Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1905-01-26
Giovanni and
The Princess
........Ry ANNA CASE
Copyright 1904 b. Anna Cae


Giovanni del prato. grandson Of old
Marie. stood at the crossing ana waved
| the little red flag which warned tray
| elcrs and chauffeurs that an excaya-
| ton lay just beyond. This excavation
| had been source Of annoyance to the
great city for many months but Clio
vanni had prayed that ii might never
| be filled in, first, because so long as he
| waved the little red flag he would draw
81 day, ana then had come the prin-
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 We're filthy by
comparison with the hard white roads
of his Ncapolitan home. He had dream
ed Of cities paved with gold and of Il
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 Ind been
in America five years, and of the little
red flag ana the dollar day she was
sure.
Even Of the princess lie at times felt
n bit uncertain, for he thought it odd
that n princess should walk by his cor
ner every mOrnin- with a portfolio I'M
der her arm. There We're other young
men, better yersed in American ways,
who also thought the princess should
not walk and carry Il 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 Gioyannis mind, however. there
was no question about her royal blood
1t showed in her carriage, in her pa
trlcian features and her proudly car
ried little head, in the lit of the won
In the yiolcts ut her belt In time the
young Italian was glad that she did
not ride in q 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 20 the
more Stalwart policeman on the olher
side.
Giovanni did not tell his grandmoth-
er about the princess. Old Marie ran II
boarding house for Italian workmen.
and constant intercourse with these
men and the struggle to get her board
pD9h wool. t.nt III lnI
tinIent, 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. Sse was Just
becoming interested in painting from
life so she persuaded her father to fit
up studio in the attic Of their town
house. though she knew full fell that
in less than 4 month the whole fam
lily would Tit 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
It at n fashionable tea Immediately Of
fered to act in this capacity, but she
laughed aside their suggestions. They
were sadly lacking In the artistic TEN
permanent, she said.
The very next morning she stopped
at Govannis crossing He had not
seen her for nearly a week, and he was
glad that broken dray barred the
passage Of both vehicles and pedestr-
ans. The princess carried no portfolio
this morning. but little silver mount
ed memorandum book filled with the
addresses of models. When she saw
randum book. She had noticed him
before rs 4 graceful. 1.-THE lad despite
his rough garments. and now his eyes,
glowing with delight ut sight OF her,
his beautiful white teeth showing as
he smiled, and the graceful gestures
with which he continued to wave the
flag despite the fact that vehicles
could neither come nor 20, caught and
held her interest,
Being young woman of impulse,
she then and there asked him To pose
for her. Giovanni said sure one Of
the few American bywordS he had
picked up. and he said it so softly that
1t became almost verbal caress. His
voice was the last touch. Miss Cam
erou was sure now that no other mod
el would do, but unfortunately Giovan-
nj had not understood a word she had
said. He would have said sure" to
any request the princess made OF him,
and this much he had gathered from
her words--the princess had need Of
him and his services. The girl looked
puzzled and a fellow workman, who
understood both Italian and English,
stepped forward and offered to act as
interpreter. The young lady desired
the services Of Giovanni NJ her homo
the following day Giovanni regarded
It as 4 royal command, but alas, there
were his grandmother and the ineNo-
Fable job"
Then suddenly his face frightened.
TWO days more and there would be n