cia looked about her to make sure that she was alone, and then walked
quickly to one of the chapels and dropped four shining copper pennies
into the mite box that stood on a little shelf beside the altar. She
stayed only long enough to say a hasty little prayer, and then hurried
out again into the sunshine. The clouds of the night before and the
mist of the early morning had disappeared, and the market-place was
bathed in warm golden sunshine.

Lucia picked up her pails and hurried to her aunt's stall.

"Well, you are late," Maria said. "We thought you had stubbed your toe
and spilled all the milk."

"And only two half-full pails again," Senora Rudini grumbled. "But no
matter, we can get more from old Paolo. Have you heard the news?" she
asked abruptly.

"No," Lucia replied indifferently. "What is it?"

"A big gain by the enemy. They have taken thousands of our men, and
they say we may be ordered to leave Cellino at any minute."

"Think of it! They are as near as that!" Maria said excitedly. "Oh if
we must move, where can we go to? I am so frightened."

"Nonsense," Lucia spoke shortly. There was an angry gleam in her big
eyes and her cheeks flushed a dark red.

"Leave Cellino, indeed! The very idea! Since when must Italians make
way for Austrians, I'd like to know?"

"But if the enemy are advancing as they say," Maria protested
nervously, "we will either have to leave, or be shelled to death by
those dreadful guns."

"Or be taken prisoners, and a nice thing that would be," her mother
added. "No, if the order to evacuate comes we must go at once. There
will be no time to spare. Other towns have been captured, and there is
only that between us."

She pointed to the zigzag mountain peaks so short a distance beyond the
north gate. As if to give her words weight, a heavy thunder of guns
rumbled ominously.

Maria shuddered. "There, that is ever so much nearer. Oh, I am
frightened,--something dreadful is happening over there just out of
sight."

"Silly! those are our own guns. Ask any of our soldiers," Lucia said.

"Here comes your guard, the handsome Roderigo Vicello, maybe he can
tell us. Good morning to you!" she called gayly and beckoned the
soldier to come to them.

"I hope you are well this morning," Roderigo said respectfully, bowing
to Senora Rudini.

"Oh, we are well, but very frightened," Maria replied, trying hard to
imitate her cousin's gaiety.

"Maria thinks that the gun