deceived. "Give me the dog," he said. "I wish to see it more closely."

Tony started to draw back with Tina, but the man snatched her out of his arms.

"What you have told me is a lie," he declared. "This is indeed my daughter's dog. I recognize her by the peculiar marking under her chin."

He glared angrily at Tony.

"You are a lying little scamp as your father is a thief!" he said.

Then, he took his daughter's hand and the two, with Tina, departed.

Tony stood like a figure of wax. He hardly heard Guido raging beside him.

"Now what shall I do?" stormed the Marionette Man. "I must have another dog. You shall steal one for me, Tony."

As he said this, he turned to face Tony, but the boy had vanished.

Tony had run out of the theatre after Tina and her owners. Now he stood on the street, watching them as they stepped into an automobile.

As the car started, Tony sprang onto the back of it. He held fast.

This was his first automobile ride! It was not a pleasant one. It seemed to him, holding on with all his might, that it would never end. On, on, they sped. Where to, he wondered?

Tony had never been outside of Naples. But often he had read or listened to tales of other parts of his country. He knew that Italy was a fine land.

The school textbooks told him that "Italy is blessed by God. It is strong, powerful, and feared."

He loved to learn all he could about it. He was proud of being an Italian.

Now the automobile had come upon the open road. Tony could see the Bay. He could also see the great volcano, Vesuvius, which towers over Naples.

It is a fire-mountain and smoke is always coming out of its top.

In olden days people believed that a lame blacksmith lived under the ground. He kept a furnace burning to heat his irons. His name was Vulcan and from it comes the word, "volcano."

Tony had heard that this volcano, or fire-mountain, had often caused much damage. Villages had been destroyed when the giant spat fire and ashes to earth. Houses rocked and fell. Towns were buried.

But Tony was not thinking of this now. He was wishing with all his heart that the car would stop. Until it did, however, he must remain at his post. Tina was in that car! And where Tina went there went Tony!

The thoughts went racing through his head as the car raced on. The father of that little girl had called Guido a thief! Tony shuddered. He remembered the time when the old woman had called him a thief. How terrible it had made him feel!

ANNA'S HOUSE

Thieves were bad men. Guido was a bad man. And they thought he was Tony's father! What an insult!

The car was slowing up. It stopped before a white house with trees and a garden surrounding it. The gentleman and his daughter, with Tina in her arms, got out.

CAPRI

They went inside the house. Tony saw the front door close behind them. He slid down from the back of the automobile. He ran to the house and crouched under a window. He could look right into a room.

He saw a sweet-faced woman greet the little girl and her father. She kissed them both. Then she noticed Tina in the child's arms.

"Why, Anna!" she exclaimed. "It is your little dog that was lost!"

The girl named Anna laughed happily. She showed pearly teeth. Her whole face lit up with joy.

"Yes, Mama, it is Niki," she said. "At last we have found her! I am so happy!"

The father told how they had discovered Niki in the Marionette theatre.

"It was the Marionette Man who stole Niki away from us," he said. "She was performing on the stage."

"And, oh, Mama!" exclaimed Anna, "his little boy said that Niki died, and it wasn't true at all! That boy was a story-teller, wasn't he, papa?"

"He was a young rascal," replied her father. "Still, he had such an intelligent face. What a pity!"

Tony, under the window, drew closer to listen.

"The lad is already a clever liar and no doubt a beggar as well," Anna's father continued. "One day he will become a thief like Guido!"

Tony crouched lower and winced. "A thief like Guido!" The words had a dreadful sound.

"I should like to train that boy," remarked Anna's father. "I would discipline him!"

The gentleman looked very fierce as he said this. He frightened Tony, who hated discipline!

But if Tony had known exactly what he meant, he would not have been frightened. Anna's father had always wanted a son of his own. He would have been very proud of a son.

TONY DREW CLOSER TO LISTEN

He would have taught him to be a loyal Italian. For Anna's father was a real patriot.

Robert Browning, the poet, has said, "Open my heart and you will see inside of it—Italy." If Anna's father had been a poet, he might have said something like this.

"Dinner is ready," announced Anna's mother.

Tony watched as the family left the room. He knew that they had gone into the dining room. He waited patiently beneath the window until they returned.

When they came back, Anna's father eased himself into an armchair.

"Come, little Anna," he said. "I am going to read to you."

Anna crawled on to his lap with Tina clasped lovingly in her arms. Tina had a puffed, happy look, as if she, too, had dined well!

Tony smiled to himself. He was going to hear Anna's father read stories. No one had ever read to Tony. He loved reading.

The night was warm. The moon shone. The window was open. Tony listened.

Would you like to listen, too?

Very well.

Wouldn't Anna's father be surprised if he knew about his big audience? Under the window is a poor Italian boy—Tony. Out in the great United States are other boys and girls—you who are reading this tale!

So be very quiet and don't make a noise for fear of disturbing Anna's father while he reads.

Let us crouch under the window with Tony!

CHAPTER IV

ROME

"Tonight," began Anna's father, "we are going to read about one of our Italian cities. Many fine stories have come out of it.

"Rome is called 'The Eternal City' because there is a saying that it will live forever. It is built upon seven hills.

"A long time ago there lived a great artist named Michelangelo. He built the dome of St. Peter's Cathedral in Rome. This is the largest church in the world. Thirty services may