The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-04-06
THE EVENING STOR Y
Old World and New.

statues, Just a part of this wonderful
picture of the old Italy and the new
rolled into one," unused Penelope Gard
iner. 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
| helmet, my dear child, and his high
heeled boots. Wouldn't you think he'd
head of the grand staircase? Did you
ever see SO much gilt braid and shiny
| leather on one human being?"
Mrs. Hammell's voice had executed a
| gradual crescendo, and Penelope reach
| ed forth 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 possibilities
| of doing big things. Foreign soldiers
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
tapestry knight, setting out to fight for
his true love-
Mrs. Hammell gasped and closed her
Baedeker with a snap.
MY dear Penelope, I 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 at
tended few receptions and met the
real nobility, rising young diplomats
and all that sort of thing
Thoroughly Disguised, 1 presume"
said Penelope coldly. And hope we
shall not go to any receptions where
tiny men with waxed mustachios
and mincing steps will look through
my backbone to daddys newly ac-
Quired bank account. 1t is because
looks as If he could move heaven and
earth to achieve for the women he
loved that 1 was studying him. 1t is
so seldom that I meet man whom
could look up to- ended Penelope
with a sigh for her five feet eleven
inches of graceful slenderness. II was
considering him only as an abstract
quantity, a hypothetical man, so to
speak,
'I 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 guide book says, and no doubt he
was found grubbing in some wretch
ed 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
ian open window the soft Italian sun
light beckoned to her. The martial
0Euf6 at the entrance SO ClOSS " tAAO
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 unmistak-
able 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 courtyard of the palace. while
Mrs. HammelI 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 a farm No wonder these
foreigners think we Americans are
rude. We are SO secure and snug in
our ignorance of their language that
we can not 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, it's
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,
reds and blues blended into purple-and
the uniformed figure rtght-faced
abruptly! He had dared to watch her
as she stood thus at the window! Well,
it served her right for talking about
human beings as If they were statutes
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
WaIdorf-Astoria. Were not permitted
to enter royal suite, of course, but heard
laughter OF royal children through fold
ing doors, and a hurdy- gurdy playing
in what must have been the nursery.
Italy is place of disillusions. The ma
tives are learning English, the better to
do you, my dear?
Penelope Gardner held off the plate
card at arms length but studied it
critically.
TITS lovely. Pen-you ought to charge
more for your work-you could get It,
you know Rich women love to patron |
ize girls like you
WHO once ate of their plates. instead
of painting plate cards for them?
think I Will charge Mrs. Fitch half a
They were done to match her italian
villa dining room, you know"
What I do know" pursued Pene- |
lope's caller, rs 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 thsrwrong !
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 conner"
st Anthony himself couldn't refuse 1
you. Kathie" said Penelope, pushing |
aside her work. 81 am going, and what |
is more I shall wear my new spring |
frock. trade over from one that last |
year might have given to my maid" !
Penelope could say such things with |
out a touch of bitterness. She seemed |
G1, ~
self-supporting, able to face the world |
which had promised her SO much and |