The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1919-05-13
An Insistent
Insult
(Copyright.)
BY FIELD DoUoAL

in Lucca the train was almost clank-
ing out.
"Prontip yelled the little-legged
conductor, and the engine began it's
penny whistle toot.
There was no time to hunt for COM
partment reserved for women only.
Barbara dashed for the nearest door
and climbed in just as the wheels,
creaked starting. She waved a hand
to the Partridges, the friends whom
she left behind.
There was a question ventured from
them relative to women travelling
alone.
81 guess an American girl can take
care Of herself" Barbara answered
jauntily. "But you may telegraph the
Bensons to meet the train in Florence.
! forgot that"
Then distance reduced her to "By-
by and another wave Of the hand.
The compartment was empty, any
way, except that in the farther corner
was an Italian, come from Pisa, doubt
less. But he was asleep and didn't
matter.
She slapped open the Ruskin that
had been the cause of the Partridges'
discontinue.
Mornings in Florence" it was, and
she read Before the Sedan" in antici-
patton of new visit to Santa Croce.
Oh, dear, there was so much to see
Che hnTnd oh
of it when she got back to Detroit.
Her woman's club wanted her to talk
on the history Of italian art she talked
very well for a girl of twenty-four. If
she did think it herself.
At Pistoja a man climbed in at the
door opposite, without jolting the Ital-
ian. Barbara slapped open her book
again, and read 1.-THE Golden Gate"
She must remember that Ghirlandajo
wasn't great, after all; Ruskin said so.
She didn't deign to notice the intruder.
who sat down opposite tie sleeper
But the intruder apparently deigned
to notice her. She could catch hint
of sight of him out Of the corner Of
her eye, enough to know. Well, he
had reason; though Barbara only half
admitted to herself she admitted 1t.
Now, however, the newcomer actual
ly dared to move over and sit opposite
her. She was too deep in Ruskin to
care, of course, but 1t was queer. And,
WE'LL neverl Was he speaking to
herf
OF fpn eli ovfv
Barbara looked up blankly. She
SKINNED details; brown hair and eyes,
good eyebrows, clean-cut face; thirty
FIVE, she thought, perhaps little more.
Suppose 1 do?" Barbara answered
pertly.
"Well, then-perhaps- will ala
low me to talk to you?" the man re-
piled, In the information Of the British
Isle.
"Why should II" said Barbara.
"We're both English"
I'm not, and you know it. / sup
pose you think that you can talk to
me because Pm an American. You,
English always think us unconventioni
al. So we are, but" Barbara paus-
ed, breathless. She was taking care
of herself.
II didn't mean to offend you-really.
beg your pardon"
He said it like a gentleman. Bar
bara felt she had been rude.
"Pm not offended" she said annie
ably. 'It's Just my way"
"American?" quizzically. Seeing his
eyes, she liked him for the slap.
Perhaps; but I'm too patriotic to
admit it."
He looked at her.
''You must forgive me for speaking
to you. / have a reason"
Barbara did not blurt the "Well, 1
neverl" but it thumped inside of her.
Then she fell to glancing at the only
reason conceivable, and was pleased.
'You may talk if you wish. What
do you want to talk about2"
He cast a half-glance at the Ruskin
in her lap.
"You are interested in painting%
he suggested.
Eyes. I'm looking it up. Been to
Lucca to see the Fra Bartolommeos
interesting influence on Raphael"
She poured the phrases headlong. The
stranger smiled.
"You Americans are very energetic"
he said.
"Don't you care about pictures"
''Oh, yes" he answered, "in a lazy
way. have a few at home-old fam
fly Vandykes, you know, and some por-
traits of the eighteenth century. I'm
looking a bit about me here. Been to
Pistoja for a few days, looking for a
Lorenzo di Credi; staying now at
Prato for few days-the elder Lippi
at his best, you know, all over the
choir"
eyes, / know. / haven't seen the
Prato frescos yet; but I'm going to run
out to them from Florence"
"Why don't you stop off now at
Prato2 Well soon be there. I'd like
to show the pictures to you. There's
another train for Florence in two
hours"
This time Barbara did blurt out:
"Well, 1 neverl"
Then she added, with pert, offended
dignity:
"My friends will meet me in Flor
ence station"
She italicized the sentence as she
spoke 1t, to show the man that she
was well protected.
81 shall read my Ruskin till I get
tbers," she added saucily, ripping the
book open upside down.