Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1904-12-13
would not expect even the dollar from

would not expect even the dollar from
him.
The great day dawned. and Gioyan-
nj, in the velvet suit lie had brought
from his Neapolitan home, arrived at
the beautiful mansion on the avenue.
The princess had laid out wealth of
draperies gathered during her last trip
abroad, but when she saw the boy in
his simple costume she forgot studied
effects and could hardly wait until she
posed him on the little platform. II
was for Giovanni, indeed. fete day.
for the two young people managed to
understand each other, and Giovanni
mellowed aud glowed under the girls
charm of manner as he had never done
aimee he came TO America. Then long
before he was tired came servant
with cooling drink, ices and cakes
not such as they had on fete days at
home. but nevertheless most delicious
and when the evening shadows
heightened, and the youSg girl at last
wearied, Giovanni understood that the
audience was over. She offered him
one of those crisp green bills which
represented almost weeks work at
the crossing. but Giovanni, drawing
himself up proudly, declined it. Some
how the girl understood the motive of
this refusal. and then with a quick.
impulsive movement she drew a pearl
stickpin from the sailor knot at her
collar and handed it to the boy He
kissed it in extravagant italian fash
ion and bowed low before her. The
day was indeed over.
The princess went out of town. The
little studio was closed. She came no
more to the crossing, and the heat
blistered the streets and burned into
Giovanni's very heart But the flag
waved mechanically, and the memory
of the fete day came to him OCCASION
ally like a breath of fresh air, but 1t
was not to be talked of, because no
one else would believe that she was
really a princess. Then came the day
of the fire in the great Office building a
block away. And on that day it so
happened that the princess had come
crossing the city in a hanson, reaching
Giovannrs corner simultaneously with
the arrival of the fire engines.
Giovanni was first to see that her
driver had lost control of his horse,
and that 1t was plunging straight to-
ward the excavation. The policeman
on the other side of the street was
having his own troubles. A slender.
gray clad figure seemed to rise sud
denly and leap out of the hanson.
There were curses from the driver and
bewildering shouts all around him, but
the boy saw only the gray figure, and
somehow he caught it in his arms. He
felt himself going down, down, down,
and then-night
They stood around his cot In the hos
pital. the girl refusing to rest or leave
him for an instant. ''He might wake
/ first" she said with a catch of her
breath, "and | must speak to him."
The old Grandmother seemed to I'M
derstand her words, and she under
stood even better the clasp of the girls
cold hand on hers The father OF the
princess sat at little table with a
long. narrow book in his hand. He
turned TO the doctor.
"You say there Is no hopper Well,
want the boy 10 know that we are go
Ing to look after the grandmother"
Giovanni stirred The princess saw
the movement first and bent over him.
In returning consciousness 1t seemed to
Giovanni as IL he must have walked up
in heaven. Princess" he murmured,
and the wonderful glow came into his
eyes again. Impulsively the girl bent
over and kissed him.
lie felt as II lie were floating in the
afr, but it was not because the prin-
cess had kissed him. He remembered
the fall-the blow-and he looked In
quiringly from one to the other. His
grandmother burst into tears, and
walls in their native tongue fell from
ueT lips. btofdbul luaASi iiobi hSA "
the princess. The girls eyes were dim
with tears Then it must be true, and
Just as he was so happy-alas.
The sister. who spoke Italian, ex-
planned to him that the big, square
shouidered man who had written his
name on the long, slender piece of pa
per taken from the book was the fa-
ther Of the princess, and the little slip
Of paper meant that the old grand
mother would no longer keep boarders,
but could go back to Naples rich wo-
man as wealth counted among their
people. The boy did not seem TO hear.
ITO xros lookino into fine face of TIE