The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1914-12-18
A Wild West
Girl Abroad
By DELLA BEAVERTON

SAS Wv ~ q II al. Sue
was born on her fathers ranch and
lived on it till she was fourteen years
Of age. then was sent east to school.
She was no great student. not because
It was hard for her to learn. but be-
cause she was pining for the wild life
of the west
At eighteen she returned to her home
and resumed her former habits. She
was an excellent shot aud rider and
could stand any amount OF exposure.
By a campfire under a tree she slept
more comfortably than in q bed.
Helen was obstinate. When she was
twenty and announced to her father
that she was going to Europe to visit
those countries Of which she had heard
50 much he knew that it would be USE
less to attempt to stop her.
When Helen departed she was es.
corted to a railroad station some twen-
ty miles distant from her home by q
dozen or more cowboys. each n Of
whom would have attacked a regiment
Of wildcats to win a smile from her.
When the train moved off they were
drawn up in line beside the track on
horseback and fired a salute from their
revolvers. which she returned from
one she carried slung to her waist un.
der the skirt of her dress.
Helen first saw the old world in the
Pillars of Hercules. two mountains,
Il on either side of the. strait Of Gil
braltar, and landed not many miles
from the base of Vesuvius When a
month had passed she had not yet left
Naples. She made acquaintances rap
idly, but SO unconventional were her
ways in that land of conventionality
for women that members of her own
seX, even though they understood her
and looked upon her as being a thor
oughly good girl. did not dare counte.
nance her.
This troubled her. Why it was that
innumerable men were markedly at
tentive to her and few women seemed
to car to he intimate with her she
could not understand. One elderly
American lady who realized her limo.
GIN CLuCNN W uCl "
telling her that in a land full of crimi-
mails it was not safe to go about alone
Helen did not know what fear was
and. misunderstanding the purport Of
the caution. continued to 60 about
without a chaperon.
But one day her eyes were opened
very suddenly and very wide. While
visiting Pompeii with a party she over
heard an Italian prince make disparag.
ing remarks about that American
GIRL" it being plain that he referred to
her. She was not only wounded in
spirit, but indignant, the former feel
ing giving place to the latter. She
had once confronted a grizzly bear,
which. for reasons best known to it.
self. retreated on sight. but had been
brought down by a ball from her rifle.
She did not regard Prince Leonardo di
Giuda as formidable as the grizzly. and
she was not sufficiently versed in for
eign ways to know that it was not
considered a lady's part to protect her
good name by a mans methods.
Helen concealed the fact that she
had overheard the slurring remark and
any one knowing that she was hot with
indignation. On the way back to Ma
pies she asked one Of the gentlemen
Of the party. an Italian, what he would
do to q man who had spoken con
temptuously Of a woman be loved and
~oo~o,Aoa M ~on1io1 <hot ho uynv116
call the nan out under the code duello.
The next morning Di Giuda received
a note written in a feminine hand and
signed H. c." asking him to meet
her in a certain retired spot that she
named on the outskirts Of Naples that
night at II o'clock. Without the sign
ed initials Di Giuda would have look
ed upon the note as a trap to enable
| some one to rob him. He was not sure
the note was genuine; but. with his
opinion of Helen GortOn, he thought it
very probable it was. He decided to
grant the interview.
At the hour named. we'll armed to
guard against treachery, he drove up
in Il carriage to the appointed place
and. alighting, walked into Il field dim.
" lighted. No one vas near. and, real
izing the character Of many of the
lower grade of people of Naples, he
kent his hand on his revolver. Sudden
ly ii figure stepped out from behind a
bush and. throwing back a cloak, re-
vealed a woman.
"Signorina Gorton?" exclaimed De
Giuda.
Il am"
II assure you l feel highly honored
at your request to meet you. What
can | do for you?"
"Sign this paper"
She handed him & paper and pro-
duced a light from under her cloak by
which he read it. 1t was an acknOwl-
edgment that he was beneath contempt
to have attacked a woman's reputation
without aus
81 will not sign that" he said.
"Very WELL" replied Helen, stepping
from him some ten PAGES: you may