BUT, alas! before reaching the seat of 
 justice, you must go back again to un 
 derstand what that cunning plan was 
 that Martinos had reserved for Floris 
 and himself. 
 
 It was no more than this: He had 
 discovered that Floris was not ill at all 
 - only starved. Do you remember 
 that? For he had had a doctor come 
 in to look at her, without a soul know 
 ing that he was a doctor. And so they 
 had fed her carefully, but kept her in 
 bed, all in aid of the cunning plan, 
 which, yet again, was to have her up 
 and dressed like a royal doll when they 
 all returned. 
 
 So the little caravan was scarce gone 
 on its great errand, when Floris, who 
 was now let into the secret, was up
 
 FELICE 67 
 
 and dressed. And they took another 
 trip down the South Street not in 
 Ardano s hack now --there was no 
 time for ceremony. Sometimes Floris 
 walked sometimes Martinos carried 
 her. And they did not go to any 
 second-hand stores, if you please, but 
 to a shop which sold everything, and 
 where everything they sold was new. 
 And here they bought a white dress for 
 Floris - - though it was the dead of 
 winter !-- with some silver spangles 
 and other things (I am not wise in 
 such matters) on the waist and white 
 stockings and white kid slippers - - re 
 member all that and a beautiful cheese 
 cloth comfortable for the horrid bed 
 where they were all to sleep a little longer. 
 
 And you have not forgotten, I hope, 
 the wonderful petticoat of pale pink 
 with the embroideries in blue silk? 
 
 After that was a ribbon for her hair 
 and one for her neck --the one blue, 
 the other pink, of course. This was 
 the barber s color-scheme for her - 
 white and blue and pink!
 
 68 FELICE 
 
 Besides, as they went along they 
 chose from the line of turkeys and 
 sausages which stretched at the curb 
 from the Broad Street to the Eighth 
 Street, on things like clothes-horses, a 
 tremendous one which the dealer as 
 sured them weighed fourteen pounds! 
 And they had to take his word for it. 
 For they had no time now to stop to 
 have it weighed. Nor did they care if 
 the dealer was a bit enthusiastic about 
 the weight of the fowl. 
 
 "And Libera Rosa Rocco, she shall 
 coo-ok it!" cried the happy barber. 
 "In Rome she was once a co-ok!" 
 
 "On the new stove!" added Floris. 
 "And I will help. I can cook!" 
 
 "What?" shouted the barber. "I 
 do not believe it!" 
 
 But of course he did believe it. 
 
 "Observe this parable: The new 
 stove is like the new broom it cook 
 bu-lly." 
 
 Just then they passed an ice-cream 
 shop. And though it was the dead of 
 winter, they went in and ate ice-cream!
 
 FELICE 69 
 
 "Just like the lovely ladies in white 
 do at the parties!" breathed Floris. 
 
 "Ah, there shall be a lovely lady in 
 white!" said Martinos. "But where 
 have you seen parties?" 
 
 "Peeping in windows!" laughed the 
 happy little girl. 
 
 "No nearer than that?" 
 
 That is very near, signore, is it 
 not?" laughed the happy child. "Have 
 you been nearer to a party?" 
 
 "Si, my lovely one. In them! And 
 so shall you be!" 
 
 And, right there, again, he made an 
 other plan, of which you are to hear at 
 the proper place. 
 
 Well, they were so happy that, at the 
 Eighth Street, where there was a "col 
 ored" gospel- wagon and a crowd of 
 happy negroes, they stopped and joined 
 in the singing the barber with a 
 tenor which no one would have sus 
 pected, the little girl with a thin thread 
 of soprano -- which was lost to all but 
 the barber, and, perhaps, the great God 
 above. "Nearer my God to Thee,"
 
 70 FELICE 
 
 was what they sang. And when the 
 man came with the hat the barber 
 showered such a handful of pennies 
 into it that he stopped suddenly and 
 looked up, for that had never happened 
 to him in that poor street before. So 
 that he said, while he looked kindly 
 and lifted his hand in blessing upon 
 the barber, 
 
 Blessed are the merciful, for they 
 shall obtain mercy." 
 
 This was a strange thing to say to a 
 generous giver of money, but the barber 
 fancied that it meant all that had gone 
 before. 
 
 "He knows," laughed the barber, 
 "that I have been beast! But he don t 
 know that I have been cure!" 
 
 And the preacher, with a solemn 
 black face, pointed him out as one to 
 imitate, as he led Floris embarrassed 
 and laughing away. 
 
 And before they reached home it 
 snowed great flakes, through which 
 they kicked their happy way, careless 
 of cold and wet, knowing that these
 
 FELICE 71 
 
 and many other ills were no longer to 
 be feared in all this world! And for 
 no reason except that they were happy 
 - very happy. For they were both 
 poor.
 
 XII 
 
 FOR, TO STEAL IS NOT TO BE THIEF 
 - ALWAYS 
 
 Now, quickly, back to the office of 
 the great magistrate, where the caravan 
 was just arriving in the greatest fear of 
 the whole progress, as you will remem 
 ber, I hope. 
 
 The officer who guarded the door 
 was about to turn them aside, when a 
 grave, kindly voice, somewhere within, 
 said: 
 
 "No, Savin. I am expectin some 
 children to-day. They are late. I 
 have waited for them." Then he must 
 have seen them. For the voice ad 
 dressed them: "Is that you, Felice? 
 And Issa ? And Ricciotto ? And Litle ? 
 I have been waiting for you. How is 
 Floris to-day?" -though he pro 
 nounced them as the English do. And 
 made a mess of it. 
 
 72
 
 FELICE 73 
 
 Try to fancy the effect of that upon 
 the weary, frightened little caravan! 
 To have been expected ! To have been 
 waited for! By this great man in this 
 splendid palace - - where they had al 
 ready seen more wonders than in all 
 their small lives before! And then to 
 hear one s first name spoken in a big; 
 kind voice all of their names ? And, 
 last and most, to have the great magis 
 trate leave his seat behind the grim 
 bench of justice and come forth and 
 take them by the hand and lead them 
 in, while he inquired about Floris. Oh, 
 Avhat a good, good country it was ! And 
 what beautiful, beautiful people! Did 
 every one have a kind voice and a big 
 warm hand? It was not so even in 
 Italy. Do you wonder that the little 
 mother broke down and cried ? And 
 that all the others cried with her? 
 And that the great magistrate was so 
 flustered that he could only say: 
 
 There, there! Don t cry; I can t 
 stand that. It will be all right. Do 
 you hear? It will be all right."
 
 74 FELICE 
 
 AYhile he dabbed at his blinking eyes 
 with his handkerchief, and kept his 
 face turned away from the onlookers 
 at the seat of justice. For they had 
 laughed at him a little the loafers in 
 the court. He used his handkerchief 
 so seldom for crying that it was a mo 
 ment before he thought of it. And 
 then it was a tear which hastened him. 
 And, after all, the tear beat the hand 
 kerchief. For he had to search in all 
 his pockets before he found it. And 
 by that time the tear had fallen on his 
 desk. 
 
 The little mother told to the magis 
 trate, as if she were before some great 
 court sitting in bane, the simple story 
 of their loneliness since the mother had 
 gone to the undiscovered country, and 
 the father to his prison, and then of the 
 illness and the hunger, and, quite last, 
 of the sleepless waiting through that 
 first night. Baldi, the interpreter, had 
 to blow his nose furiously to keep his 
 eyes from crying. 
 
 And it makes me very happy to re-
 
 FELICE 75 
 
 late that this small magistrate -- who 
 had yet been inscrutably intrusted with 
 power over human liberty - - was both 
 gentle and just, and that he stopped 
 them when his own voice began to 
 grow husky, and said to those who 
 stood curiously by, 
 
 "Boys, it is a true bill." 
 
 And when they said nothing, he 
 asked, 
 
 "Isn t it?" 
 
 The only way they answered was to, 
 one after another, fish out of their 
 pockets such moneys as each could 
 spare, and pass them to the good mag 
 istrate, whence they would find their 
 way, much augmented, to the place 
 where they would do the most good.
 
 XIII 
 
 SOME MISTAKE 
 
 THERE S some mistake about those 
 thirty days, kiddies," said the magis 
 trate, "thanks to that fool baker. He 
 hasn t been tried yet. I had to hold 
 him for trial. But I could have dis 
 charged him --if you had only come 
 earlier. But you shall have him back 
 or I ll eat my hat!" 
 
 Which gibberish Baldi tried to trans 
 late. But, they only learned that there 
 was some mistake. 
 
 "But now he s got to go through the 
 Q. S." 
 
 Again, this did not penetrate them. 
 They looked about hopelessly for their 
 father. 
 
 "He s not here, you know, kiddies," 
 said the magistrate, "but er -- a - 
 resting - - that s it - - resting! Why 
 don t you help, Baldi! Yes, resting in 
 
 76
 
 FELICE 77 
 
 a fine big er club house down 
 town --where he has plenty to eat - 
 and is hap --happy. Di don t cry! 
 For heaven s sake don t cry!" 
 
 This being translated assuaged their 
 disappointment. It is true that it was 
 early in the day, and that there would 
 be many hours to wait, perhaps, before 
 it could be accomplished. But the 
 man of the law had said that he would 
 eat his hat if he did not accomplish it; 
 and, as they looked at the hat neatly 
 perched on the top of his head, they 
 confessed, that, while it was a very 
 shiny thing, yet certainly no one 
 no one in the world would wish it in 
 his stomach. So with oriental patience 
 they waited. 
 
 "Say, Harrington," said the magis 
 trate, "did you see that Carron put the 
 case of the Commonwealth against 
 Piccioli on the Quarter Session list 
 for to-day?" 
 
 Yes, sir," said Harrington. 
 
 The magistrate turned to the cara 
 van:
 
 78 FELICE 
 
 " All right all right, kiddies ! He ll 
 be in the Q. S. to-day, and I ll go with 
 you there and see that he is acquitted. 
 Yessir! Eat my hat if I don t! Oh 
 the judge and I are the best of friends 
 -now don t cry look out! Don t 
 cry! I m not a Supreme Court Justice, 
 but if I can t fix a little thing like this, 
 for nice little people like you, I d better 
 get out of my job, had n t I ?" 
 
 Who of the children could have 
 hazarded a word to this. 
 
 "But had n t I?" insisted the 
 doughty Irishman, taking joy in the 
 great mysterious eyes they turned upon 
 him without understanding! "Say, 
 had n t I better take the tenth ward out 
 of my vest pocket and hand it along 
 to the Coachman s and Footman s 
 Association for the Purification of Poli 
 tics ? -- If I can t ? What do you sup 
 pose this land of the Free and Home 
 of the Brave is for? Say, had n t I?" 
 
 And, Felice, more out of terror than 
 anything else answered: 
 
 "Si, eccellenza!"
 
 FELICE 79 
 
 The Irishman laughed loud and 
 long. 
 
 ; The first word since you came! and 
 1 don t know what it is!" 
 
 And they didn t cry - - much as they 
 wanted to --because the magistrate 
 laughed into the eyes which would have 
 filled with tears, and held all of their 
 hands at once in his great ones, crush 
 ing them together until it hurt a little 
 - not enough to hurt really. 
 
 You see, I had a little girl, myself," 
 said the magistrate. "Understand?" 
 But they did not and he repeated it in 
 French. " J ai avez un petite fille - 
 no?" That was as bad. Then in Ger 
 man. " Ich habe un Madschen kleine 
 Madschen - - nix ? Well Baldi what 
 are you here for. Tell em I speak 
 English not Italian. I had a little girl 
 about like this one! Say I HAD her 
 
 The magistrate turned and blew his 
 nose. 
 
 "And Baldi, be careful. Don t say 
 prison. Lie like I did. Call it a club!"
 
 80 FELICE 
 
 This the officer of the law did. And, 
 there was a small room back of the 
 magistrate s office, where he sent them 
 to wait while he disposed of the prison 
 ers whom he knew would presently be 
 brought in, and, though they had 
 candy to eat, and a game called par- 
 chesi to play, they were not as happy 
 as they ought to have been. 
 
 Of course, this ruddy magistrate, 
 with his many r s and his adjuration 
 concerning his hat, was very well. 
 But, any one could tell that he was not 
 of Italy as was the magnificent bar 
 ber. After a hurried conference in a 
 corner, so desperate seemed their need, 
 Felice decided to take the caravan and 
 fetch him. She was stealthily on her 
 way out when the magistrate detected 
 her. 
 
 "II barbiere" began Felice, by way 
 of excuse for what seemed treason. 
 
 "Barber?" cried the ruddy judge! 
 "What? Do you need a shave?" 
 
 And, Felice, not understanding, but, 
 doing what the humble do, thought to
 
 FELICE 81 
 
 placate fate by weak complaisance, and 
 nodded her head, whereat all the ha 
 bitues laughed to her extreme distress. 
 But, Baldi explained to the magistrate, 
 
 "Martinos, of the Tonsorielle of the 
 Green Moon a barber-shop, in Eng 
 lish --is a bigger man in Little Italy 
 than you are here. Than any one ex 
 cept their own king and our president. 
 He can do anything in their opinion. 
 They want him." 
 
 "Well, God bless their dear little 
 hearts," cried the man of law, "so they 
 shall! Here Doran go. And, if he 
 hesitates an instant arrest him and 
 bring him before me!" 
 
 "Hesitate!" laughed Baldi. "Wait!" 
 
 So Doran, with instructions from 
 Baldi went to Little Italy for Martinos, 
 while Magistrate James Ryan went on 
 with his hearings.
 
 XIV 
 
 BUT THE TONSORIELLE OF THE GREEN 
 MOON WAS LOCKED! 
 
 BUT the barber could not be found. 
 His shop was securely locked. Floris 
 was also gone! Think of such a situa 
 tion for the little mind already loaded 
 with woe! But, whatever may have 
 gone on in the inside of Felice, on the 
 outside she was a Spartan. This was 
 her first and greatest duty. When she 
 had her father safe, then, she would 
 take up this other with the Blessed 
 Virgin Herself, if the barber were un 
 true! So they made another journey 
 with Doran, never releasing their hands 
 from each other, in that same vast 
 palace, to a place called The Court of 
 Quarter Sessions of the Peace the 
 same which the ruddy magistrate had 
 dubbed "The Q. S." 
 
 And, presently, they stood in a great
 
 FELICE 83 
 
 room, very grand in gilt and marbles, 
 with a gallery about it, and a terrible 
 clock which struck the hours on an an 
 vil. And there were many officers in 
 blue and brass and an awesome air 
 \vhich chilled them and made them 
 w r ish for the sun of Little Italy, w r hich 
 they sometimes before had found too 
 w r arm. 
 
 Presently, a nice little man, with 
 white hair and pink cheeks, who sat 
 upon a marble platform, dressed in a 
 black silk gown, put on his long dis 
 tance glasses and looked at them. He 
 smiled, too, and they were not a little 
 surprised to hear from Doran -- that 
 he was the judge who killed people. 
 
 "He s a good friend of Ryan s," con 
 fided the officer, and perhaps it was 
 just as well that they never understood 
 that "Ryan" was the magistrate, 
 "though the Districk Attorney - " who 
 now entered and took his seat below 
 the judge - " hates um! Howiver, they 
 both come from our ward, the good 
 old Tenth, and you don t need to care!
 
 84 FELICE 
 
 Jim won t have to eat his hat - " and, 
 again, perhaps it was as well that they 
 never knew that "Jim" was the all- 
 powerful magistrate. But it was long 
 they had to wait. And, many wonders 
 saw the little people while they waited, 
 which they could not understand. 
 
 First was that ominous thing in the 
 right-hand corner. Superficially, it was 
 only a great, dull, dirt-colored curtain, 
 which seemed to cover something with 
 vast ribs. But, it was now and then 
 moved by things within ! And, present 
 ly, they knew that it was human hands 
 which moved the curtain. For, one ap 
 peared at the bottom. It was gnarled 
 and grimy and, as it appeared, one of 
 the several officers stationed about the 
 mysterious curtain, struck it with his 
 stick and it was quickly withdrawn to 
 the sound of pain inside. After that all 
 was quiet. But what was it ? 
 
 Again, in the very center of the grand 
 room, stood a sordid iron cage with a 
 locked door, though it was quite empty, 
 and, though, any animal which might
 
 FELICE 85 
 
 be confined there (and the children 
 could not fancy for what purpose an 
 animal might be confined there) could 
 easily leap over the top which was quite 
 open. 
 
 "For creature which cannot leap," 
 explained Felice, wisely, "therefore, 
 there must be creatures here which are 
 not dangerous to the peoples, though 
 inside are chains to, perhaps, fasten 
 the feet of the creature." 
 
 But, why should there be cages for 
 creatures here ? There was too much 
 terror lurking about to think of it as a 
 place of amusement. 
 
 Fancy all these mysteries and not a 
 word to explain them! 
 
 Presently, a great bell, far up some 
 where, boomed ten slow strokes. The 
 smith struck the anvil in the court-room 
 ten smart blows and an officer rose and 
 cried out: 
 
 " Oyez oyez - - oyez ! All manner 
 of men who stand bound by recog 
 nizance, or otherwise, to trial in this 
 honorable court, appear now that ye
 
 86 FELICE 
 
 may be heard, and may God save the 
 Commonwealth and this honorable 
 Court of the Quarter Sessions of the 
 Peace, holden here this day!" 
 
 Now, so suddenly that the children 
 were caught in a wide suspiration, that 
 dun curtain was drawn aside and the 
 ribs were found to be the bars of a great 
 cage, filled with people men, women, 
 and children. 
 
 And, among them they saw their 
 father. Do you wonder that three 
 little hearts stopped at once ? Only, 
 at that moment, they found all their 
 hands in those of the good magistrate 
 or heaven knows what might have 
 happened. 
 
 "No, no, no! No tears. You know 
 how I hate um! Don t look that way. 
 There ll be a different song, presently, 
 or I ll eat my hat! Laugh and the 
 world laughs with you. Weep and you 
 weep alone! Hanged if you don t." 
 
 And, in fact, the good magistrate so 
 placed himself that they could not look 
 save through him, which was difficult.
 
 XV 
 
 THERE IS NO JOY IN THE Q. S. 
 
 WHEN one comes to know the Court 
 of Quarter Sessions of The Common 
 wealth s Peace, he will agree that 
 there may be joy anywhere else on 
 earth but here. For, here, tragedy is 
 enacted day after day. And, to them 
 that administer the tragedy, so must it 
 be an old song, that they can sleep well 
 at night after having taken a mother 
 from her children a husband from a 
 wife a brother who has sinned from 
 a sister who has never sinned. For the 
 thing called justice is often accident, 
 and judges and juries are but men who 
 err sometimes mistaking law for jus 
 tice. And, sometimes, men are tired, 
 or hungry, or vexed, and it is pitiful 
 that one s life or liberty should depend, 
 even a little upon weariness, temper, a 
 dinner, or a theater-party. Whose per- 
 
 87
 
 88 FELICE 
 
 ception of right and wrong is not dulled 
 by hunger or anger? Is any one so 
 wise as to be above this ? Or so strong ? 
 Be sure that justice has its accidents. 
 So that one is prone, sometimes, to 
 believe that nothing is so often unjust 
 as justice, that nothing errs so often as 
 that thing which ought never to err. 
 Of course, it is heinous to be late at a 
 dinner. But it would be sad if some 
 one had to spend ten years in jail be 
 cause a judge was in danger of it. 
 
 Now the children saw some of them 
 in the great cage, with blanched faces, 
 led away at a mere word from the little 
 pink faced man on the bench. Indeed, 
 some of them went to execution they 
 had no doubt at a bare nod from 
 him. And the good magistrate who 
 continued to hold their hands, and to 
 keep between them and their father, 
 seemed more and more distrait, as this 
 went on, and less sure, and, they noted 
 that he said nothing more about the 
 hat. This produced, in their sensitive
 
 FELICE 89 
 
 and speechless little minds, that bit of 
 fear which so easily grows to panic. 
 They were not certain now. No one was ! 
 
 One who did not go to his doom wil 
 lingly was dragged out, certain women 
 in black shrieking and following him, 
 while there was drear wailing in the 
 corridor without. They saw the hands 
 of women torn as gently as the offi 
 cers could do it from men who were 
 taken away. And, one woman stood 
 up --up in the midst of the court - 
 and asked what she and her little baby 
 - still at her breast - - were to do for 
 food, after they had taken her man 
 away! Would the little man on the 
 bench see that they got food? Oh it 
 was right enough to punish him a 
 little for beating them - - yes ! But 
 they were also punishing the mother 
 and the baby anew. They would risk 
 the beating if - - Where was food to 
 come from ? 
 
 " Where does he go ?" whispered Issa. 
 
 To the place of killing," answered 
 the wise Felice, stoically.
 
 90 FELICE 
 
 Then, after a long time: 
 
 "Is he dead now?" asked Issa. 
 
 Only once did the small pink judge 
 smile: 
 
 A malefactor, it seemed, had, accord 
 ing to the accusation, feloniously stuffed 
 a ballot box -- whatever that may have 
 been and, according to himself, he 
 was the victim of the opposing party in 
 the politics of his ward. He, therefore, 
 demanded a vindication. This he fi 
 nally got, after two lawyers had come to 
 blows. The person who had been a 
 malefactor a moment before was the mo 
 ment after, an injured, but vindicated 
 citizen. The district attorney extended 
 his hand in congratulation. They were 
 of the same party. The small judge, 
 who was of a different party, also ex 
 tended his hand over the marble bench. 
 
 "It is a splendid vindication!" said 
 the late malefactor. 
 
 "Splendid," agreed the judge. 
 "Don t do it again." 
 
 It was then he smiled.
 
 XVI 
 
 THE COMMONWEALTH VS. PICCIOLI 
 
 THEN, again, an officer stood up in 
 the grand court and cried aloud: 
 
 : The Commonwealth against Pic- 
 cioli!" pronouncing it so that Felice 
 gasped : 
 
 "Di did he say - - Piccioli ? " 
 
 Yes," said the good magistrate, a 
 bit uncertainly, touching some of the 
 nap on his hat to place, but also pres 
 sing all the small hands he could gather, 
 together. "Don t be afraid." 
 
 And, the district attorney commanded 
 brusquely: 
 
 "Put Piccioli in the small dock!" 
 
 And, almost before it was com 
 manded, it was done. Their father 
 was taken from the great cage and put 
 into the small one where they supposed 
 the animals were chained! 
 
 It seemed monstrous to their little 
 01
 
 92 FELICE 
 
 senses that no one even looked or cared, 
 and that the whispering and laughter 
 went on. Their father was bowed in 
 such shame that he saw not even them. 
 
 But before he quite reached the small 
 dock, Felice, struggling between great 
 terror and greater love, and against the 
 good magistrate, who hated scenes, flew 
 to her father and grasping his hands 
 sobbed, just once: 
 
 "Padre mio!" 
 
 The others had broken away from 
 the magistrate, too, and when Piccioli 
 looked up, there were all his little chil 
 dren save Floris. But he could not 
 touch them, for his hands were chained. 
 Nor could he say a word, for his lips 
 and throat were dry, but he could stoop 
 and put his face to the face of each - 
 before the district attorney could shout 
 to the officers, who had turned their 
 faces away, to do their duty. Whereat, 
 the officers parted them, and Piccioli 
 went on his way to the small dock, 
 while the children were, again, herded 
 together by the good magistrate and
 
 FELICE 93 
 
 Doran, with only those two words said 
 at this awful moment : 
 
 "Padre, mio!" 
 
 For, of course, their little lips and 
 throats were, also, too dry for any lu 
 brication but tears, and these were put 
 out of the question by the terrors. 
 
 So the gate of that iron cage they 
 had thought was for animals clanged 
 shut upon their own father, with a 
 sound they will never forget. He was 
 bidden to face the court, so that it 
 seemed to the children, for the first 
 time, and at such an awful moment, 
 that their father had turned his back 
 upon them! 
 
 And the barber had not come! 
 
 And soon, perhaps, it would be too 
 late! 
 
 "Is the place of killing near?" asked 
 Litle of Felice. 
 
 But nothing could long keep the 
 little caravan from their father, since 
 he was so soon to be killed. If it must 
 be they would die too. One by one 
 they crept to the terrible cage and
 
 94 FELICE 
 
 slipped their tiny hands through its 
 meshes and into those of their father. 
 Not a word did they say, only to touch 
 the dear body of him! The wonderful 
 touches of children! You may be sure 
 there were tears and not all between 
 the father and his children. 
 
 And the vigilant officers saw them 
 and looked away. The judge on the 
 bench saw them and put on his long 
 distance glasses and blew his nose. 
 Alas, the district attorney saw them, 
 too, and cried to the officers: 
 
 "Take those children away!" 
 
 But the court said: 
 
 "Let them alone!" 
 
 And the officers obeyed the court 
 very willingly indeed. 
 
 However, while these things w r ere 
 going on at the small dock, a jury was 
 swearing to " Well and truly try, and a 
 true deliverance make, between the 
 Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and 
 the prisoner, \vhom you will have in 
 charge, so help you God!" 
 
 It was at this point that the good
 
 FELICE 95 
 
 magistrate had the courage to approach 
 the court, at side-bar, and plead for 
 the children -- rather than the father. 
 What he said, exactly, no one could 
 hear, for he seemed not as brave here 
 as in his own little court, and he spoke 
 in a low tone. But, I think, it was the 
 story I have told you. And the pink 
 judge smiled and nodded, as if saying 
 Yes, yes, all will be well! giving the 
 children a moment s cheer. 
 
 "Telling judge about the hat," ex 
 plained Felice, wisely, to the rest of the 
 children. "So he do not eat it." 
 
 The two now called the district at 
 torney into conference, and, on the 
 instant, the hopes of the children fell. 
 He shook his head with great determi 
 nation from the first, and it was plain 
 that that enmity which the magistrate 
 had spoken of was a fact. Indeed, he 
 let his voice rise angrily, so that every 
 body in the room could hear what he 
 said. 
 
 "If the court please, Piccioli must 
 go to trial, and I propose to try this case
 
 96 FELICE 
 
 publicly, with this jury in the usual 
 way, and not at side-bar. I know 
 nothing but law here!" 
 
 "Did ye say ye know nothin of law 
 here?" asked the good magistrate bel 
 ligerently. 
 
 "Oh, a trifle of humanity," I hope, 
 said the judge between them. 
 
 That is the province of the Board 
 of Pardons," said the district attorney. 
 
 "Did you see, just now, Mr. District 
 Attorney, the meeting between those 
 children and their father?" 
 
 "I did," answered the officer of the 
 law, firmly. To create sympathy." 
 
 "See them creep to touch him?" 
 
 Yes. I have children of my own," 
 said the lawyer. "I don t allow that." 
 
 "I pity em!" snapped Ryan. 
 
 " Did you observe the politician who 
 got his vindication just now?" the 
 judge smiled on. 
 
 "That was the righteous verdict of 
 a jury of his peers, sir," answered the 
 district attorney. We are obliged to 
 heed it."
 
 FELICE 97 
 
 " Leavin out peers and righteous, 
 said Ryan. 
 
 :< What was your verdict?" asked the 
 judge, smiling. 
 
 "As your Honor well knows," said 
 the officer, "it is no part of my duty to 
 render verdicts. I am here to try cases 
 according to the evidence." 
 
 "I know," persisted the judge, pleas 
 antly, "but our minds do render ver 
 dicts, whether we will it so or not. 
 Inside there is something which says 
 after every verdict That was right - 
 or That was wrong and we can t 
 help its saying so. I suppose God 
 meant it to be that way. I have an 
 opinion besides my judicial one upon 
 the justice of every verdict rendered 
 here, and, sometimes, it does not agree 
 at all with the verdict of the jury. 
 Have n t you ? If not, you are a 
 strange prosecuting officer." 
 
 "Perhaps I have," admitted the 
 prosecutor. 
 
 " And, sometimes justice shies a bit ? " 
 smiled the judge.
 
 98 FELICE 
 
 "Perhaps!" 
 
 You bet!" said the magistrate. 
 
 "Well," said the judge, "if justice 
 must shy sometimes, I hope you will 
 permit her to shy now!" 
 
 "I insist, sir, with, of course, due 
 submission to the court, that this case 
 must pursue the usual course. If there 
 is reason for a pardon, after I have 
 convicted the man, let it be properly 
 submitted and I will not oppose it." 
 
 "Ah," sighed the judge, "we both 
 know how easy a prison door closes 
 and how hard it opens! Jim - to 
 the good magistrate " my savage pros 
 ecuting officer will not allow me any 
 mercy to-day." 
 
 But, I am happy to say, that as 
 Ryan left the bar, the judge winked, 
 and the grasp of his hand said that, at 
 least, the end was not yet.
 
 XVII 
 
 THE STRANGE WORKING OF THE CON 
 SCIENCE OF THE COURT 
 
 "Call those children to the stand," 
 commanded the court, to an officer in 
 blue and brass. 
 
 "I do not wish to open my case in 
 that way," objected the prosecutor. 
 
 "The court is informing its con 
 science," smiled the judge. "It is not 
 yet your case." 
 
 So, Felice, with Riccioto in her arms 
 was led to the witness-stand, pale and 
 great eyed, as if she were going to exe 
 cution. It was a wide marble place, 
 with a great chair, into which Felice 
 climbed with swimming head. 
 
 "Administer the oath," said the dis 
 trict attorney to the officer who stood 
 
 by- 
 
 "No," smiled the judge, "she will 
 tell me more of what I want to know if 
 
 99
 
 100 FELICE 
 
 she is not more frightened. You need 
 not listen to this," he said to the jury. 
 "It is not evidence." 
 
 But, it is quite certain that, all the 
 more for that saying, the jury would 
 listen, as well as for that smile the judge 
 sent with it. 
 
 "Will you tell the truth, little girl?" 
 the district attorney asked. 
 
 After Baldi had translated this Felice 
 answered quite simply that she would. 
 
 "What is your name?" asked the 
 judge. 
 
 "Felice," answered the child. 
 
 "Felice - - Felice!" repeated the 
 judge. "They give their children 
 pretty names, don t they Mr. Prose 
 cutor? What are your children s 
 names ?" 
 
 "John, Jane, Sarah!" said the officer 
 between his teeth. 
 
 "Ah," the judge smiled on. Then 
 to the child: "Do you know this man 
 in the dock?" 
 
 Felice wondered upon the judge for 
 a moment. Then:
 
 FELICE 101 
 
 "He is my father" -as if that told 
 it all. 
 
 "Do you love him?" 
 
 This, too, seemed so utterly super 
 fluous! So "out of court." 
 
 Yes certainly." 
 
 "Is he kind to you?" 
 
 "Kind?" 
 
 Such questions! 
 
 "Certainly. When both are hungry 
 he stays hungry and we eat --when 
 there is not enough." 
 
 "Where is your mother?" 
 
 It was a long time before the answer 
 to that came. Certainly every one 
 must know that she was in heaven with 
 the holy Virgin herself. She looked 
 upward, then answ r ered, as if they ought 
 to know all the rest: 
 
 "Dead." 
 
 And, the somber little eyes went from 
 the ruddy face on the bench to the dark 
 one in the dock, and a tear stole down 
 each cheek unconcealed. 
 
 " Dead - - Eccellenza." 
 
 And, thereupon, a great silence fell in
 
 102 FELICE 
 
 that court. For the thing most won 
 derful in the earth had happened. The 
 word, the tear of a child, had touched 
 all hearts. There is a thing which is 
 for the ignorant and intelligent alike. 
 A something no one has yet measured 
 or described, and it was this the little 
 child in one word and one look and one 
 tear had accomplished. 
 
 And, somehow, Issa broke away 
 from the good magistrate (perhaps he 
 designed it so) and crept, taking her 
 life in her hand, as she supposed, on, 
 up to the marble place where Felice 
 stood, her head rising just above its 
 parapet, and caught, from behind, her 
 hand, and held it very tight. And, 
 that made Felice much more brave. 
 And the rest, seeing this, and being en 
 couraged by it, stole, also, to the wit 
 ness-stand. But the officers who had 
 not seen or pretended they had not 
 - the first invasion of the sacred place, 
 were obliged to take notice of and stop 
 this hegira. For who had ever in that 
 grim court, seen a family group perched
 
 FELICE 103 
 
 in and about the place whence truth 
 was supposed to radiate ? The officers 
 started officially forward to check the 
 invasion and clear the place of wit 
 nesses. 
 
 But the pink judge put up a sudden 
 angry hand, and they gladly retreated. 
 For, even if there had been nothing else 
 to these officers who did the same 
 thing in the same way every day - 
 here was something new in their lives! 
 So, here they were - - the four of them, 
 in the witness-stand, hand tightly in 
 hand once more, determined to die to 
 gether rather than part. And, there 
 was their father in the cage they had 
 thought was for the animals, too des 
 perately beleaguered to be saved, yet 
 smiling up at them, as if indeed some 
 animal had suddenly seen its offspring 
 safe, even though he must die. It 
 makes me very happy to say that the 
 tired little judge, looking from one to 
 the other, seemed to undertsand both. 
 And it all made him ask questions 
 which had nothing to do with the case
 
 104 FELICE 
 
 or the law - - which may seem strange 
 to you from one who really adored the 
 law. But perhaps, you have never 
 known a Felice, or an Issa, or a Litle, 
 or a Ricciotto ? 
 
 "Where did you live in Italy?" 
 asked the judge. 
 
 "First, Frienze, then Napoli," an 
 swered Felice. 
 
 "Always there is sun there," added 
 Issa. 
 
 " And bread," still further piped Litle. 
 
 Yes, yes," said the judge encourag 
 ingly. " Of course. That is what little 
 Italians need sun, sun, bread, bread! 
 And how old are you each?" 
 
 They told him, with great particular 
 ity as to years and months and weeks 
 and days. 
 
 " And that mother who is dead 
 when did she die?" 
 
 They told him this all of them 
 together. 
 
 "And," alleged Issa, "she is in 
 heaven at the right hand of the blessed 
 Virgin, waiting for us!"
 
 FELICE 105 
 
 "We shall go there," alleged Litle, 
 confidently. 
 
 Your father does he work?" 
 
 They answered cheerfully that he 
 did not. 
 
 "That is bad bad," said the good 
 judge. "Every one should work 
 and each day. That is good for 
 every body - - people should work. 
 When they do not they are sure to 
 get into mischief just as your father 
 did." 
 
 They explained that he dare not 
 work. 
 
 " What, dare not work ! " The judge 
 had never heard of such a thing. 
 
 " No one will gfve him the work, and 
 if they do - 
 
 "But why --will no one give him 
 the work ? Does he work so badly or 
 has he such habits that no one will 
 trust him with work?" 
 
 This was all the judge knew of 
 work. 
 
 The union," explained Felice, 
 briefly.
 
 106 FELICE 
 
 "The union?" questioned the judge 
 dully. "What has that got to do with 
 his work?" 
 
 "He do not belong," said the child. 
 
 "Oh! But why doesn t he be 
 long?" 
 
 "Has not the silver," said the child. 
 "He buy us food with the silver - 
 when some he has. And wood in tin 
 box for stove." 
 
 "Do you mean to say that the union 
 won t let him work because he doesn t 
 belong to it, and that he cannot belong 
 to it because he has not the money to 
 join?" 
 
 Through much questioning this was 
 resolved. 
 
 "Well, this is a fine state of affairs 
 for you to investigate, Mr. Prosecutor!" 
 said the judge to that official, as if, 
 somehow, he was to blame for it. 
 "What is his trade?" the judge re 
 sumed, in his questioning of the chil 
 dren. 
 
 "Gondolier," answered Felice. 
 
 "Ah, well, I suppose there is no such
 
 FELICE 107 
 
 union here since there is no such 
 calling in America?" 
 
 "They make him join bricklayers 
 union," explained the child. 
 
 : Well upon my soul," cried the 
 judge, "do you hear that Mr. District 
 Attorney?" 
 
 And, further, Felice explained: 
 
 "A man is come at him in Napoli, 
 which stand in Italy, and is tell him 
 that it is the land of the brave and the 
 home of the free, where there is not in 
 justice, and where all are equal, and 
 where one get rich in one year and re 
 turn to Italy to sleep in the sun, by 
 the fountains of Napoli, and if he join 
 the bricklayers union they will take 
 care of him. The man has tickets for 
 a steamship. Sometimes we are hun 
 gry even there. But he tell that here 
 no one is ever hungry. Sometime, 
 there, we have not the clothe. But not 
 here - - where is no want. So we 
 come."
 
 XVIII 
 
 MUST RYAN EAT HIS HAT? 
 
 THE district attorney had slumped 
 hopelessly into the bottom of his chair, 
 when this judge, whom he despised, in 
 one of those moods which he detested, 
 began to investigate the problems of 
 sociology, which bored him. But he 
 had long since become impatient. Now 
 he had sat up and was playing ner 
 vously with the indictment against 
 Piccioli. 
 
 " Will the court permit me to inquire 
 what all this has to do w r ith the larceny 
 of two loaves of bread from one 
 Nardi?" 
 
 " A great deal," said the judge. " We 
 permit the agents of these steamship 
 companies to make false representa 
 tions for the little gain it is to them, and 
 here we have the result. It is our own 
 
 108
 
 FELICE 109 
 
 doing each of us. We are morally 
 bound by it!" 
 
 "This, if the court please," sneered 
 the officer of the law, " is not a court of 
 morals, but of law." 
 
 "Tell it not in Gath," laughed the 
 judge. "Law is morality. Excuse 
 me, I should have said that it ought to 
 be!" 
 
 "If there were time for disquisition," 
 contested the prosecutor, grandly, "I 
 would be delighted to show how little 
 morals have to do with the administra 
 tion of the law, however much they 
 may have to do with its construction, 
 sir. But there are twenty-five cases on 
 to-day s list, and this is but the tenth, 
 and it is nearly three o clock -- the hour 
 for adjournment, and I happen to 
 know that your honor has a reception 
 to attend this evening at the Sinners 
 Club. It is for the court to decide 
 whether or not we are using our time 
 wisely." 
 
 To the good magistrate, full of gloom 
 and perspiration, it had long since be-
 
 110 FELICE 
 
 come apparent that the judge would 
 lose him his case. He knew that cases 
 are won by accommodation of circum 
 stances to men. The jury was getting 
 tired and sullen. The district attorney 
 would, now, have striven for the con 
 viction of an angel so vindictive had 
 the smiling judge made him. He knew 
 that no one man was now equal to the 
 calming of the troubled waters. To 
 Felice he said, as he leaned heavily 
 upon the railing of the witness-stand : 
 
 "It s going to be a close shave, and 
 I hate to do it!" 
 
 He affectionately polished the nap of 
 his hat. 
 
 Can you fancy how deep was the 
 children s despair when even the good 
 magistrate lost hope ? 
 
 But, at that very moment, there was 
 a stir in the corridor, then at the door, 
 then in the court-room, all eyes turning 
 one way. They might have known 
 that it was Martinos. For it was in 
 this way that he always came. But, 
 they did not know until his arms were
 
 FELICE 111 
 
 about them and his whispers in their 
 ears. 
 
 " Courage the vast courage, my 
 children - - Felice Litle - - Issa - 
 Ricciotto each name separate I am 
 here Martinos and God! No more 
 fear. Conquer, we shall, or die, alike 
 those Napoleon say. What ? do we 
 not always conquer? Me and God! 
 Aha, ha, ha! Liberty or death!" 
 
 It took the district attorney some 
 time to recover from the amazement 
 which the audacious possessing of the 
 court by the barber had occasioned. 
 Then he cried sternly for order, and 
 all the officers did the same, while the 
 two laid hold of Martinos and led him 
 before the bar of the court and the 
 smiling judge. 
 
 But, Martinos did not wait to be 
 charged, like a malefactor, with dis 
 order in the court, for which fine and 
 imprisonment might be the corollary. 
 He outstripped the officers and, step 
 ping into the enchanted place before 
 the bar, bowed like a prince and said:
 
 112 FELICE 
 
 " To the eccellenza the honorable 
 great judge may I speak?" 
 
 "Well?" nodded the judge. 
 
 "But - " cried the prosecutor, "who 
 is this person?" 
 
 "An American citizen, desiring to 
 advocate for the prisoner," said Mar- 
 tinos with a sweep of a hand out then 
 back to his chest. 
 
 "Oh, you are an advocate!" 
 
 Martinos turned to the judge. 
 
 "The eccellenza may be assure that 
 I vote all-a-right. I have the pu-11 in 
 the Tenth Ward." 
 
 The district attorney grew red in the 
 face, the judge laughed happily. 
 
 "What s this? Make a note of it," 
 he directed his assistant. "Get the 
 man s name and address the wit 
 nesses. Prepare an information." 
 
 The judge grinned. 
 
 "And, the man we acquitted just 
 now ? Was not the same information 
 conveyed in perhaps more guarded 
 terms? Don t you both live in the 
 Tenth Ward?"
 
 FELICE 113 
 
 Martinos was puzzled. 
 
 "Sir," he asked of the prosecutor, 
 "have I, then, not the pu-ull?" 
 
 "No!" thundered the district attor 
 ney. 
 
 "That is most sad," mused Martinos. 
 " Some one is liar. Sir - he again 
 addressed the more complaisant court, 
 
 "seems like tis mistake. Dave 
 Bicker he is boss of the Tenth Ward. 
 He tell me if I vote right I have the 
 pu-11 at the palace where the streets 
 cross. Any leetle theeng I want can I 
 have. Thereupon I vote all-right. And 
 I make that all people in the Tenth 
 Ward which come from Italy vote all- 
 right. Me and my friends and I 
 have much friends. What? Is it all 
 lie? Is it not that if I vote for this 
 prosecutore, here sitting, I and my much 
 friend, I shall not have the little pu-11 ? 
 And is it not a little pu-ull that on- 
 chain this Piccioli, sir judge?" 
 
 By this time the pink judge was in 
 convulsions. 
 
 "Here is one of your vassals, Mr.
 
 114 FELICE 
 
 Prosecutor. What you would have 
 done without the Tenth I do not know. 
 Perhaps been left at home. Remem 
 ber that ingratitude is sharper than a 
 serpent s tooth." 
 
 Martinos saw the brow of the officer 
 of the law darken. He undertook to 
 pour oil on the troubled waters. 
 
 "But, parhap it is lie and you do not 
 know those Dave Bicker. Parhap he 
 has, what is called in this land, done 
 me?" 
 
 "Do you know Mr. David Bicker?" 
 asked the judge of the district attor 
 ney. 
 
 He did not answer. 
 
 " Give the learned district attorney the 
 name of the gentleman who voted for 
 him under the misapprehension that he 
 had a pull, and was dividing it with 
 you, so that he may indict him." 
 
 ; That is precisely what I will do," 
 said the official squaring his shoulders. 
 "What is his full name?" 
 
 "Signore Dave Bicker," said Mar 
 tinos.
 
 FELICE 115 
 
 You mean David," prompted the 
 officer, with a pad in his hand. 
 
 Martinos shook his head. 
 
 "How can I indict a man under the 
 name of Dave!" 
 
 "II nome is Dave," said Marti 
 nos with decision. "Have I not heard 
 it the thousand time ? Have I not 
 drink and eat with him under those 
 name ? What ? Do not all call him Dave 
 and none call him Da-vid? Do I not 
 know?" 
 
 "Precisely," nodded the judge. 
 
 "I will not be made ridiculous, nor 
 will I risk a certain mistrial, by the use 
 of a wrong name," said the prosecutor, 
 tossing the pad aside. "And now, if 
 your honor pleases, I wish to proceed 
 with the case of the Commonwealth 
 against Piccioli. No one else seems to 
 wish it." 
 
 "Go on," smiled the judge. 
 
 What is your name and address, so 
 that you may go on record as counsel, 
 for the prisoner," asked the district 
 attorney of Martinos.
 
 116 FELICE 
 
 "Martinos, barbier," answered the 
 advocate of Piccioli, haughtily. 
 
 For a moment the district attorney 
 was on his back metaphorically. 
 Then, with recovered breath, he said: 
 
 "A barber! If the court please, I 
 supposed that the man was an advo 
 cate unused to our practise, and, there 
 fore, I excused a bit of lack of decorum. 
 I refuse to have further dealings with a 
 barber, and shall proceed with the case 
 as if no counsel had appeared for the 
 prisoner." 
 
 " At your peril, Mr. Prosecutor. That 
 is a matter for me! That person is 
 counsel whom a suitor chooses. If he 
 is unwise enough to choose one un 
 skilled in the law and skilled in the 
 razor, so much the worse for him and 
 so much the better for you. You will 
 be certain of an easy victory. Here 
 all are equal. You, yourself, have 
 often said so. So have I. We cannot 
 now recant in the heat of a trial. If this 
 barber is the prisoner s counsel he 
 shall represent him and the case shall
 
 FELICE 117 
 
 go on. The constitution, happily, does 
 not require one to be learned in the law 
 to sustain this relation. Proceed. It 
 is / who am mad now for the fray!" 
 The judge smiled.
 
 XIX 
 
 THE TRUTH THE WHOLE TRUTH - 
 
 AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH 
 
 THEN the little Felice was made to 
 stand up and be sworn the smiling 
 judge saying: 
 
 "Do as you are told, Felice, and all 
 will be as well as it can be." 
 
 So, taking a very unclean copy of 
 the Bible in her right hand, the little 
 girl was asked: 
 
 ; You do swear that the evidence 
 you shall give in the case now trying, 
 shall be the truth, the whole truth, and 
 nothing but the truth, so help you 
 God!" 
 
 To which she was made to answer 
 Yes, and then to kiss the unclean book 
 with her pretty child-lips. 
 
 "Now," said the judge, cheerily, 
 "answer any questions the district at 
 torney may ask you, and if he asks 
 
 118
 
 FELICE 119 
 
 you any you should not answer, I will 
 stop him." 
 
 "Si, eccellenza," said the trembling 
 child, looking not at the judge for help, 
 however, but at the great barber. 
 
 "Did your father take these two 
 loaves of bread from the shop of Pietro 
 Nardi, without paying for them? * 
 asked the district attorney, flourishing 
 a loaf in each hand, before the hungry 
 child. 
 
 Yes," answered Felice, and the case 
 seemed ended. 
 
 "But, child," said the barber, "that 
 do not you know. Only you hear, you 
 do not see." 
 
 " Si," said Felice. 
 
 "Hearsay," smiled the judge, "ob 
 jection sustained. Answer stricken 
 out." 
 
 "When your father left you it was 
 for the purpose of getting bread, wasn t 
 it?" tried the district attorney again. 
 
 Yes," answered the child. 
 
 "But, not to steal of it!" said the 
 barber.
 
 120 FELICE 
 
 " No, " said Felice. 
 
 "Sustained," ruled the court, gaily. 
 "Answer stricken out." 
 
 "But he had no silver? You said 
 so." 
 
 "No," answered the bewildered Fe 
 lice, "he had no silver. I said so." 
 
 14 Then," cried the prosecutor, to the 
 court, "I submit that he must have 
 meant to steal!" 
 
 "Perdono," bowed Martinos, in per 
 fect self-possession, "eccellenza. The 
 honorable prosecutore might mean to 
 steal whenever he no money has but 
 not Piccioli. What ? Have he the right 
 in this land of the free to thing for 
 another w r hose name is Piccioli ? No! 
 If he have no silver got - - Virgin ! - 
 he dunno there is people of Italy who 
 give ! Thus is Nardi the baker II 
 panate thieve!" 
 
 "Precisely," laughed the court. 
 
 That the prisoner had no money is 
 
 not evidence of his intention to steal." 
 
 "What did the stolen loaves cost?" 
 asked the district attorney.
 
 FELICE 
 
 But the court stopped him with a 
 hand. And Martinos laughed at him. 
 
 "The honorable the eccellenza - 
 if they cost they were not, then, 
 stole." 
 
 The judge explained to the barber 
 that that was a trick to catch unwary 
 witnesses which was unworthy of the 
 learned district attorney. 
 
 "It s a matter of twenty or thirty 
 cents!" said the district attorney with 
 disgust. 
 
 " Virgin!" cried a voice from the rear 
 of the room, "four centi four centi!" 
 and Martinos signaled happily to 
 Nardi. 
 
 The benchers laughed, and there was 
 so much uproar in the court that the 
 officers called out for silence. 
 
 "Clear those children out of the 
 witness-box," commanded the district 
 attorney. "I ll show you!" 
 
 This was done, the ruddy judge 
 taking the small hand of Felice in his 
 and saying: 
 
 "Don t be afraid."
 
 122 FELICE 
 
 Officer Gordon, who made the arrest 
 of Piccioli, took the stand. 
 
 He testified that he had seen a man 
 who looked like him in the dock steal 
 up to the door of Nardi s bakery, open 
 it cautiously, and, taking two loaves, 
 rush out. 
 
 "Did he pay for them?" asked the 
 prosecutor. 
 
 "No," answered the witness. 
 
 "Would you have seen him do so if 
 he had?" 
 
 "Certainly." 
 
 "Well," sighed the judge, gravely, 
 "I fear you have at last, by accident, 
 proved the theft." Then, to the bar 
 ber: "Mr. Barber, we are now in deep 
 water. What shall we do?" 
 
 "Nardi!" shouted the barber, bellig 
 erently. 
 
 "Now, Nardi, you that are fat and 
 perspire, tell the truth," said the barber, 
 in his old savagery, "to the eccellenza, 
 the judge, how Piccioli did not steal, 
 hah ? Not like I told you before - 
 but like you said."
 
 FELICE 123 
 
 "Va, non," said the baker, "I give 
 it to him!" 
 
 "How could you give it to him," in 
 quired the district attorney, with ser 
 pentine politeness, "when you were 
 not technically present when, as has 
 been testified, he rushed in and took 
 the loaves and then ran out? Where 
 were you?" 
 
 "I turn my back," said Nardi. "I 
 see him coming to steal and turn my 
 back!" 
 
 "Oh, you saw him coming to steal! 
 That will do." 
 
 "Signore," asked Martinos, softly, 
 suggesting what he wished, "you corrob 
 orate the gift now ?" 
 
 "What?" asked Nardi. 
 
 You give him the bread now?" 
 
 "Virgin! Yes and ten more! I do 
 not know he starve! I do not know 
 his little children starve! If any one 
 starve let him steal of Nardi the fat 
 baker!" He addressed every person 
 in the room. 
 
 The prosecutor laughed.
 
 124 FELICE 
 
 But it was one thing to gibe and 
 quite another to vanquish Martinos. 
 
 "Perdono!" he cried, fronting the 
 prosecutor, with his head in air and a 
 hand on one hip. "Here is man in 
 cage who have parhap steal two 
 loaf --and those not perfected, since 
 he do not eat, and what is one steal 
 for if one do not eat? yet, here is 
 nother steal two, four, six, I - 
 
 Martinos pounded his chest sav 
 agely. 
 
 - 1 with five steals upon my soul, 
 the Virgin be thanked and adored - 
 for same persons account of same 
 starve and not give unto me not 
 even now corroborate - 
 
 He fiercely waved the irrepressible 
 Nardi to his seat. 
 
 - 1 confess, here in this honorable 
 courting place that I am thief of five 
 loave yet am free! Explain me 
 those, Signore Prosecutore! Explain 
 me those! " cried the barber in a mad 
 triumph, as he saw that he had again 
 winded the officer of the law.
 
 FELICE 125 
 
 "You were not seen to steal," at last 
 answered the district attorney. 
 
 "All Italy Minora see me steal!" 
 shouted the now aroused barber. " Nay, 
 I shout it out! I cry on the housetops 
 and in the street, Here am I, Martinos, 
 who steal five loave of the righteous 
 Nardi. Sausages from the German 
 Fritzen. Milk-ball from beast. I am 
 larcener! I am grand dam rascale! 
 Stealer! Come and take me --ye peo 
 ple --ye polizziotto!" 
 
 Then he broke down and laughed 
 in the very face of the cruel officer of 
 the law. 
 
 "If any one dare!" And no one 
 dare! 
 
 "If any one will make an informa 
 tion before me, I will see that you are 
 arrested and tried as this Piccioli is 
 being tried that is, as I alone seem 
 to be trying to try him. The law 
 cannot move unless it is set in motion 
 by the complaint of a citizen who has 
 seen or been injured in his public 
 capacity by a crime."
 
 126 FELICE 
 
 The district attorney stooped to be 
 didactic! 
 
 "Oh, what a fearsome law is that 
 which moves not in the land of the free 
 until it is push!" laughed the barber. 
 "Hah! I see! To commit the larceny 
 with completeness, one must have wit 
 ness with. One must hasten to the 
 lord prosecutore with notification, one 
 must paste hand williams, one must 
 make outcry that he is larcener by 
 the gong and bell and crier! Nay the 
 advertize ! Virgin ! 
 
 Now the barber forgot the prosecutor 
 in a frenzy of patriotism, addressed to 
 the pleased and smiling and interested 
 pink court. 
 
 "Signore eccellenza -- I am born 
 in Italia and am proud dam proud 
 thereof. Yit, more proud am I that I 
 live in the land of the brave and the 
 home of the free. What ? Are we 
 not brother ? Am I not American citi 
 zen ? Have I not swear to uphold the 
 government till I die? Did not my 
 beloved countryman, Amerigo Vespucci
 
 FELICE 127 
 
 discover you, and all Americans, eccel- 
 lenza ? Oh, yes ! There was a liar name 
 Christoforo Columbo! Poof! You tell 
 him he is liar when you name your 
 country on the streets, on the sign 
 boards everwhere where it is name 
 except the map! America!" 
 
 Some one in the rear said hurrah 
 and as the officers started after him, 
 Martinos bowed his thanks with a hand 
 on his heart. 
 
 " Signore, judge, I have study," Mar 
 tinos went on, "Those declaration of 
 Signore Washington so that I can speak 
 every word of it, sweet eccellenza!" 
 
 "I ll bet a dollar that the learned 
 district attorney can t," laughed the 
 judge. 
 
 "Can your honor?" sneered the 
 prosecutor. 
 
 "No," laughed the judge. 
 
 "Then," bowed Martinos, to both 
 of them, "it is my most grent pleasure 
 to instruck the court and the prosecu- 
 tore: The liberty of speak free shall 
 never be obstruck with bridge. Nor
 
 128 FELICE 
 
 shall any lady or gentleman be prevent 
 from speak his mind, per himself or 
 another, signore, and all citizens shall 
 live by common sense. Yet, here is 
 man imprison for four centi ! Yet here 
 is man is steal to the extent of four 
 centi that this children may not die 
 and you chain him in the place of 
 beasts ! Is the law a fool ? And why 
 cannot baker give it now, after it is stole 
 from, if one can marry the lady after 
 the child is born and be the father?" 
 
 The little pink judge stuffed his 
 handkerchief suddenly into his mouth, 
 then said judicially: 
 
 "Mr. Martinos I think you said 
 that is your name ? it is for the 
 learned district attorney to answer you. 
 I cannot. But, in the meantime, I will 
 gladden his heart by asking you to now 
 proceed with this case in the orderly 
 fashion of the law. We have been ex 
 tremely disorderly, it is true, but the 
 court is of the opinion that it has been 
 good for us. The clerk will read the 
 indictment. 1
 
 FELICE 129 
 
 To the reading of this momentous 
 document Martinos listened with great 
 patience for him. Then, when it 
 had been read publicly, he asked 
 whether he might inspect it. 
 
 "That is your privilege," said the 
 court, "and, further, if you find, in it, 
 anything which is wrong, you must call 
 the attention of the court to it." 
 
 In his reading Martinos soon sniffed 
 a contention: 
 
 "Signore," he said, "here is it said 
 Of the value of twenty cent! Hah! 
 Know you not that there is a difference 
 between value and price ? Signore, I 
 have bought a pants of the value of one 
 centi and have paid three doll for! 
 What? And these loave! Have you 
 not hear my friend Nardi say that the 
 price is but four centi? Va! What 
 then is the value ? More than the 
 price ? Yet, here are they charged at 
 twenty centi!" 
 
 "If the court please," cried the dis 
 gusted prosecutor, "it is altogether but 
 a few pennies!"
 
 130 FELICE 
 
 This woke the barber s wrath. He 
 thundered so that even the prosecutor 
 looked uncomfortable. 
 
 "But a few centi, signore judge! It 
 is five time what the price is and 
 know what the value ! Suppose, sir - 
 signore suppose millionaire was 
 caged for embez-zle-ming of his bank 
 ing place here charge with five time! 
 Signore, would it stand?" 
 
 "It would not," said the judge. 
 "Mr. Prosecutor, you draw your in 
 dictments entirely too loosely - and 
 he slowly closed an eye at Ryan, 
 who, hopeful once more, had sneaked 
 up to the bar. "I fear that is a fatal 
 defect." 
 
 The district attorney would have 
 opened the vials of his wrath upon the 
 barber, here, had not the barber, at 
 that moment, opened more and greater 
 vials upon him. 
 
 "Here," he cried, beating down all 
 opposition, striking the indictment in 
 one hand with the fist of the other, 
 "is name I do not know! It is not
 
 FELICE 131 
 
 this man in the chain, it is no one I 
 know!" 
 
 He flung the indictment into the dis 
 trict attorney s face and stood with 
 superb, concaved back. 
 
 " Why isn t it ?" demanded the officer 
 of the law, now really quelled, and 
 looking again over his work. 
 
 "It is spell with one c," said the 
 barber with dramatic finality. 
 
 The district attorney laughed. 
 
 "In all the world," went on the 
 barber, "it is spell with two c s. I do 
 not know this name. This man is not 
 before the honorable court. He is the 
 wrong man. He must be set free ac 
 cording to that declaration of Signore 
 Washington!" 
 
 The pink judge nodded. 
 
 "But this is monstrous," blustered 
 the district attorney, with a very red 
 face. "One letter!" 
 
 "It is the law," smiled the judge. 
 "And you, yourself, said, a little while 
 ago, that you knew nothing but the 
 law --no moralities nothing but the
 
 132 FELICE 
 
 strict construction of the law. Other 
 things were for the pardon board. 
 Picioli is manifestly not Piccioli." 
 
 "And, signore, judge," added Marti- 
 nos, not, now, entirely without appre 
 ciation of the judge s attitude, "but 
 this small while ago is it not that the 
 lord prosecutore would not do legal 
 things unto those Dave Bicker, which 
 was a friend in need, on account that 
 he do not have the right name ? Account 
 Dave was not David?" 
 
 "Precisely," agreed the judge. What 
 is sauce for Bicker, is sauce for Piccioli 
 with one c." 
 
 "Take the witness-stand," thundered 
 the prosecutor. 
 
 Martinos did this with all his grace. 
 
 "Now then, you sw r ear that this name 
 is wrongly spelled." 
 
 "By the Virgin, I do," said Martinos. 
 
 "Do you know this man?" 
 
 "No. I never saw him before." 
 
 "Then how do you know that the 
 name is wrong?" 
 
 "There is no such name, therefore
 
 FELICE 133 
 
 no man can have it, therefore, it is 
 not." 
 
 "Then your only reason for thinking 
 it wrong is literary and not fact?" 
 
 "That I do not know," admitted 
 Martinos. 
 
 "Ah, I thought so!" 
 
 " I think," said the judge, " that he re 
 fers to your language and not the fact." 
 
 "Yes," agreed Martinos, solemnly. 
 "Outside of dictionary such language 
 have I never heard." 
 
 "Nor I," laughed the judge. 
 
 "If your name were spelled with two 
 n s it would still be your name, wouldn t 
 it?" 
 
 "No, signore and -- permit me," 
 asked Martinos with a bow. "What 
 is your name, signore?" 
 
 "Murray," said the officer. 
 
 "Again. How many r s?" 
 
 "Two." 
 
 " Yet again. And with one would 
 that be your name?" 
 
 "I am not on trial," snapped the 
 prosecutor.
 
 134 FELICE 
 
 "Am I?" asked Martinos. 
 
 "Oh, answer his question," urged 
 the judge. "He answered yours." 
 
 The district attorney sulked in the 
 bottom of his chair. 
 
 "I have proved, aliunde, that this is 
 the man who stole the bread, no matter 
 what his name." 
 
 "But, also," said the judge, "they 
 have proved that this is another man 
 than the one indicted. It is for you to 
 prove that a man whom you have indi 
 cted as Picioli, is the man whose name 
 is Piccioli, then you will be right." 
 
 "How can I disprove my own indict 
 ment ? It is the very way to destroy 
 it and free the prisoner. I will not do 
 it!" growled the prosecutor. 
 
 "It is a hard case for you," sympa 
 thized the judge. ; You know the 
 name and the man and the crime go 
 together." 
 
 "If the name is right," added Mar 
 tinos, "it is the wrong man. And if 
 the man is right it is the wrong name. 
 What is the answer, signore?"
 
 FELICE 135 
 
 "I will amend the indictment 
 
 "Leave refused," interposed the 
 judge. "There has been no notice to 
 counsel for the other side." 
 
 "Then I will ask leave to quash this 
 indictment - 
 
 "Leave granted," said the court. 
 
 "And," concluded the prosecutor, 
 with his teeth savagely set, "at once 
 arrest him upon another informa 
 tion!" 
 
 "Who will make that information?" 
 laughed the barber. 
 
 "Officer Gordon!" said the prosecu 
 tor, in triumph. 
 
 "In the meantime," ordered the 
 judge, "the prisoner is disch 
 
 " I will lodge a detainer at the prison," 
 interrupted the prosecutor. 
 
 "Then back to the prison with him," 
 ordered the laughing judge. 
 
 But, to Ryan, suddenly stricken hope 
 less, he said: 
 
 "Ryan, if you can get to the prison 
 before the detainer -- here is a dis 
 charge," whispered the judge, handing
 
 136 FELICE 
 
 a paper he had quietly prepared in 
 advance. 
 
 The two clasped hands, while the 
 district attorney was hurrying the clerk 
 at making out his detainer. 
 
 "It will take at least ten minutes till 
 that is ready," said the judge, "and if 
 you have ten minutes start 
 
 "I don t eat me hat," laughed Ryan. 
 
 "Prisoner remanded," ordered the 
 judge.
 
 XX 
 
 RYAN WON T EAT HIS HAT 
 
 EVERYTHING seemed to have col 
 lapsed, and no one knew exactly where 
 the case stood. All save the pink 
 judge and the good magistrate. They 
 led Piccioli out and into the yellow 
 prison van, and Ryan hurried the chil 
 dren out and into a carriage which 
 stood near, shouting to the driver of 
 the van: 
 
 "I kin beat you there for a five!" 
 
 You kin, kin you?" 
 
 Each lashed up his horses, and the 
 good magistrate laughed and hugged 
 the children, all in a bunch, and said: 
 
 "Say, do ye see it?" 
 
 It was his shiny hat. 
 
 "Well, I won t have to eat it - 
 thank the Vargin!" 
 
 He had told Martinos, who anxiously 
 followed to the carriage, to go about 
 
 137
 
 138 FELICE 
 
 his business which he seemed to un 
 derstand though the children did not - 
 and about which Martinos went obe 
 diently. 
 
 "I don t want too much help in this. 
 I m going to reverse the district attor 
 ney, now, and defeat him next election. 
 And I want the credit of it. We ll let 
 the van beat us by a minute."
 
 XXI 
 
 THERE IS A LANGUAGE WHICH NEEDS 
 NEITHER WRITING NOR SPEAKING 
 
 WELL, they were as I said, presently 
 huddled into another carriage only 
 fancy ! two carriages in this story - 
 with the judge and the children and 
 the cat and all the things which had 
 been given them on their progress to 
 the palace of justice, and for a long time 
 they drove and chattered, and even 
 laughed. For this great judge, who 
 might snap shut the doors of the prison 
 upon one as easily as one could wink, 
 whom, indeed, the babies supposed 
 could condemn one to death, was the 
 very jolliest of men now --quite as 
 jolly as their father when he had work. 
 
 It seemed to matter very little to him 
 that since the father had been taken 
 away the little children had suffered 
 somewhat in the way of cleanliness, nor 
 
 139
 
 140 FELICE 
 
 that their clothes were old and worn. 
 Perhaps they did create pity. On the 
 other hand, he seemed to love their 
 great pathetic eyes, and their hungry 
 foreign faces though they could not 
 exchange a word. But, thank God, 
 there is a language which needs no 
 writing or speaking, and this they all 
 spoke to their heart s content on the 
 way to the prison. 
 
 For, at last, the tremendous frown 
 ing gates of the prison were before them. 
 And they would have been dreadfully 
 frightened but for the magistrate s 
 smiles. But they knew, in that lan 
 guage I have mentioned above, that 
 men do not smile that way when they 
 are taking little children into peril. 
 
 "Bill," said the magistrate to the 
 warden, as he handed him the paper, 
 "here is a discharge for Piccioli, who 
 was sent up yesterday. But I want it 
 to be handed to him by these children. 
 They are his. He did not steal the 
 bread. The prosecutor swore so. It 
 was a present! We re in a hurry If
 
 FELICE 141 
 
 Murray s detainer gets here before we 
 get away I ll have to eat my hat. See ?" 
 
 Well, the grim warden knew that 
 this was a little irregular. But he, too, 
 was looking down upon the little cara 
 van into the great, wondering, pite 
 ous foreign eyes reading in their 
 very muteness all those things which 
 wardens learn so unerringly to read, 
 and so he nodded, and, taking the 
 paper, led the children away. 
 
 A happy thought came to the magis 
 trate just then. 
 
 "Bill," he whispered, "let them do 
 it all themselves! Come away!" 
 
 Again the warden hesitated a mo 
 ment, and then went on, saying, 
 
 ; Well, I guess it s all right, Jim, or 
 you wouldn t have come yourself." 
 
 "It is all right," said Jim. "The 
 rightest thing we ever did! But hurry! 
 Murray is after me!"
 
 XXII 
 
 THE OPEN SESAME IS MOST DIVINE 
 
 So it was that a repentant sinner, sit 
 ting with his shamed face in his hands, 
 looked up with a great thrill as a joy 
 ous chorus of little voices spoke his 
 name. 
 
 They tried to tell him, presently, 
 when the sobbing had given way to 
 smiles, that he was to come with them 
 - there was to be no more hunger, that 
 some tremendous power had set them 
 all free. But he did not understand. 
 No one was there but his little happy 
 children. No savage turnkey with his 
 keys and arms, no guards, and the door 
 stood open. How could he understand ? 
 Have prison doors ever before been so 
 opened ? 
 
 He rubbed his eyes (for it might 
 nevertheless be a vision), and yielded 
 presently, though perhaps some harsh 
 
 142
 
 FELICE 143 
 
 voice would order him back to his cell 
 and he would hear the steel door clang 
 between him and his loved ones once 
 more. But no, they led him out and 
 on and on, the way they had come. 
 And, as they went, the great locked and 
 barred doors, as they came to each in 
 turn, opened before them without so 
 much as a word from any one, in a 
 w r ay that was more wonderful than 
 any miracle he had ever read of, or 
 any magic in the books. On, on, until 
 they stood without the walls, once more 
 in the beautiful free world! And the 
 gates were behind, the sun above! Even 
 there stood a coachman with the open 
 door of a carriage in his hand and a 
 smile on his face. And the penitent 
 had not had to even wish for it all. 
 Indeed, it had come though he doubted. 
 
 "Who has done it? Who has the 
 great power?" whispered Piccioli. "It 
 must be a king." He still looked 
 doubtfully about. 
 
 But they could not tell him. They 
 would never be able to tell him. And
 
 144 FELICE 
 
 what was the use? They had him 
 once more devouring him with their 
 arms and eyes and lips. What was the 
 use to them? They had him! 
 
 But there is use to us. It is good to 
 know that a little child may be more 
 powerful than the greatest prince for 
 liberty for humanity. And it is not 
 ill to know that there is in the world the 
 things we have found in the hearts of 
 the people of this story. For there are 
 such people and such hearts all about 
 us every day only we are busy mak 
 ing money or wielding power and we 
 pass them by unfortunately for us! 
 
 Before the carriage could drive off, 
 the magistrate put his hand through 
 the window, and said, only because he 
 was a judge, in thought and habit, 
 charged with the custody of people s 
 morals you probably know how that 
 is: 
 
 "Piccioli, I know that this will be the 
 last time I shall ever have occasion to 
 punish you. Be brave. A brave man 
 under misfortune has friends always.
 
 FELICE 145 
 
 See how the courage of these children 
 has worked a miracle! God bless you 
 and them!" 
 
 Of which Piccioli understood nothing 
 but the grasp of the hand with which it 
 ended. And if you have been in prison, 
 and are once more free to walk in the 
 good air, see the sun, be above sus 
 picion, with your dear ones so close 
 about you that it is impossible for them 
 to get closer - - you will remember such 
 a grasp of the hand as the magistrate 
 gave Piccioli.
 
 XXIII 
 
 FROM FAIRY-LAND TO THE LAND OF 
 HEART S DESIRE 
 
 WHEN the carriage, straight from 
 fairyland to the land of heart s desire, 
 discharged its load in Alaska Street, 
 there was the feast spread and ready 
 to eat, while, in such regal array that 
 they had to look twice before they were 
 certain it was she, sat Floris at the 
 head of the table. The royal doll of 
 Little Italy! The barber had schooled 
 her to her part. But she could main 
 tain it only an instant, when she, too, 
 flew upon her father, with flaming pink 
 spots in her cheeks, and sobbed quite 
 as she would have done had she not 
 been dressed up and been only Floris. 
 But, of course, she showed him the 
 dress with the spangles, and the rib 
 bons at neck and hair, the pink petti- 
 
 146
 
 FELICE 147 
 
 coat, and the white stockings and 
 shoes directly. And - 
 
 You!" cried Martinos, when his 
 opportunity came to get at Piccioli, 
 and for no other reason than that he 
 looked less like the malefactor he had 
 described so savagely in his shop than 
 any human being he had ever seen. 
 You are young and handsome - 
 and humble and distressed and 
 innocent! Signore, I have harm you. 
 Observe, I make the grand amende!" 
 Whereupon he kissed him on the 
 cheek. 
 
 "Also I extend to you the right hand 
 of fellowship and hope you will be so 
 gracious as to take it." 
 
 Well, do you imagine for a moment 
 that Piccioli did not ? 
 
 He further exhibited a telegram from 
 the commissioner of the World s Fair 
 which guaranteed Piccioli work the 
 moment he should arrive. 
 
 "But you shall not go, fratello mio! 
 You shall stay in our Italia Minora! 
 We are brothers!"
 
 148 FELICE 
 
 Think of that! 
 
 However, when Signor Martinos said 
 a thing it was known to be as good as 
 done. 
 
 Then, in a happy tumult, they sat 
 down to eat. 
 
 But they halted a moment for the 
 great barber to make a speech with 
 the tears flowing down his face. 
 
 "My dear, dear children! Most 
 sweet signorine!" And then he sol 
 emnly bowed his head. "Beautiful 
 dead mother! I have harm you 
 beyond belief. I have been beast, 
 rascal, when Heaven demand that I 
 shall be friend and comforter. I have 
 condemn for stealing once. Yet I 
 have steal five time and for the same 
 purpose. Hence I am become five 
 time more larcener than you, which, in 
 my pride, I consign to the chain for 
 ever. Have I made the grand amende ? 
 II grandito amande, signorine ? Is the 
 penance of Signor Martinos now suffi 
 cient ? Am I enough humble ? Have 
 I, more than you, break the peace.
 
 FELICE 149 
 
 Fracture the domestic tranquillity ? Am 
 I of reproach full measure?" 
 
 Well, when they were through with 
 him, they had left him no more doubt 
 of all this even his own personal 
 disgrace, since he would have it so 
 than I leave you.
 
 XXIV 
 
 THERE IS LARGE BEAST AND LITTLE 
 BEAST, YET NO ONE NEED REMAIN 
 BEAST 
 
 MARTINOS was celebrated for over 
 doing things. You can see that he was. 
 And he maintained his reputation in 
 this happy penance. 
 
 "Sometime one is mistake," he said 
 in his shop that afternoon when the 
 siesta hour had brought thither a goodly 
 company. "Moreover, sometimes one 
 is beast. Also, there is great mistake 
 and small mistake. Likewise there is 
 large beast and little beast. I - - 1, 
 your barber, have made the great mis 
 take, and am also large beast. Not 
 alone this, signori. I have led you in 
 my same evil pathway. You are all 
 mistake all beast. Yet, not great 
 mistake not large beast. That is 
 for me. Sometime mistake cannot be 
 
 150
 
 FELICE 151 
 
 fix, and beast got to stay beast. But 
 I have that happiness to inform you, 
 sweet signori, that, through vast pen 
 ance, this mistake have been com 
 pletely repair, and that no one need 
 remain beast. 
 
 Whereupon he told them all, saving 
 himself in nothing but the full measure 
 of his penitence. He ended thus: 
 
 " Now, to be beast or not to be beast. 
 I will perambulate the hat. I shall not 
 look. All us like beast have gone 
 astray. Let him who has been beast 
 return unto the fold, and give according 
 to how much mistake he has been 
 how much beast unto the injured 
 little ones the insulted father the 
 beautiful dead mother else forever 
 hereafter hold his peace, and stay beast 
 and stay mistake! To the end that 
 to-night shall be a party at Signor 
 Carazin theater of marionettes, and 
 afterward eating at the Albergo e Trat 
 toria of Signor Riccio. Success to the 
 successful, sweet signori!" 
 
 The hat was duly passed. And I
 
 152 FELICE 
 
 am ashamed to tell you how heavy it 
 was. Certainly there was enough for 
 very many theater parties at the mario 
 nettes if they chose to spend it so 
 foolishly. 
 
 But, for this night, at least, it was 
 not to be permitted. For Pamphilio 
 Carazin rose in his place and said: 
 
 "Signori, I have deposit in the hat. 
 Nevertheless, I hereby present as many 
 seats at The Adventures of Orlando 
 Furioso, now in its sixteenth week of 
 performance, as is desire. Further 
 more, they shall not be of the small 
 price, but of them that cost fifteen 
 cent!" 
 
 And instantly Martinos fell upon his 
 neck and all their differences were for 
 ever healed. 
 
 But Christani Riccio was speaking. 
 
 "Sirs," he said, "to the same cause, 
 I dedicate a supper for so many as my 
 trattoria will contain. And the list to 
 eat shall be without limit save what the 
 house itself contain. And it shall be 
 all without price. Notwithstanding, I
 
 FELICE 153 
 
 have also deposit in the hat when it 
 perambulate in front of me." 
 
 And Ardano, the rich coachman of 
 the millionaire Martin Muffin, would 
 have them go in his two carriages - 
 the cab and the hack, though he also 
 had not slighted the hat. While the 
 milk-ball man, and the jolly baker, each 
 insisted that some of their merchandise 
 should grace the feast. Teti, the far- 
 macien, sold sweatmeats of the most 
 delicate flavors, and he also would not 
 be appeased until Riccio permitted him 
 to furnish the sweets. Libera Rosa 
 Rocca, the levatrice, who happened by, 
 came in and said she should see that 
 the cooking was right, no matter whether 
 Riccio s chef liked it or not. 
 
 And if you think that Rafaelle the 
 undertaker had nothing to lend to the 
 feast and the occasion, you show your 
 ignorance of him. He said he would 
 send a wagon-load of flowers. And 
 though all knew that these would be 
 flowers that had graced some funeral 
 before they came to the feast at the
 
 154 FELICE 
 
 Trattoria e Albergo, yet not a soul had 
 the less joy in the offer of them for 
 that reason. For, did they not all love 
 the dead and pray masses for them ? 
 
 And though I am sure that you can 
 not fancy what Pistolio, of the Broad 
 Street cleaning squad, could send, you 
 will not be surprised to know that it 
 was nothing less than a carpet he had 
 found at the back door of a Broad 
 Street palace, for them to walk from 
 the carriages to the door of the theater, 
 and afterward to the door of the Eating 
 and Sleeping Restaurant. 
 
 And all had deposited, nevertheless, 
 in the perambulating hat. 
 
 Well, there were tears in the eyes of 
 the sentimental barber when he heard 
 of all this munificence. 
 
 " Virgin ! " he cried . * How the grand 
 pity enlarge the soul till it bust out and 
 most kill one ! One-tenth of this - 
 one-hundredth - - one-thousandth - - I 
 did not expect. Yet, here is the ca- 
 pello I perambulate full to busting and 
 nothing to spend! How can I spend
 
 FELICE 155 
 
 it when no one will let? Then, what 
 shall be done with it? what, dear, 
 dear, dear signori?" 
 
 Some one suggested that it be put in 
 the bank. Another, who knew arith 
 metic, rapidly calculated that when 
 Floris was ready to be married she 
 would be very, very rich if it were left 
 to grow. So, with one shout of accord, 
 that was determined. And perhaps 
 some day I shall tell you that story! 
 
 For then and there they determined 
 precisely what sort of festival they 
 would make of that event, forgetting 
 that then they would all be old, old 
 men! 
 
 And all of those other things hap 
 pened, quite as had been planned by 
 the barber first, and then by all of 
 Little Italy. And I wish you to stop 
 and recollect that that does not occur 
 often in this curiously out-of -joint world 
 of ours. 
 
 I wish I might tell you about it. But 
 I think that Floris wore to the theater 
 and supper the white dress with the
 
 156 FELICE 
 
 silver spangle, and perhaps the pale 
 pink petticoat with the blue silk em 
 broideries, and the white shoes and 
 stockings, and the hair and neck rib 
 bons, and her ring with the blue enamel 
 heart transfixed by the crimson arrow.
 
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