"His father came to get him yesterday; he will be here again this
morning: do as I do."

We emerged into the street; Crossi's father was there, a little to one
side: a man with a black beard sprinkled with gray, badly dressed, with
a colorless and thoughtful face. Derossi shook Crossi's hand, in a way
to attract attention, and said to him in a loud tone, "Farewell until we
meet again, Crossi,"--and passed his hand under his chin. I did the
same. But as he did so, Derossi turned crimson, and so did I; and
Crossi's father gazed attentively at us, with a kindly glance; but
through it shone an expression of uneasiness and suspicion which made
our hearts grow cold.

DADDY'S NURSE.

(_Monthly Story._)

One morning, on a rainy day in March, a lad dressed like a country boy,
all muddy and saturated with water, with a bundle of clothes under his
arm, presented himself to the porter of the great hospital at Naples,
and, presenting a letter, asked for his father. He had a fine oval face,
of a pale brown hue, thoughtful eyes, and two thick lips, always half
open, which displayed extremely white teeth. He came from a village in
the neighborhood of Naples. His father, who had left home a year
previously to seek work in France, had returned to Italy, and had landed
a few days before at Naples, where, having fallen suddenly ill, he had
hardly time to write a line to announce his arrival to his family, and
to say that he was going to the hospital. His wife, in despair at this
news, and unable to leave home because she had a sick child, and a baby
at the breast, had sent her eldest son to Naples, with a few soldi, to
help his father--his _daddy_, as they called him: the boy had walked ten
miles.

The porter, after glancing at the letter, called a nurse and told him to
conduct the lad to his father.

"What father?" inquired the nurse.

The boy, trembling with terror, lest he should hear bad news, gave the
name.

The nurse did not recall such a name.

"An old laborer, arrived from abroad?" he asked.

"Yes, a laborer," replied the lad, still more uneasy; "not so very old.
Yes, arrived from abroad."

"When did he enter the hospital?" asked the nurse.

The lad glanced at his letter; "Five days ago, I think."

The nurse stood a while in thought; then, as though suddenly recalling
him; "Ah!" he said, "the furthest bed in the fourth ward."

"Is he very ill? How is he?" inquired the boy, anxiously.

The nurse looked at him,