The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1911-02-08
By F. A. mitchell


drinking the wine of the country
They were both descended from fami-
lies that had been prominent several
centuries ago, the one from Barbarni.
the other from the Sforza. Count Leo
Barbarini was speaking TO Prince Bru
nelli Sforza.
$50 the fair American has refused
you toor'
"She has" snapped the prince.
"You do not seem well pleased with
your failure"
"Were you pleased with yoursT'
"Oh, there are more of these Amer
lean fish as good as any that were
ever caught in the sea. I shall try
again elsewhere"
'I would like" replied Prince Sfor-
"a, "to palm Off upon her some low
born man as prince with fortune"
att would require at least a thousand
Nra even to dress him."
81 can borrow that much.'
"And I can raise a thousand more
We can place his estates in some in
accessible country"
"Goodr' laughed the prince. your
suggestions are admirable Shall we
really try it,"
"By all means"
Soon after this interview 1t was in
timated to Miss Evaline Henderson Of
Idaho, U. S. A, that Prince Gregorio
Oolonna desired to be presented TO
her. The Colonna family was al
ready known to Miss Henderson as
one of the two great factions-the
0olonna and the Orsini-that dominat-
ed Rome during the middle ages. She
had not come to the Eternal City with
out preparing herself by historical
reading to enjoy its antiquities and
was curious to see a lineal descendant
of family that had taken so great a
part in past struggles between the
holy Roman empire and the papacy.
She therefore received Prince Colonna
graciously.
Prince Gregorio had been selected to
play his part more from his personal
appearance than his intellect or edu-
cation, though he was really above his
business, which was that of waiter at
n hotel at Frascatti. He was tall, mas
sive and solemn as the column stand
ing In the piazza named for his Sup
posed ancestors beside the Corso in
Rome. His hair was combed straight
up from his forehead, and his mus
tache was elevated from the line
of his lips at an angle of forty-flve
degrees. His estates had been near
Perugia; but, they having passed
away, he had invested money in ST
berian mines that had made him rich
The only means he had of palmng
himself off as a real Colonna was the
1000 Ira furnished by Count Barha
Nni and Prince Sforza, the reading Of
q brief history of his ancestors and
these Siberian mines, which were not
likely to be hunted up by Miss Hen
dersOn. But his chief attraction VIZ.
his personnel. No American can visit
Italy without being impressed with
the solemn grandeur of some of theil
knights of the napkin whose battle.
ground is the restaurant and whose
fortunes consist of American tips
Prince Colonna was one of the mos
magnificent of these.
Now, the American girl is regarded
all over Europe as a wonder Euro
peans are used to their own girls. who
are guarded till after their marriace
and must then endeavor to throw of!
that want of familiarity with the
world to which they had been there
tofore doomed. The American girl b.,
rriY 10 Ho, IL.
crib. Miss Henderson was as wei!
able to take care of herself as a corps
of guardians and duennas could have
taken care of her.
The day after the presentation Hen
~ Blackwelder, a young man from
South Dakota, who raised wheu.
enough in one season to fill half !;
dozen elevators, came to Rome for tn
purpose of getting from Miss Hender
son reply to a suit of several years
standing. He came at Il very inoppor
tune time. Prince Calonna had just
appeared on the scene and had evi
IDENTIFY been very much struck witt
Miss Henderson. Mr.. Blackweldel
could not make out whether Miss Hen
derson was bent upon assuming Prince
Gregorios historical name or whether
she was laughing at him. The prince
had the good taste never to mention
his family glory unless compelled t.
do so. When Blackwelder and Colon
ma and Miss Henderson were together
the latter expatiated to the American
on the marvellous deeds of the Colon
mas of old, showing a remarkable fa
niliarity with them-indeed, familiar
ity which at times would startle tn
prince htDoself, especially when sh
gave the names of five Colonnas h
had not met with in his historical stud
ies, who had been hanged before tn
castle of st. Angelo.
Nothing will so fret man, especiall
man in love, as uncertainty. If Mis-
Henderson had announced her inten
ton to buy her way in among the CO
lonnas or If she had openly made flu
Of the prince Blackweder would hav
settled down to his fate, whatever
Uas Unfortunately she seemed to n