EXCITING NEWS
"Lucia, Lucia, such exciting news, come here at once!" Maria ran up
the stairs excitedly.
Lucia, who was busy helping Sister Francesca put away the clean sheets,
dropped what she was doing and ran down the corridor.
"What is it!" she demanded. "Have the Austrians surrendered?"
"No," Maria stopped, breathless from her haste, "that is, not yet,
though Roderigo says--"
"Oh, oh, oh!" Lucia protested. "Don't start on what Roderigo says, or
we will never learn the news."
Maria pouted. "For that I have a good mind not to tell you," she
threatened.
"Then I shall go downstairs myself and find out," Lucia replied, not
one whit disturbed.
"Then I may as well tell you," Maria laughed, "for the ward hums with
it. The King is coming--think of it--he is coming to Cellino
to-morrow, and he is to go through the hospital and see all the
wounded. Only fancy, our King!"
"Who told you?" Lucia's eyes flashed excitedly. Her loyal little
Italian heart beat with eager anticipation.
"Do you suppose I can see him?" she demanded, "but of course, I must,
even if I have to hide under the Captain's bed. He is sure to stop and
speak to my Captain," she added with pride.
"Oh, Roderigo says that he always stops and speaks to all the wounded
and shakes their hands, and is very kind and so sorry always when they
are badly hurt. Roderigo says he has talked to soldiers who have won
decorations, and the King himself pins them on--just think of it!"
Lucia gave a profound sigh.
"If he ever spoke to me," she said solemnly, "I would die of joy."
It was several days after Lucia and the Captain had talked in the
garden, and Lucia was beginning to grow accustomed to the wonderful
idea. Her dreams were coming true at last, and she had to admit to
herself that she always believed that they would. Captain Riccardi was
truly a fairy godfather in her eyes, and she proved her gratitude for
his kindness in a hundred little ways a day. It never seemed to enter
her mind that all he was offering, wonderful as it was, could not pay
her for her courage in saving his life.
She insisted upon laying all the credit on his shoulders, and with a
smile and a shrug the Captain accepted the double share, and determined
in his big heart to be worthy of it.
When Lucia and Maria went down to the ward a little later, the patients
were indeed humming with the news. Every face wore a smile of keen
joy, and the nurses hurried about to be sure everything was in perfect
order.
Lucia was well enough now to go wherever she pleased, and after she had
talked for a few minutes with Captain Riccardi, and made sure that
Maria had not exaggerated, she went out of the convent with the
intention of going into town. Some of the refugees had returned, but
so far there had been no news of Señora Rudini, Nana, or Beppi, and she
was growing anxious.
As she walked down the broad steps, she saw Lathrop coming towards her.
Lucia was particularly fond of the big American, and she smiled as she
saw him.
"Hello!" he greeted.
Lucia returned the salutation.
"Do you know that the King is coming?" she demanded.
Lathrop understood the word King, and as the town was talking of
nothing else he guessed what she meant.
"Yes," he replied in Italian, "nice--glad--you."
Lucia laughed.
"Oh, but you are so funny. How I wish you could speak so that I could
understand you!" she said.
Lathrop shook his head. "There she goes again, I didn't get even one
word this time."
He put his hand in his pocket and drew out a letter.
"See," he said, pointing to it.
Lucia nodded. Lathrop scratched his head.
"You--in--letter," he said painstakingly, "Girl, American."
"Oh, you have put me in your letter? How nice!" Lucia said. "What did
you say?"
"I get you, but I'm blest if I can tell you, and it's a shame, too.
You're such a little winner, you and your Mrs. Garibaldi, that I'd like
to be able to tell you so. But I guess it's hopeless."
All of which Lucia listened to politely, but without the first idea of
its meaning.
She nodded towards the gate and they walked towards it together.
Lathrop mailed his letter, and they stopped to look at the ruins.
Lucia questioned some soldiers who were clearing the streets as best
they could.
The town hall, at the end of the market-place, was still standing, and
to-day it was draped in Italian flags. It looked older and more
dignified than ever, amid the ruins, and the flag floated bravely in
the crisp fall breeze. Lucia and Lathrop stopped to look at it.
Lucia's eyes sparkled and she threw an impulsive kiss towards it.
Lathrop saluted respectfully.
As they turned to go back they noticed a crowd of soldiers and some of
the townspeople gathered about the gate.
"What can the matter be?" Lucia exclaimed, hurrying forward. "Perhaps
it is the King."
They ran to the gate and questioned some of the soldiers.
"More refugees returning," one of them explained. "See there's a whole
line of them, it is a good sight, and a good time that they have
chosen. Now we will not look so like a deserted place when the King
comes."
"Oh, perhaps some of them can give me news of Beppino," Lucia
exclaimed, forcing her way through the crowd.
Almost the first person she saw as she ran down the road was Maria's
mother. She was walking along beside several other women, and with a
start Lucia realized that she looked thin and wan.
"Aunt Rudini!" she called excitedly, "you are back at last. Oh, Maria
will be so glad!"
Señora Rudini looked up, fear and hope in her eyes.
"Maria!" she exclaimed, "where is she?"
"At the convent. She is helping to nurse the soldiers," Lucia replied.
"Oh, and I thought she was dead or a prisoner. She lay down beside me
one night, and the next morning she was gone; I have been terrified."
The old woman was wringing her hands.
"But she is safe, go and see," Lucia protested, "I have just left her."
Maria's mother needed no urging, she ran as fast as her stiff joints
would allow towards the hospital. But she had not gone very far when
she returned.
"I am a selfish old woman," she said, "thinking first of myself, when
of course you want news of Nana. Well, look yonder in that farm wagon."
Lucia did not wait to hear more. She darted off and met the wagon
before it reached the turn in the road.
"Beppi! Nana!" she called.
The man who was driving stopped, and Nana slid down from the straw,
right into Lucia's waiting arms. She was so glad to see her, that she
could only babble foolishly. All during her long journey, and her stay
in strange villages, she had thought of nothing but Lucia in the hands
of the enemy, and she was nearly crazy with relief and joy to find her
safe again.
At last Lucia quieted her. "Where is Beppino?" she asked, "surely he
is with you?"
Something in the straw of the wagon moved, and the old driver pointed
his whip at a mop of black hair, and laughed.
Beppi was asleep of course. Lucia's strong young arms lifted his
little body out, and hugged and kissed him. Beppi woke up, and at
sight of her he shouted with joy.
It was a happy and excited family that walked through the town and down
to the little white cottage.
Lucia had so much to say, and Nana would not listen nor believe all the
wonderful things she tried to tell her, but at last, from lack of
breath, she stopped exclaiming and crying, and Lucia pushed her gently
onto the green bed, took Beppi on her lap, and began the recital of her
wonderful news in earnest.