The Aberdeen Democrat. (Aberdeen, South Dakota) 1???-1909, 1905-01-20
Giovanni and
The Princess
....By ANNA CASE
Copyright. 1904, by Anna Case

Giovanni del Prato, grandson OF oio
karie, stood at the crossing n "aVeu
the little red flag which warned tra'-
o,ers and chauffeurs that an e3caVa-
ton lay just beyond. This excaVauon
had been a source of annoyance to the
great city for many months, out 'lo-
yanni had prayed that it might never
be filled in, first, because SO long as ne
waved the little red flag he would ara"
81 a day. and then had come the prln-
cess.
To be sure. back in sunny Italy he
had dreamed Of different things. he
had no conception of the noisy, shrek
ing CITY whose streets were filthy by
comparison with the hard white roads
of his Neapolitan home. he had dream-
ed of cities paved with gold Il OF a
people who paid big prices to lads with
good voices, but he had found the op-
era season closed and his grandmother
skeptical of the commercial value OF
fresh, unframed voices. She had been
in America five years, and of the little
red flag and the dollar a day she was
sure.
Even of the princess be at times felt
a bit uncertain, for he thought it ODD
that a princess should walk by his cor
ner every morning with a portfolio I'M
der her arm. There were other young
men, better versed in American ways,
who also thought the princess should
not walk and carry a portfolio, but
the princess would not ride in their
carriages nor allow them to carry her
portfolio. She had gone in for art, and
the young men interfered with the re-
alization of her ambition.
In Giovanni's mind, however. there
was no question about her royal blood.
It showed in her carriage, in her pa
trician features and her proudly car
derful gray gown she always wore and
In the violets at her belt. In time the
young Italian was glad that she did
not ride in a carriage, else it had not
been given to him to see that she got
safely across the street ON his side of
the tracks and to turn her over to the
more stalwart policeman on the other
side.
Giovanni did not tell his grandmoth.
er about the princess. Old Marie ran a
boarding house for Italian workmen,
and constant intercourse with these
men and the struggle to get her board
money each week had rather killed SEN
timent, but under her vehement fault
finding her love for Giovanni burned
clearly and steadily.
Spring came, and the academy closed,
much to the regret Of Kate Cameron,
otherwise the princess. She was Just
becoming interested in painting from
life, so she persuaded her father to fit
up a studio in the attic of their town
house, though she knew full fell that
IN less than a month the whole fam
lily would fit to their country place.
One of the professors at the academy
agreed to call occasionally and criti-
else her work, and there remained only
the question Of models. A half dozen
young men who heard her talk about
1t at a fashionable tea Immediately of.
iered TO act in this capacity, but she
laughed aside their suggestions. They
were sadly lacking in the artistic TEN
| n0rQ mont Cho coid
Inc very next morning she stopped
at Gloyannfs crossing. He had mo-
seen her for nearly a week, and he wal
glad that a broken dray barred thu
passage of both vehicles and pedestri
ans. The princess carried no portfoli,
q morning, but a little silver mount
ed memorandum book filled with tn,
addresses Of models. When she saw
Giovanni she lost interest in the memo
randum book. She had noticed hin
before as a graceful, 1.-the lad despit'
MS rough garments, and now his ewes
glowing with delight at sight of her
his beautiful white teeth showing a.
he smiled, and the graceful gesture,
with which he continued to wave tn,
nag, despite the fact that vehicle,
could neither come nor 20, caught anf
held her interest.
Being a young woman of impulse
she then and there asked him to posf
Tor her. Giovanni said, "Sure," one 81
inc few American bywords he had
picked up, and he said it so softly thai
1t became almost a verbal caress. n,
voice was the last touch. Miss Cam.
eron was sure now that no other mod
el would do, but unfortunately Giovar
N mad not understood a word she had
said. He would have said "sure" r.
any request the princess made Of him
and this much he had gathered from
her words-the princess had need ~
MN and his services. The girl looked
puzzled, and a fellow workman WIZ
understood both Italian and English
stepped forward and offered to act o.
interpreter. The young lady desired
the services of Giovanni at her homo
the following day. Giovanni repardas
II as a royal command, but, alas. thare
were his grandmother and the ,navo
rable "job." ~
linen n b;.