The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1907-06-18
old W0rId
And NezV.
BY ". S. oDLIN.
Copyright, 1907, BY Homer sproous.

diner He Is really more than life
size-six feet four If he is an inch"
Her aunt, Mrs. Hammell, swung
around sharply
who? Oh, that guard? 1t is his he'll
met, my dear child, and his high heeled
boots. Wouldn't you think he'd be
ashamed to pose like that at the head
of the grand staircase? Did you ever
see so much gilt braid and shiny leath-
er on one human beingY"
Mrs. Hammells voice had executed
a gradual crescendo, and Penelope
reached forth protesting hand.
Don't speak so loud, auntie, dear.
He might understand"
But the great, square shouldered flg-
ure in glittering uniform stood as i'm
passive as the knight In the old Gobe-
lin tapestry before which Mrs Ham
nell stood enraptured, though she con
tinued to criticise the kings guard,
THAT'S just the difference between
our soldiery and what we see abroad.
Every one of our lads holds possibili-
ties of doing big things. Foreign sol
diers are mere puppets"
Penelope replied with conviction:
II don't agree with you That man
has the face, the bearing, Of one who
will some day do things that are worth
/ while. He makes me think of that tap
estry knight, setting out to fight for his
true love-"
Mrs Hammell gasped and closed her
Baedeker with a snap
MY dear Penelope, am amazed! If
you behave this way over the first
handsome man you see in uniform,
how will you feel by the time we have
attended few receptions and met the
real nobility, rising young diplomats
and all that sort of thingY'
Thoroughly Disguised / presume"
said Penelope coldly, land l hope we
shall not go to any receptions where
tiny men. with Waxed mustaches and
mincing steps, win look through my
backbone to daddy's newly acquired
bank account 1t is because that man
Is so big so strong and looks as If he
could move heaven and earth to
achieve for the woman he loved that |
was studying him. 1t Is so seldom that
| meet a man whom | could look up
to-" ended Penelope, with sigh for
her FIVE feet eleven inches of graceful
slenderness. 81 was considering him
only as an abstract quantity, a hypo-
thetical man, so to speak"
81 should hope So" was her aunts
indignant reply. why, these special
guards of the king are gathered in the
north of Italy solely for their height,
the guldebook says, and no doubt he
was found grubbing In some wretched
farm or vineyard. In New York he
would be working In the subway"
Penelope turned and started to cross
the great throne room where through
an open window the soft Italian sun
light beckoned to her. The martial
figure at the entrance SO close to the
Gobelin tapestry. had not moved the
half of an inch, but above the gold
braid on his collar and rising up the
peak Of his helmet was an unmistaka-
BILE flush
Penelope paused, frozen in her tracks,
but the man looked straight ahead
She crossed to the window, resting her
head YEARLY on her gloved hand. Her
glance travelled over the great court
yard of the palace, while Mrs. Ham
nell completed her tour of the tapestry
hung walls.
He understood English-every word
we said. How intolerably stupid of us!
And auntie said he probably grubbed
on arm! No wonder these foreign
ers think we Americans are rude. We
are so secure and snug in our igno-
rance of their language that we cannot
believe they understand ours"
The sunlight waned, and Penelope
knew that out on the Appian way ten
| der amethyst shadows were settling.
Why could not her aunt be satisfied
with Rome's beautiful outdoor life, its
drives and walks? Why must she
spend days and days In musty churches
and hideously garish palaces? She
looked back into the ROOM Lovely
shadows softened the gilt frames and
furniture, red and blues blended into
purple, and the uniformed figure right
faced abruptly. He had dared to
watch her as she stood thus at the
window Well, 1t served her right for
talking about human beings as If they
were statues or curios
That night she wrote In her diary:
Spent entire afternoon In the royal
palace. Tapestries remarkable, but
rather boring. Bedrooms reserved for
various royal guests reminded me of
Waldorf Astoria. Were not permitted
to enter royal suit, of course, but
heard laughter of royal children
through folding doors, and a hurdy
gurdy playing in what must have been
the nursery. Italy is place of disillu-
sions. The natives are learning Eng
fish, the better to do you, my dear"
Penelope Gardiner held off the plate
card at arms length and studied it
critically.
tits lovely, Pen you ought to
charge more for your work. You could
get it. you know. Rich women love to
patronize girls like you
"Who once ate off their plates, In
stead OF painting plate cards for them?
think will charge Mrs. Fitch half
dollar more for each of these cards.
They were done to match her Italian
villa dining room, you know"
What | do know" pursued Pencil
ope's caller, lis that you are going
with me to Archie Hunters studio tea
this afternoon. The way you have
shut yourself off from all of us, just
because your father dropped money in
the wrong copper mine, is inexcusable.
Pen-there are so many who loved you
in spite of your money and love you
more now because you haven't any
won't you Gomez"
st. Anthony himself couldn't refuse
| you, Kathie," said Penelope, pushing
aside her work Il am going, and
what is more, l shall wear my new
spring frock, made over from one that
| last year / might have given to my
maid"
Penelope could say such things with
| out touch of bitterness. She seemed
rather to glory In the fact that she was
self supporting able to face the world
which had promised her so much and
tAcn "leAuiaWn w ny pOcllllcdi SHllleS
Through the open door of Hunters
studio came the click of teacups and a
/ confused murmur of well bred voices.
Jolly glad to see you" exclaimed
| Hunter, looking up into Penelope's
! gray blue eyes. Sometimes he had
thought that If he could have looked
down instead of up, she might have
said Yes" instead of mo"
Isn't 1t a good crowd today? You
see, | had something special to bring
/ fhrnrna Inn - IL