Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1907-06-20
BY ". S. ODLIN.
Copyright. 1907, bp Homer Spsu0ue.

NJ
criticise the kings guard.
IS Just the difference between
soldiery and what we see abroad.
very one of our lads holds posslbili-
les of doing big things. Foreign sol
liers are mere puppets"
Penelope replied with conviction:
Il 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! II
you behave this way over the first
handsome man you see in uniform,
how will you feel by the time we have
attended a few receptions and met the
real nobility, rising young diplomats
and all that sort of thingT
Thoroughly dlsgusted, l presume"
said Penelope coldly, land hope we
shall not go to any receptions where
tiny men, with waXed mustaches and
mincing steps, will 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 80 seldom that
I meet man whom I 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 aunt's
indignant reply. why, these special
guards of the king are gathered In the
north of Italy solely for their height,
the gmdebook 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 eros.
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
Gobelln 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,
bot the man looked straight ahead.
She crossed to the window, resting her
head wearily on her gloved hand. Her
glance Travelled over the great court
yard of the palace, while Mrs. Ham
neil 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 farm! 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 Nl.a 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
looked back into the room. Lovely
shadows softened the gift frames and
furniture, red and blues blended into
puTpie, 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 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-
sfons. The natives are learning Eng
lish, the better to do you, my dearr"
Penelope Gardiner held off the plate
card at arms length and studied it
critically.
lts lovely, Fen 49, you ought to
charge more for your work You could
get 1t, you know. Rich women love to
patronize girls like you
who once ate Off their plates, in
stead Of painting plate cards for them2
I think will charge Mrs. Fitch half a
dollar more for each of these cards
They were done to match her Italian
Villa diIing room. you know"
What l do know" pursued Penei-
ope's caller, is that you are going
with me to Archie Hunters studio tea
fhis afternoon. The way you have
smut yourself Off from all of us. inst
because your father dropped money in
The wrong copper mine, Is inexcusabl
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 come7"
st. Anthony himself couldn't refuse
you, Kathie." said Penelope, pushing
Ashe her work. II am going, and
What Is more, I shall wear my new
spring frock, made over from one that
last year l might have given to my
maid"
Penelope could say such things with.