Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1907-05-24
Old WOrId
And NezV.
BY W. S. ODLIN.
Copyright, 1907, bu Homer Sprd0ue.

{itrsr~~|<~||||<|||| ~f|~|>rr <Sr'>r~r~r~',
HE looks as if he were one of the
statues, just a part of this wonderful
picture of the old Italy and the new
rolled into one" unused Penelope Gar
diner. HE is really more than life
size-slx feet four If he is an inch"
Her aunt, Mrs. Hammel, 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 being"
Mrs. Hammelrs voice had executed
a gradual crescendo, and Penelope
reached forth a 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
81 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 gasred and closed her
Baedeker with Il 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, l presume"
said Penelope coldly, land l 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 so seldom that
l meet a man whom l could look up
to- ended Penelope. with a sigh for
her five feet eleven inches of graceful
slenderness. 81 was considering him
only as an abstract quantity, 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 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
light beckoned to her. The martial
| figure at the entrance so close to the
| Gobeln 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 hel
head YEARLY on her gloved hand. Hell
| glance Travelled over the great court
yard of the palace, while Mrs. Ham
nell completed her tour of the tapestry
! hung walls
HE understood Englsh-every wore
we said. How intolerably stupid of us
on Il 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, it:
drives and walks? Why must she
spend days and days In musty churche.
and hideously garish palaces? She
looked back into the room Lovely
shadows softened the gilt frames anC
furniture, red and blues blended int
purple, and the uniformed figure RICH
faced abruptly. He had dared t
watch her as she stood thus at thu
window. Well, it served her right TO
talking about human beings as If the!
were statues or curios.
That night she wrote in her diary:
spent entire afternoon in the roya
palace. Tapestries remarkable, bu
rather boring Bedrooms reserved TO
various royal guests reminded me o.
Waldorf-Astoria. Were not permitted
to enter royal suit, of course, bu