It became strangely silent in Benjamin’s cell. Benjamin was waiting until Shorty should regale himself with the victor’s spoils. For worlds Ben would not have lost a word of Shorty’s remarks. The noises which proceeded from “little Italy” later were worth waiting for. There were two dead mice hidden away in the interior of that package of tobacco.
“How does yer like dem kurrents?” asked Ben. “Doan yer be afeared to chaw dem, dey’s perfectly ripe.”
They were.
No more presents were exchanged after that. It is sad when friends lose confidence in each other.
Shorty spoke a language of his own. It was English in sound and accent, but the grouping of the words was according to his own sweet will. For Shorty the rules of syntax had no terrors.
One day he told me his story. “I did was from Italy six year. All the time mostly work the railroad on. So much big, heavy carry ties. That don’t make me any never mind. I get the mon. Ah! that is altogether something—three hundred dollar. I will go home. Ah! a prettyful of a girls is there to marry.”
Then Shorty told me how he came to New York to take the steamer. Here he met some friend who invited him to the Italian colony across the river in Jersey.
“He did went.” Every one said how foolish he was. “Such a nonsense. You don’t know what’s no good. You talk like a nanny goat.” Why not marry the beautiful daughter of the house at which they were calling, “ain’t yer”?
The mother slipped away while the father and friends argued with Shorty; they were all so kind and convivial. Yes, their new friend must marry Agnes. The three hundred dollars should set them up in housekeeping, the prospective father-in-law, who was in “publitics,” would obtain a brilliant position for Shorty; only a fool would do anything else. And then the mother brought in the girl, dressed as every mother’s heart would prompt for the occasion. Shorty looked into her eyes; at the borrowed plumage; he had, alas, already looked into the cup.
“Ah,” said he to me, overcome by the mere remembrance; “Ah, there was something not to believe it.”