Death of a Salesman

Knife-nosed Ludovico Monti was a dedicated man. The most energetic news vendor in Borgo San Lorenzo, near Florence, he had been offered the local agency for many daily papers. But, with the support of his pretty wife Armida, Monti was determined to sell only Unita, the Communist paper which commanded all his faith and ambition.

On Sunday mornings Monti invariably aroused Borgo's citizens with his cries: "Buy Unita! Read Unita! Here is Unita!" Peasants for miles around knew the peal of Monti's bicycle bell as he flashed by, a huge stack of papers thrown across the handlebars, a small red flag flying on his front mudguard. Those who looked up late saws the word "Unita" in huge letters on the back of Monti's sweater as he pedaled briskly about his business.

The news vendor's tireless efforts brought their reward. For four years running, Communist provincial headquarters had acclaimed him "Tuscany's Best Unita Salesman," and he had been named inspector over all other Unita salesmen in the Borgo San Lorenzo area. Monti's fine record even led party headquarters to take a tolerant attitude when early this year he failed for the first time to turn in promptly the proceeds of his Unita sales.

But as months went by and the money owed by Monti on papers consigned to him mounted to 50,000 lire (about $80), party headquarters grew worried, then angry. Finally the party told him he must pay up. Ludovico ran all over town trying to borrow money; he even tried to borrow from the priest. Last week Ludovico Monti was finally expelled from the Communist Party for mishandling of funds.

On the day of his public humiliation Monti and his wife shut themselves in their small house. That night the Montis' lights did not go on, and the house was silent except for the call of a pet blackbird which Monti had taught to whistle Red Flag. After two such nights, the neighbors called the carabinieri, who had to knock down the door to get into the house.

In its cage the blackbird sat motionless, silent and weak from hunger. On the bed lay the bodies of Ludovico and Armida Monti, and between them was the pistol with which Monti had shot first his wife, then himself. Piled beside the bed and about the house were 50,000 lire's worth of copies of Unita. Proud Ludovico Monti had not embezzled money; he had simply been unable to admit that the best Unita salesman in Tuscany could not sell as many papers as Unita had sent him.

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