The Wheat Princess

t evening, and the Copleys descended and climbed the stairs, at peace with Villa Vivalanti and its thirty miles. Though it wa

ch threw its reflection upon Gerald's white sailor-suit and little bare knees as he sat back solemnly in a carved Sa

an' he said it was lots better van Marcia's t

, Gerald, you mustn't tell such shocking tales, or your mother will never leave me alone with the tea-things again

type of the cosmopolitan; it would have taken a second, or very possibly a third, glance to determine his nationality. But if the expression of his face were Italian, Oriental, anything you ple

he said as he held out his hand; 'I d

Rome to-day? What's the news on the

ugh as she drew off her glove

ncle Howard thirsting for news already! What he will d

've taken the v

ia n

his is the first time that Prince Vivalanti has ever co

man laughed; 'and do you accept his r

say that his responsibilities rest bu

's true

u know

ld be hard to find in all the Sabine hills. The people's love for their prince

Every person there looks as if he had just walked out of a water-colour sketch. Even Un

ugh I have a sneaking suspicion that we may find it rather f

razy over it yourself. You signed the lease

my dear Marcia, at th

nt of th

Rome, you would give a party every day; and if that isn't the point

And turning to Marcia, he added, 'I am afraid that

and returned: 'No, indeed, Mr. Sybert; you are mistaken there. It is no

d, appeared in the doorway. 'Marietta is waiting

mother and raised

me stay up to dinne

ranton's relentless face, she returned: 'No, my dear, you have had enough festiv

himself behind Sybert. ''Cause Sybert's her

er Gerald; your supper's getting cold,' and she lai

' laughed Copley. 'I trem

s he ran his eyes over them one by one, he tore them in pieces and formed a new pile at his left. They were begging letters for the most part. He received a great many, a

ither his motives of his actions, she made no complaint. To most men a fortune is a blessing. To Copley it was rather in the nature of a curse. He might have amounted to almost anything had he had to work for it; but for the one field of activity which a fortune in America seems to entail upon its owner-that of entering the arena and doubling and tripling it-he was singularly unfitted both by temperament and inclination. In this he differed from his elder brother. And there

Mrs. Copley breathlessly suggested a year in Paris for the sake of Gerald's French; the child was only four, but one could not, as she justly pointed out, begin the study of the languages too early. Her husband apathetically consenting, they embarked for Paris by the roundabout route of the Mediterranean, landed in Naples, and there they stayed. He had found a fascinating occupation ready to his hand-that of helping on the work of good government in this

and that reforming Italian posterity was perhaps an harmless a way as he could have devised. She settled herself very contentedly to the enjoyment of

face traced with fine lines, a sharply cut jaw, and a mouth which twitched easily into a smile. To-night, however, as he ripped open envel

d shortly, tossing

ange of expression, and leaning over

ail doesn't seem to afford you m

's anonymous, and no

ct if you will hound those

e letter in question had nothing to do with beggars, but Mr. Co

an anonymous letter,' he remarked, shrugging the matter f

used the cup

,' he declared, 'after

hearing some bad stories about you to-day. My ni

; when he once commenced teasing ther

Sybert humbly. 'W

out that you ar

d, and Marcia f

'give me time to get out of the countr

ard it, for I knew that you haven't energy enough to run away from a bomb, much

etter opinion of me than

etter opinion of you than most peop

ed his thanks, while he turne

ti will prove more success

hat horrible man! I never think of him with

her husband returned. 'He is whe

rcia, emerging from

s never heard of the tattooed

an! What are yo

theatrical ring,' M

dded to her niece, 'your uncle, with his usual recklessness, got mixed up with one of the secret societies. Our villa was out toward Posilipo, and one

n armed to the teeth sprang up in

ning forward delightedly. 'Aunt

polite bow, he said that unless we left Naples in three days your uncle's life would no longer be safe. His shirt was open at the throat, and there was a crucifi

laughed at

you do?' M

k, and Gerald, poor child,

you leave

put in; 'but we postponed our departure long enough

they had the decency to

up with murders and warnings and tattooed men and secr

charming person-though I am not sure that it would have made any

e one's a girl one is always shut up in the ho

bert suggested, 'you may possibly hav

the Camorra makin

ss all signs fail, there is a pros

? Here

I am sorry,' he added, 'since you seem to find them so entertaining, that we can't promise you a rio

there are any riots in Naples, I'm going down to see

young lady, will amuse yourself at Villa Vivalanti unt

again. Mrs. Copley afforded their

rvants' quarters, and room in the st

t have kept up an establishme

too,' she added. 'We're going to give a house-party when the Roystons come down from Paris, and-I know what we'll do! We'll give a

hing to say about i

n't have,'

s villa was that I thought it was far enough

party every day, while as it is I'm only pl

on't come to it

d Mr. Sybert wo

d find two such charming

hem,' returned Ma

tons, Miss Marcia

came over with last fall

t? Yes, I

s his aunt, and she h

ins,' suggest

nd a great deal of time over here-at least Mrs. Roy

opley, 'stays in America a

or go over quite often to ke

s of them,' S

ferent places,' pursued Marcia. 'Eleanor,' she added ruminatingly, 'h

ncle; 'and you are propo

she glanced at Sybert and laughed. 'If she shou

looked about for his hat. 'Goodness

ia regarded him with a spe

ertainly ought to have her hand in,' Copley agreed. 'Perh

s hat and pause

cia,' he said, with a shake of his head.