Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1915-01-21
A Wild West
Girl Abroad
By DELLA BREWERTON

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 ard rider and
could stand any amount Of exposure.
By campfire under tree she slept
more comfortably than in 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
so 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 TWEEN
ty miles distant from her home by 4
dozen or more cowboys, each one of
whom would have attacked regiment
Of wildcats to win u smile from her.
When the train moved off they were
drawn up in line beside the track on
horseback and fired 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.
one 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 acquaintance 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 us being thor
| oughly good girl, did not dare counte
| nance her.
This troubled her. Why it was that
| innumerabe men were markedly at
tentive to her and few women seemed
to care to be intimate with her she
could not understand. One elderly
American lady who realized her inno-~
cence endeavored to caution her by
telling her that in land full Of crimi--
nails it was not safe to go about alone.
Helen did not know what fear was
the caution. continued to go about
without chaperon.
But one day her eyes were opened
very suddenly and very wide. While
visiting Pompeii with 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 grizzly bear.
which, for reasons best known to it.
self. retreated on sight, but had been
| brought down by ball from her rifle.
She did not regard Prince Leonardo oil
! 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 mans methods
Helen concealed the fact that she
had overheard the slurring remark and
finished her visit to Pompeii without
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 a man who had spoken con-
temptuously Of Il woman he loved and
respected. He replied that he would
| call the man out under the code duello.
The next morning Di Giuda received
a note written in feminine hand ana
signed I'll Co. 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 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 1t
very probable it was. He decided to
| grant the interview.
At the hour named. well armed to
guard against treachery, he drove up
in a carriage to the appointed place
and. alighting. walked into field dim
" lighted. No one was near. and, real
izing the character of many OF the
lower grade Of people of Naples, he
kept his hand on his revolver. Sudden
ly a figure stepped out from behind
bush and, throwing back cloak. re-
vealed a woman.
"Signorina Gorton?" exclaimed De
Giuda.
81 am"
II assure you / feel highly honored
at your request to meet you Whar
can l do for you"
"Sign this paper"
She handed him q 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 cause.
II will not sign that" he said
Every WELL" replied Helen, stepping
from him some ten PAGES; you may
draw | will not shoot you down like
a dog
The man attempted to argue. but a