The Oakes times., 1907-08-29
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.......By ". S. ODLIN.
Copyright, 1907, bu Homer Sprague.

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"He looks as If he were one of the
statues, just part of this wonderful
picture Of the old Italy and the new
rolled into one," mused Penelope Gar
liner. "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
gradual crescendo, and Penelope
reached forth q protesting hand.
"Don't speak SO loud, auntie, dear.
He might understand"
But the great, square shouldered fig
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 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 disgusted, I presume" !"
said Penelope coldly, land I 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 IL he
could move heaven and earth to
achieve for the woman he loved that I
was studying him. It Is SO seldom that
I meet a man whom could look up
to-" ended Penelope, with sigh for
her five feet eleven inches of graceful
slenderness. II was considering him
only as an abstract quantity, hypo-
thetical man, SO to speak"
II should hope so," was her aunt's
indignant reply. N"Why, these special
guards Of the king are gathered in the
north of Italy solely for their height,
the guidebook 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 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 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 fol
talking about human beings as IL 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 hurdy
gurdy playing in what must have been
the nursery. Italy is place Of disillu-
sions. The natives are learning Eng.
lish, the better to do you, my dear!
- =
Penelope Gardiner held of the plate
card at arms length and studied II
critically.
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