Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1907-08-30
ROCKVILLE. MARYLAND. FRIDAY MORNING. AUGUST 80 1907
old 'WOrL
And NezV.
BY W, S. oDLIN.
copptOnt. 1907, BY Homer spraous.

~ n
&ssSSsSssSsSSSSSSSsSS$s<eeHsH
HE looks as IL be were one Of the
statues, just part of this wonderful
picture of the old Italy and the now
rolled into one," unused Penelope Gar
diner HE is really more than life
size-sIx feet four IL he is an inch"
Her aunt, Mrs. Hammeli, swung
around sharply.
'who2 Oh, that guard? 1t IL his he'll
met, my dear CHI. and his high hGeled
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-
err on one human beingT"
Mrs. Hammells voice had executed
gradual crescendo. and Penelope
reached forth protesting hand.
Don't speak 80 loud, alntie, 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 poasibili-
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! 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 Disguised. presume"
said Penelope coldiy. "and hope we
shall not go to any receptions where
tiny men, with waxed mustaches and
mincing steps, will look through my
OuNhDOho w uuAuJ y hCWy uS4uAECu
bank account. It is because that man
Is so big, 30 strong and looks as lf he
could move heaven and earth to
achieve for the woman he loved that l
was studying him. 1t is 30 seldom that
l meet a man whom I could look up
to-" ended Penelope, with Sigh for
her Ave feet eleven inches Of graceful
slenderness. II was considering Him
only as an abstract quantity, u 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 guideboOk says, and no doubt he
was found grubblng 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 30 close to the
GobeIln 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
glnnce 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 lntolerably stupid of usl
And auntie said he probably grubbed
on a 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 walks2 Why must she
spend days and days In musty churches
and hldeously garish palaces2 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 AZ she stood thus at tho
Window Well, 1t served her right for
talking about human beings as II 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. We're 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 IL place of dLslllu-
sions. The natives are learning Eng
Iish, the better to do you. my dearw
Penelope Gardiner held of the plate
card at arms length and studied 1t
critically.
TITS lovely, Pen - you ought to
charge more for your work. You could
get IT, you know. Rich women love to
Datronize girls like you
who once ate of their plates, in
stead of painting plate cards for themf
think I 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