AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 WV. OF CALIF. LIBRAAY. LOS
 
 
 Raphael, ir/iom Iro, irlicti in hix hcst mood, resembled.
 
 AN AMERICAN 
 MADONNA 
 
 A STORY OF LOVE 
 By 
 
 MARY IVES TODD 
 
 'And tell me horv Love goelh ? 
 
 'that was not Love that went.'" 
 
 1909 
 
 THE BINGHAMTON BOOK MFG. CO. 
 NEW YORK
 
 COPYRIGHT, 1908, 
 BY MARY IVES TODD
 
 To 
 
 My sisters, Jennie and Vina; 
 Loyal wives; devoted mothers; staunch 
 
 friends; 
 Queens of Home! 
 
 M. I. T. 
 
 2133207
 
 CHAPTER I
 
 Of the true predestined love alone do I speak 
 here. When Fate sends forth the woman it 
 has chosen for us sends her forth from the 
 fastnesses of the great spiritual cities in which 
 we live, all unconsciously, and she awaits us at 
 the crossing of the road we have to traverse 
 when the hour has come we are warned at the 
 first glance. 
 
 MAURICE MAETERLINCK. 
 
 Jt-
 
 An American Madonna 
 
 CHAPTER I 
 
 The Niobe of nations ! There she stands 
 Childless and crownless in her voiceless woe. 
 
 BYRON. 
 
 OH, Rome! How magnificent hast 
 thou been! . . . But, alas, how 
 cruel I . . . Truly, thou hast 
 richly deserved thy fate! 
 These words were slowly and thoughtfully 
 uttered by a young lady, Harriet White by 
 name, as her father and herself sat on their fine 
 but restive horses, gazing in sadness and awe 
 at the most stupendous and thrilling ruin in 
 a world of ruins! Indeed this ruin repre- 
 sented all that was left of what had once been 
 a wondrously vast, almost inconceivably mag- 
 nificent work of art. Ah, and to think, that 
 notwithstanding its prodigious cost and mar- 
 velous, gorgeous beauty, it has contributed 
 more to the undoing and degradation of great
 
 10 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 multitudes of people than any other building, 
 past or present, reared by man. Since, within 
 its walls, vast numbers of men, women and 
 children were taught to love idleness, low 
 pleasures, and reckless cruelty. Nay, in a thou- 
 sand hideous spectacles, they learned to take 
 delight not only in the long, protracted, tortur- 
 ing death struggles of countless dumb crea- 
 tures, but, likewise, of human beings, male and 
 female, Christian and pagan. Prematurely 
 cut short in this revolting manner were the 
 lives of some of the loveliest, bravest, noblest 
 heroes that ever dared to descend to our bloody 
 globe and assume mortal robes of flesh. For 
 this huge, slowly decaying structure, once so 
 truly representative of Rome in the height of 
 her magnificence, was the Coliseum. 
 
 There it stands ; in the new Rome of to-day 
 the most grand, the most solemn, the most 
 mournful, and the most impressive object-les- 
 son of the past. 
 
 As Mr. White and his daughter finally 
 turned their horses about, in order to leisurely 
 pursue their ride, a newspaper, caught by the
 
 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 11 
 
 wind, came swirling through the air, attacking 
 viciously and blinding for an instant Har- 
 riet's fiery, black horse. Quick as lightning 
 the horse reared high in the air, then rushed 
 madly forward, emulating the wind which had 
 tossed the paper into his flashing eyes. Har- 
 riet tried to calm the mad beast. As well might 
 she have endeavored to control the subtle cur- 
 rent of air in its swift course. To add to her 
 discomfiture the saddle began to slip to one 
 side. In order to keep from being dashed un- 
 der the animal's flying feet, Harriet was 
 obliged to secure a firm hold of the horse's 
 mane with one hand, while with the other she 
 held on to one of the pommels of the sliding 
 saddle. As the beast continued his flight she 
 realized that her hands were becoming par- 
 alyzed with their tense grip. She could not 
 hope to hold on much longer. 
 
 It was when things looked their darkest that 
 two Italian soldiers, the one a captain and the 
 other a lieutenant, saw her predicament. These 
 officers had but lately returned from military 
 service in Africa, where they had met with
 
 12 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 many a thrilling and hair-raising experience, 
 and had learned a trick or two in the handling 
 of horses. When they saw the mad black 
 beast coming toward them full tilt, they imme- 
 diately took measures to intercept his danger- 
 ous flight. It was arranged that the Lieuten- 
 ant should make a dash for the bridle while 
 the Captain was to vault on the horse's neck 
 and give his windpipe a strangling embrace. 
 
 On came the mad beast. Swift as thought 
 the Lieutenant made a grasp for the bridle, 
 seized it, and held on. The Captain, too, had 
 been sucessful had landed on the neck of the 
 beast, had stuck, and lost no time in choking 
 the creature without mercy, until he perforce 
 stopped, almost ready to drop. 
 
 Harriet, having extricated herself from her 
 perilous situation, was quickly joined by Cap- 
 tain Bruno, who looked anxiously into her 
 countenance to see if she were going to faint. 
 He wished to be ready to support her in case 
 of need. Observing his look of apprehension 
 she smiled reassuringly, and for an instant her 
 beautiful eyes looked straight into his dark,
 
 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 13 
 
 handsome ones. Like an electric current, the 
 glance seemed to penetrate every fiber of his 
 being, and to set them vibrating in an exquisite 
 manner. It was all he could do to keep from 
 dropping on his knees and adoring her, as if 
 she were indeed a Madonna straight from 
 heaven. Ah, but she had stopped smiling and 
 had begun to speak to him in the most musical 
 of tones so deep, so tender, so true ! He must 
 perforce wake from his dream of bliss and lis- 
 ten. It was not often that Harriet's speaking 
 voice was quite the musical instrument that 
 was now uttering simple, commonplace words. 
 Though she looked calm and was unshaken in 
 deportment, yet the great peril she had been 
 in had affected her tones and made them un- 
 usually clear, sweet, penetrating. 
 
 " Not in the least," she said. Then, as Lieu- 
 tenant Mayer stepped up, holding the bridle 
 of the panting horse, she remarked gayly, 
 " Ah, gentlemen, I am so happy to meet you I 
 To be able to witness your gallant exploit is 
 well worth my hazardous ride." 
 
 As Harriet finished speaking she held out
 
 14 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 her firm, ungloved hand, first to the Captain, 
 then to the Lieutenant. This handshaking on 
 Harriet's part was of that frank, close, tender 
 character which expressed more truly the debt 
 of gratitude she owed than any words could 
 have done. Besides, she gave the Captain an- 
 other straight glance as she did so, which, com- 
 ing so close as it did on the heels of the other, 
 made him wildly desire to prostrate himself 
 at her feet. 
 
 However, sanity quickly returned to the 
 Captain's brain, when he observed two men 
 riding swiftly up to where they stood. They 
 were Mr. White and his guide. The face of 
 the former was pallid with fear; a cold sweat 
 stood in drops on his capacious forehead, while 
 his breathing was labored. 
 
 Harriet immediately helped her father to 
 dismount, then took his hand sympathetically 
 in hers as she said, " You see, dear father, that 
 I am not in the least hurt. But I am so sorry 
 that you should have had such a fright." Turn- 
 ing to the two men by her side she exclaimed, 
 " These are the two gallant gentlemen who
 
 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 15 
 
 have saved my life just as my hands were go- 
 ing back on me." 
 
 By this time Mr. White had got the use of 
 his tongue, though he spoke with difficulty. 
 " Gentlemen, I beg of you to call upon me at 
 your earliest leisure, and give me an oppor- 
 tunity to relieve my heart of its burden of 
 gratitude." 
 
 " Altro! It is we who should be grateful 
 for the privilege of being able to serve so brave 
 and tenacious a young lady as your daughter 
 has proved herself to be. But, since it is your 
 wish that we call upon you, we shall do so 
 more particularly as we shall desire to learn if 
 neither your daughter nor yourself experience 
 any deleterious after-effects." 
 
 'Yes, indeed!" added Lieutenant Mayer, 
 " we shall be eager to learn if you remain well, 
 and the lady proves none the worse for her 
 thrilling and hazardous ride. She showed 
 great pluck and has the qualities for the mak- 
 ing of a great soldier." 
 
 Hearing so generous a compliment from 
 one who knew what he was talking about, Har-
 
 16 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 riet felt it incumbent upon herself to make the 
 Lieutenant a profound obeisance, whereupon 
 all laughed gayly, except Mr. White, who was 
 still breathing with difficulty. Observing this, 
 the guide said, " Signor White, shall I get a 
 cab?" 
 
 Mr. White bowed, and the guide rode away. 
 While this arrangement was being made the 
 Captain and Harriet were gazing anew into 
 each other's eyes the one pair so dark and 
 thrilling, the other so luminous and beautiful. 
 But little attention was being paid by these 
 two to the Lieutenant, who addressed himself 
 more particularly to Mr. White. By the time 
 the guide reappeared, accompanied by a fierce- 
 looking but hustling Jehu with a rather rusty 
 vehicle and an inferior-looking little horse, 
 Harriet had convinced herself that the Cap- 
 tain was the handsomest man she had ever 
 seen. A little later on she was to discover that 
 he was likewise the easiest man to fall desper- 
 ately in love with, and the hardest to forget.
 
 CHAPTER II
 
 DIGNITY OF TRADE 
 
 Men must eat, they must be clothed, they 
 must be housed. It is quite as necessary that 
 you should eat good food as that you should 
 read good books, listen to good music, hear good 
 sermons, and look upon beautiful pictures. 
 
 That is sacred rvhich serves. There are no 
 menial tasks. " He that is greatest among you 
 shall be your servant." The physical reacts 
 on the spiritual and the spiritual on the physi- 
 cal, and, rightly understood, they are one and 
 the same thing. We live in a world of spirit 
 and our bodies are the physical manifestation 
 of a spiritual thing. 
 
 We change men by changing their environ- 
 ment. Commerce changes environment and 
 gives us a better society. To supply water, 
 better sanitary appliances, better heating ap- 
 paratus, better food served in a more dainty 
 way these are tasks worthy of the highest 
 intelligence and devotion that can be brought 
 to bear upon them. 
 
 We have ceased to separate the secular from 
 the sacred. The way to help yourself is to help 
 humanity. The way to cheat humanity is to 
 cheat yourself. We benefit ourselves only as we 
 benefit others. 
 
 ELBERT HUBBARD.
 
 CHAPTER II 
 
 ON the following evening, but one of 
 the two gentlemen instrumental in 
 extricating Harriet White from a 
 situation fraught with peril, called 
 upon father and daughter. It was Lieutenant 
 Mayer, sturdy of build, swarthy as to com- 
 plexion, with hair like a raven's wing and eyes 
 to match in color, who, after a few pleasant 
 words by way of greeting, said very earnestly : 
 
 " I am sorry to inform you that my com- 
 rade is confined to his room with illness. In- 
 deed he is a dangerously sick man, with a rag- 
 ing fever, and is occasionally delirious." 
 
 " How very sad! " murmured Harriet, while 
 her countenance suddenly paled with appre- 
 hension. ' Why, how comes it that he should 
 be so ill, and so suddenly? He looked the pic- 
 ture of manly beauty and health last evening, 
 when we bade him adieu." 
 
 " It was excitement that g^Ve him a false 
 
 19
 
 20 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 appearance of ruddy health. The truth is, he 
 has been for some time slowly convalescing 
 after a very serious surgical operation." 
 
 " Indeed! " Harriet spoke but one word by 
 way of reply, her mind being full of eager 
 wonderment as to what had given occasion for 
 the dreaded knife of the surgeon. She did not 
 dare, however, to ask. Presently the Lieuten- 
 ant gratified her curiosity by relating Captain 
 Bruno's last gallant exploit in Africa, where, 
 with his company, he had suddenly turned de- 
 feat into victory, thus saving the prestige of 
 the white troops engaged, as well as the lives 
 of a group of Italian soldiers. But the Cap- 
 tain himself had been carried from the field 
 wounded so frightfully that it was thought he 
 would never live to see his native land again. 
 Nevertheless, when the hospital steamer ar- 
 rived in Rome he was still breathing, and, after 
 a very skilful operation, gradually grew 
 stronger. Had he been in his usual health 
 yesterday's trifling experience with the run- 
 away horse would not have imperiled his health 
 in the least. Under the circumstances, with a
 
 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 21 
 
 wound superficially healed, he might find it 
 hard to recover lost ground. 
 
 For a moment both Harriet and her father 
 remained silent. They were deeply affected 
 by what they had heard. Could it be possible 
 that yesterday's accident was, after all, to cost 
 thejife of a human being? " And that human 
 being so handsome, so easy to love," sighed 
 Harriet to herself. As for Mr. White, he 
 was thinking, " Thank God, that it did not 
 cost the_Jife,of my precious and only child! 
 But it is a bad business, as it is. I wonder w r hat 
 we ought to do under the circumstances?" 
 
 The Lieutenant, seeing both father and 
 daughter absorbed in sad reflections, continued 
 speaking, facing Harriet at the same time. 
 
 " I wish you could find it in your heart to 
 return with me, at least for a short call upon 
 my poor friend. Your presence at his bedside 
 now might give him a new chance for his life. 
 Ah, but you should hear him beg me in the 
 most beseeching manner to bring to him 
 'Raphael's American Madonna'! Something 
 in your countenance yesterday caused my
 
 22 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 friend to believe that he saw in your face a 
 strong resemblance to the Madonnas of our 
 greatest Madonna painter, Raphael. So, to- 
 day, whenever he is partially delirious he de- 
 mands, ' Comrade, bring Raphael's American 
 Madonna 1 Don't forget ! It is the American 
 one I want. Make no mistake! Hurry up! 
 Be off with you ! ' When I would bow in 
 meek response, hesitating a little what to do, 
 he would rise up in bed, with cheeks red as 
 poppies, frantically urging me to ' Go! go! 
 go ! * Of course I would have to disappear 
 a while. Then, when I would return, he would 
 give me the same orders over again. At last 
 he got so irritated at hearing me explain that 
 you would come as soon as a cab could bring 
 you that you were on the way and so on 
 any old thing I could think of to quiet him, 
 that he began to throw things at me. 
 Finally I hit upon an expedient which I hoped 
 would work like a charm. I had our most 
 beautiful nurse, about your height and form, 
 put on her street clothes with a hat much like 
 yours also a veil, contributed by another
 
 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 23 
 
 nurse. Now, I thought, I'm all right. He 
 will never know the difference, with his brain 
 in a dizzy whirl. Would you believe it? No 
 sooner did he glance into her eyes than the 
 poor sick Captain turned his back on us, and 
 buried his head in a pillow. We were obliged 
 to silently retreat, quite discouraged. You 
 see, Signer White, I was actually compelled to 
 come for your daughter." 
 
 " Yes, yes, I understand," commented Har- 
 riet's father. But he added nothing further, 
 and when the situation was becoming a little 
 painful, the Lieutenant suddenly laughed, 
 then explained: " Really, we have had a good 
 deal of amusement at the Captain's expense. 
 Our young doctor a raw substitute the 
 other one being still off on his vacation of a 
 humorous turn declared that the Captain, ill 
 as he was, had discovered what Italians, or, 
 indeed, all Europeans had failed to find 
 among Americans; that is, a woman of the 
 madonna type. He further declared that 
 ' America breeds clever women, handsome 
 women, intellectual women, brave, independ-
 
 24 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 ent women; but, madonna women! Dio mio, 
 never I* After that, whenever we would hear 
 the Captain pleading that Raphael's Amer- 
 ican Madonna be brought to his bedside, we 
 would laugh in spite of our anxiety about his 
 health." 
 
 Harriet understood perfectly her father's 
 reluctance to have her meet again the hand- 
 some captain. His clear mind saw danger 
 ahead, and whenever in the past anything 
 seemed to menace his plans in respect to Har- 
 riet, he had said to himself, " This must be 
 nipped 1 " Hitherto success had crowned his 
 efforts in removing every impediment which 
 threatened to affect seriously the career for 
 which he had zealously trained his Harriet for 
 two whole decades, ever since she was a little 
 maid of five; ever since he had divined that 
 Dame Nature had placed within her head a 
 brain of the same far-seeing, exact, compre- 
 hensive, and subtle business fiber as his own. 
 
 True, Dame Nature had acted with her 
 usual idiotic blindness in respect to conse- 
 fluences, since, having given wee Harriet her
 
 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 25 
 
 father's capacious brain, she had placed in her 
 bosom her Italian mother's madonna heart; 
 and, as if this were not enough to handicap her 
 seriously for success as a competitor in Amer- 
 ican business enterprise, she had recklessly 
 endowed her with the most ardent Italian love 
 for art in its manifold phases. The result be- 
 ing that poor Mr. White was continually kept 
 busy " nipping " some new conflicting devel- 
 opment in Harriet's manifold nature. The 
 first had to do with her growing attachment 
 for her dolls. They having multiplied to seven 
 before Harriet herself was seven, and her care 
 of them becoming a passion, Mr. White said 
 one day, " These dolls consume too much of 
 your time. Put them away. You are now too 
 big to play with such senseless things." 
 
 " Oh, but I love them so," was the little 
 mother's reply as she sorrowfully obeyed. 
 
 But the most trying nipping experience of 
 all for Harriet had been when her father paid 
 and discharged her Italian singing teacher, 
 remarking, " I do not wish my daughter to 
 perfect herself farther in the vocal art. How
 
 26 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 are your wife and children in Italy?" The 
 man replied with embarrassment and de- 
 parted. Harriet never saw him again. Her 
 father had perceived that his daughter, des- 
 tined for a high and commanding place in the 
 business world, was rapidly developing an 
 uncontrollable love for music. Her lovely, 
 mezzo-soprano voice, with excellent training, 
 bid fair to rival that of the great Malibran. 
 Also Mr. White perceived that Harriet was 
 falling in love with her teacher, a highly 
 trained Italian maestro and an agreeable gen- 
 tleman, who, for some reason best known to 
 himself never hinted to his devoted pupil 
 that he possessed such inconvenient things as 
 wife and children, dependent upon him for 
 support. Hence in this instance two loves 
 were "nipped." 
 
 But everything and everybody that prom- 
 ised danger farther on, had been just as 
 promptly and successfully nipped. Was he to 
 be checkmated now that he was old and be- 
 coming feeble, and had his Harriet perfectly 
 trained to step into his business shoes? In-
 
 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 27 
 
 deed, she already was in them he merely act- 
 ing as adviser, doing little of the real drudg- 
 ery. His success in playing the part of both 
 mother and father to his only child, and 
 molding her in the form desired, had been 
 " simply marvelous," everyone said. How- 
 ever, here was a new occasion for his " nip- 
 ping " process. To permit Harriet, with her 
 ardent Italian heart, to fall seriously in love 
 now, meant, he feared, ruin to his hopes. Yet, 
 what to do? While he was vainly conjuring 
 some way out of the difficulty that should not 
 appear too heartless, Harriet spoke: 
 
 " Dear father, surely you can trust me. Let 
 us go at once, before it is too late. Come, I 
 will get our hats and gloves, and we will be 
 off." 
 
 Mr. White reluctantly consented, wishing 
 for once that Harriet were not the picture of 
 perfect health, or that he had taken the pre- 
 caution to retire early on this fateful evening 
 ill. Under the circumstances he must per- 
 force go with Harriet to the bedside of the 
 most handsome man he had ever set his eyes
 
 28 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 upon a type of beauty that recalled old 
 Venice when her ruddiest, strongest, bravest, 
 handsomest brood of virile citizens were on 
 her stage playing their parts, to the admi- 
 ration of the world. 
 
 The ride in the cab was quickly made, the 
 horse being driven at a swift gallop and the 
 distance not great. They found the Captain's 
 nurse playing hide and seek with her patient 
 from behind a partly opened door. She had 
 been driven out by the Captain, whom they 
 could see through the crevice wildly tossing 
 his arms about as if trying to drive something 
 away that menaced his peace of mind. His 
 aspect, though frenzied, was picturesque. His 
 curling, dusky-gold, luxuriant hair, grown 
 longer than usual, formed a magnificent bur- 
 nished background for his Raphael face with 
 its perfect eyebrows and expressive dark eyes. 
 True, his glance was glowering now, and quite 
 unlike in expression to that of the ever calm 
 and beautiful countenance of the world's 
 greatest painter. 
 
 While the Lieutenant hesitated what to do
 
 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 29 
 
 with Mr. White and his daughter, now that 
 he had brought them to the very door of his 
 sick comrade's room, Harriet herself quickly 
 crossed the threshold and soon had secured 
 both the Captain's hot hands in her cool, 
 strong palms. Next for a moment she held 
 his glance firmly with her own. Doubtless a 
 person with keener eyes than our ordinary 
 ones could have seen Harriet's eyes sending a 
 stream of tender, healing love straight into 
 that other pair, now, alas, so full of pain and 
 bewilderment. 
 
 Presently she laid his hands down that she 
 might place one of her own at the base of his 
 brain, while with the other she skillfully mas- 
 saged his hot forehead. Thus had she often 
 relieved her father when his head was hot and 
 throbbing with pain. She hoped to have the 
 same success with Captain Ivo Bruno. While 
 she was busy exercising her powers of healing 
 on a new patient, her father had permitted 
 the Lieutenant to seat him just inside the door. 
 As for the Captain's comrade, he stood where 
 he could watch Raphael's American Madonna
 
 ply her madonna gifts. He smiled broadly 
 when the beneficial effects of her treatment 
 became apparent and her patient's regular 
 breathing proclaimed that he was fast asleep. 
 At once he came forward, and, warmly shak- 
 ing her hand, said in a low voice, "Brava! 
 You are the right sort of a magician." 
 
 " No, not a magician; but I believe I am en- 
 dowed with some healing power. However, 
 Lieutenant Mayer, your comrade is a very 
 sick man. He should have a skilful doctor 
 immediately. Pray, let us send for my father's 
 physician. He is very clever." 
 
 " By all means I Because, if there is any 
 danger of blood poisoning setting in, the more 
 promptly such indications are skillfully dealt 
 with, the better!" 
 
 Harriet now turned to her father, saying, 
 " We will go for him right away, shall we not, 
 dear father? " 
 
 " Yes, indeed! " responded Mr. White with 
 alacrity. He was only too glad to get his 
 daughter away from that handsome fellow's 
 bedside. He sincerely hoped that the next
 
 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 31 
 
 day would find the Captain so much improved 
 that they could proceed at once to New York, 
 for they had already overstayed their vacation 
 by three days, and all because Harriet had 
 wished to give Rome a hurried visit when she 
 could view once more the majestic, awe-in- 
 spiring Coliseum by moonlight: a fearful, a 
 haunting, but always a glorious spectacle I
 
 CHAPTER III
 
 Raphael's St. Barbara,'* whom Harriet resembled.
 
 CHAPTER III 
 
 QOTWITHSTANDING the fact 
 that the best of medical skill, sup- 
 plemented with exquisitely tender 
 and intelligent nursing, promptly 
 took Captain Ivo in hand, a fortnight tedi- 
 ously and anxiously passed ere that young 
 man gave promise of being able "to pull 
 through " ; for his vital forces were at a low 
 ebb when this new demand was made upon 
 them, and nature must, sorely handicapped, do 
 her healing work over again. In the mean- 
 time Captain Ivo had become so attached to 
 " Raphael's American Madonna " that it was 
 with difficulty he could be persuaded to part 
 with her long enough for her to obtain neces- 
 sary sleep. As for her meals, she was for a 
 long time obliged to take them with her 
 patient, he obstinately refusing to eat any- 
 thing unless she shared it with him. 
 
 When the Captain began really to mend, 
 
 35
 
 he quickly turned their dainty repasts into lit- 
 tle comedies, he himself playing the part of 
 star performer. Often would he pretend that 
 he was too weak to feed himself. Harriet 
 would humor him by giving him his food with 
 smiling grace and madonna tenderness. This 
 gave him his coveted opportunity to intercept 
 and kiss her hands as often as he liked; and he 
 liked not seldom. Occasionally he would bite 
 instead of kiss the hand that was feeding him. 
 Feigning contrition, he would beg her to kiss 
 and make up. In this way he secured a lot of 
 kisses while he was still in more or less dan- 
 ger of a fatal relapse; sweet madonna kisses 
 which he never forgot as long as he lived. As 
 he got stronger, and it became correspond- 
 ingly difficult to obtain a kiss on his lips from 
 those of " Raphael's American Madonna," he 
 made the ones he did get last as long as possi- 
 ble by clutching her hair with both hands and 
 holding her face close to his until she either 
 screamed or managed to get hold of his hair, 
 when, sometimes, he found her a not unequal 
 competitor in hair-pulling.
 
 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 37 
 
 Often, however, the two chatted in a serious 
 manner, Captain Ivo finding it delightful to 
 pour into Harriet's sympathetic ear his past 
 life with its intermingled joys and sorrows, 
 successes and failures, loves and aversions, 
 hopes and aspirations. He told her how his 
 mother had secretly abetted him at every op- 
 portunity to become an artist. How his 
 father, on the other hand, had been determined 
 that he should win military laurels as he him- 
 self had done with Garibaldi; and how, to 
 bring to pass this desired end, he had been 
 obliged to pass through a certain military 
 academy, and next to accept a position in the 
 army, to his infinite disgust. 
 
 " But it appears from what Lieutenant 
 Mayer tells me, that you proved yourself a 
 gallant and splendid soldier." 
 
 " Oh, I'm not a coward," said Ivo, " but 
 now that my father is dead, I shall lose no time 
 in dedicating myself to that art made so divine 
 a thing by Raphael." 
 
 At this point, Harriet exclaimed, " Bravo! " 
 very energetically for so calm a person. Then
 
 38 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 half closing her eyes, she repeated dreamily 
 from Hawthorne's " Twice Told Tales ": 
 
 " Oh, glorious art! Thou art the image of 
 the Creator's own. The innumerable forms 
 that wander in nothingness start into being at 
 thy beck. The dead live again. Thou recall- 
 est them to their old scenes, and givest their 
 gray shadows the luster of a better life, at once 
 earthly and immortal. Thou snatchest back 
 the fleeting moments of history. With thee 
 there is no past; for at thy touch, all that is 
 great becomes forever present; and illustrious 
 men live through long ages, in the visible per- 
 formance of the very deeds which made them 
 what they are. Oh, potent Art." 
 
 " It is my turn to cry ' Brava ! ' " said Ivo, 
 quite beside himself with joy. " Now that 
 we discover that we are of one mind, children 
 of Art, come to my arms, and let us embrace 
 
 like " He started to say, "like brother 
 
 and sister," when it occurred to him that an 
 embrace of that character would not suit him 
 at all. 
 
 In the meantime Harriet guessed his pre-
 
 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 39 
 
 dicament, and, fearing that he might declare 
 his love in a manner she would find hard to 
 repel, she at once rose, saying: 
 
 " Do you know I am neglecting my poor 
 father for you? Every day sees him more 
 feeble, while each new day finds you making 
 prodigious leaps back to health and strength. 
 I must leave you with the Lieutenant and re- 
 turn to him." 
 
 These words punctured Ivo's bubble of 
 happiness. He lay back on his pillow, look- 
 ing pale and bloodless. Next he sighed and 
 closed his eyes, wondering if Harriet really 
 would go and leave him half -fainting with 
 fear for he divined that her next move would 
 be to tell him she must return to America with 
 her father, now that he was out of danger. 
 The thought of her going far, far away, was 
 too much for his self-control in his present 
 weak state of health. The tears would come 
 would roll in big drops over his pale, thin 
 cheeks. Being ashamed to cry "like a 
 woman," he turned his back to Harriet, who 
 now stood by his bedside in hat and wrap
 
 40 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 ready to depart. She could not leave him 
 thus, for it took so little to retard his re- 
 covery. 
 
 " Come," she said, " turn over that hand- 
 some, shining head of yours, and let us kiss 
 and make up." This offer was so tempting 
 that the Captain lost no time in obeying. As 
 he did so, he remarked, " It's an age since I've 
 had one." 
 
 " It's an hour," interposed Harriet. 
 
 " And I mean to make the most of my di- 
 minishing opportunities," replied Ivo, pretend- 
 ing not to hear Harriet's interpolation. So 
 when her face came close to his he grasped her 
 hair and held on viciously, while he covered 
 her eyes, cheeks, nose and lips with ardent 
 kisses. Indeed he did not let up until a fiercer 
 hair-pulling bout than usual had left him 
 panting but happy once more. 
 
 " Sit down! " he urged. " I have something 
 very important to say to you." 
 
 "Oh, it will keep," replied Harriet. "I 
 really must return to my dear father. His 
 health is very precarious. He has missed me
 
 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 41 
 
 fearfully since you .have been so ill and re- 
 quired so much of my attention; and his health 
 has declined until he is quite irritable and im- 
 patient. Immense business affairs also claim 
 his attention make him feel that we should 
 be turning our faces homeward. I shall sim- 
 ply run away this time." And, suiting the 
 action tp the word, Harriet disappeared be- 
 fore Ivo could utter another syllable, or even 
 groan. 
 
 Harriet found her father in the apartments 
 they had taken, close to the hospital, looking 
 unusually feeble and ill. He was lying on the 
 sofa and did not attempt to rise to a sitting 
 posture when she came in. At once she re- 
 lieved herself of her wraps, then took his head 
 in her two strong, magnetic palms, placing 
 one at the base of his brain, while with the 
 other she skillfully massaged his forehead. 
 When he began to look more cheerful, and a 
 slight glow appeared in his cheeks, she re- 
 marked soothingly: 
 
 " The Captain is so much better that I think 
 we can be off to-morrow for our dear Amer-
 
 42 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 ica. Thank God! Have you decided about 
 the sum to deposit in the bank for each of 
 the two men who, without a thought of what 
 it might cost them, so gallantly saved my 
 life?" 
 
 " I have already attended to that matter. 
 When we are on the ocean, they will learn that 
 they have each to their credit $50,000." 
 
 "A generous living for each, in Italy 
 provided they invest it well." 
 
 " What they do with it is their business, of 
 course. They are, however, deserving men; 
 have served their country in a gallant and dis- 
 tinguished manner as well as my dear daugh- 
 ter andj Lieutenant Mayer has a big fam- 
 ily of children to support, besides a weakly 
 wife and a feeble mother. He can now afford 
 to educate his children, instead of turning 
 them prematurely into bread-winners. As for 
 Captain Bruno, the doctor informs me that 
 he may never be a strong man again; that he 
 cannot hope to re-enter military life." 
 
 " I do hope they will accept the sums you 
 have placed at their disposal." Harriet felt
 
 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 43 
 
 almost sure that Ivo would have nothing to do 
 with his. 
 
 " They will feel obliged to accept them 
 after they have read the letter which is to be 
 delivered to them when too late to refuse a 
 small gift, considering the service rendered. 
 In the letter I have told them the burden of 
 gratitude their noble act has placed on my life. 
 I have explained that it would be cruel to me 
 in my present state of health to refuse me." 
 
 " Ah, I am very glad that you have made 
 it impossible for two deserving men to be un- 
 just to themselves. Dear father, never did 
 I admire you more or love you so well as now. 
 You are a truly great man one who does the 
 right, beneficent thing at the right time, and 
 in the right way." 
 
 Harriet captured one of her father's hands, 
 softly caressed it, and, before giving it up to 
 its owner, covered it with kisses from the 
 sweetest of lips rosy, beautifully formed, 
 healthy, full of vitality! 
 
 Apprehensive tears filled the eyes of Mr. 
 White as he slowly, reluctantly answered,
 
 44 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 " Dear Harriet, I could not live without you. 
 You have been all in all to me ever since, as a 
 babe, you would cling so tenaciously to my 
 forefinger, or, indeed, any finger you got hold 
 of." 
 
 Harriet smiled as she said, " You will find 
 me clinging to you with the same tenacious 
 grip, as long as we live. Nobody shall be 
 permitted to separate us should such an 
 atrociously selfish thought enter the head of 
 anyone." 
 
 " Thank you. My heart is greatly relieved. 
 I have feared that you might fall in love with 
 another handsome Italian, you yourself being 
 half Italian; but, thank God! you have your 
 father's brains." 
 
 A look of proud joy took possession of Mr. 
 White's countenance and made him appear a 
 different man. 
 
 " Everyone tells me I am ' a chip of the 
 old block,' father. But I owe not only my 
 brains to you, but all that I am, or ever hope 
 to be, for you have been both a tender mother 
 to me, and a wise, thoughtful father."
 
 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 45 
 
 " I have done my best to rear you right. I 
 have read, aye, studied a thousand books and 
 spent countless hours trying to solve the prob- 
 lem how to train and educate my little Harriet 
 so that she could play a really useful and great 
 part in life, and I think I am but speaking the 
 truth when I affirm that there are few women 
 perhaps none who are to-day your match 
 in the possession of great stores of well- 
 digested, practical knowledge. As for your 
 grasp of business details, affairs, and compli- 
 cations, few men are your superior, young as 
 you are." 
 
 !< That conies of your pruning away 
 promptly everything that tended to distract 
 my attention and fritter away my precious 
 time. Alas, who can estimate the hours lost 
 by the young in undue attention to trifles light 
 as air! In the mere matter of the arrange- 
 ment of my hair, what a lot of time you have 
 saved me by insisting that I do it simply and 
 then forget it. Ah, yes, if I ever do anything 
 worth while, I shall give you the credit." Har- 
 riet embraced her father anew with glowing
 
 46 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 eyes. He felt reassured. No one was to come 
 between them. No one was to recklessly undo 
 what he had been a lifetime laboriously build- 
 ing and storing; that is, a brain capable of 
 handling immense business interests, which 
 had been slowly and toilfully developed by 
 many years of prodigious toil business inter- 
 ests on the success of which thousands de- 
 pended. 
 
 Mr. White was not unlike John D. Rocke- 
 feller in build, with the same large bald pate, 
 keen, well-set gray eyes in rather deep sockets, 
 a shorter upper lip, a less sanctimonious ex- 
 pression, a little less genius for business, and 
 a little more conscience. In religion he was a 
 commonsense man of the Thomas Paine or- 
 der; preserving a deep and profound faith in 
 a God who obviously knew more than he did, 
 and who was gradually, but unmistakably, as- 
 sisting all creation to progress Godward 
 into something wondrously, inconceivably 
 powerful, wise and good. 
 
 Harriet proceeded to make the necessary 
 preparations for their journey to America.
 
 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 47 
 
 She resolutely forebore to think of the mor- 
 row, saying to herself: ' Sufficient unto the 
 day is the evil thereof.' Besides, I shall need 
 all the reserved strength I can command in 
 what may perhaps be my last meeting with 
 Captain Bruno. Of course in his weak state 
 he will play the part of a baby. Ah, me, how 
 I love babies in general, and Ivo in particu- 
 lar 1"
 
 CHAPTER IV
 
 " The same rich hair is yours, the tweet deep 
 
 eyes 
 That meet us in old frescoes, where are 
 
 wrought 
 The prayers of the old masters as they 
 
 sought 
 To paint Christ's mother. 
 
 "I see no, Raphael, Guido mere not blind: 
 'Twas such as you at twilight come to greet 
 Their tired footsteps at the door, that 
 
 taught their art 
 
 To weave its sainted spell about the heart" 
 CHARLES COLEMAN STODDARD.
 
 CHAPTER IV 
 
 'FTER Harriet had made her father 
 comfortable on the morrow and had 
 attended to importunate business 
 matters, she found her way quickly 
 to Captain Ivo's sick room. No sooner did 
 that gentleman catch sight of her than, as 
 usual of late, he held out his arms, eager to 
 embrace his "madonna nurse." Ivo's face 
 fairly shone, being quite transfigured by the 
 love he bore her. By the way, what is love 
 that it can work such miracles in the human 
 countenance as to make one dream of angels, 
 of gods and goddesses make one know there 
 is something in the universe that eye hath not 
 seen nor ear heard, transcendentally beautiful, 
 compact of Sweetness and Light? On the 
 other hand, when one is possessed by the spirit, 
 of passion, of hate, how one's countenance 
 darkens and glowers like that of a mad beast! 
 After Ivo had held his Harriet to his breast 
 
 1
 
 52 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 closely yet tenderly, and had given the lov- 
 er's long, clinging kiss, together with half a 
 dozen impetuous boyish ones thrown in for 
 good measure, he said, impatiently: 
 
 " Sit down! I have a plan to propose 
 something to make your father well and 
 strong." 
 
 " That is worth considering, surely, seeing 
 that we have tried many things with doubtful 
 success." Harriet smiled indulgently at his 
 boyish enthusiasm. He resumed, giving the 
 hand he held an extra squeeze: 
 
 '' Why cannot we three or five, rather, 
 since you will want to take your doctor and sec- 
 retary along spend a little time at my beauti- 
 ful ancestral home? Grandmother Bruno left 
 it to me, for I was her idol. The castle villa is 
 perched on an elevation high above the sea, in 
 the purest, best, most invigorating air imagi- 
 nable. The road winding up to this high- 
 perched Bruno Home reveals, as it ascends, a 
 thousand charmingly romantic though some- 
 times magnificent scenes. My friends have 
 frequently told me, while sitting on our ter-
 
 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 53 
 
 race, that the extended view of the surround- 
 ing country, embracing as it does a great 
 stretch of sea, snow-capped mountains, water- 
 falls, romantic ruins and picturesque, historic 
 places, was the finest, most romantic they had 
 ever seen." 
 
 " Ah, how I should love to walk or ride up 
 that winding road, and sit on that terrace!" 
 sighed Harriet. 
 
 The Captain was so pleased that he had not 
 received a calm but firm " non possimus," that 
 he continued piling up new attractions having 
 to do with his ancestral home. 
 
 ' Why, at one bend of this winding road 
 there is actually a fine view to be had of ancient 
 catacombs " 
 
 At this point in his narration Harriet shud- 
 dered; but yet she said smilingly, " Go on! go 
 on!" 
 
 "What's the matter?" 
 
 " Oh, ever since I nearly got lost in some of 
 the interminable catacombs of underground 
 Rome, the very word somewhat terrorizes me." 
 
 "But my catacombs are all right," stoutly
 
 54 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 asserted Ivo, as Harriet withdrew her hand 
 from his, and, pulling out of her expensive bag 
 a present from her father's manager a fine 
 piece of linen, intended as a little gift to her 
 tutor in New York, began to embroider a bit 
 of poetry in a corner of it. She had already 
 hemstitched it in an exquisite manner. The 
 Captain did not ask her whom the handker- 
 chief was for, hoping that she meant it for him. 
 
 ' They are not underground not alto- 
 gether," he declared, " but peacefully repose 
 under picturesque, vine-draped walls. But, 
 since catacombs is an unsavory subject, let 
 me call your attention to a view that brings to 
 mind perhaps the most wonderful people, all 
 things considered, who ever made a home for 
 themselves on this little, spotty globe." 
 
 " The Greeks, you mean," interpolated 
 Harriet, as Ivo paused. 
 
 "None other; and they, some of them, 
 actually built a theater on a cliff of this wind- 
 ing road, the ruins of which set one dreaming 
 and looking backward, recalling famous 
 Greek plays and equally famous Greek actors
 
 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 55 
 
 robed in wonderful classic costumes express- 
 ing sentiments wise, witty or pathetic, in a 
 wonderful language." 
 
 " Ruins of that kind I am always delighted 
 to see, to examine and to dream over." Har- 
 riet looked up from her work smilingly, while 
 Ivo caught the hand nearest to him and kissed 
 it. He was so happy. Surely he might win 
 out yet, and the sad day of parting be indefi- 
 nitely postponed. He continued excitedly: 
 
 " Why, yes, besides the catacombs beg 
 pardon, I meant to say * Greek ruins ' there's 
 Mt. Etna, far grander than when Nature first 
 tossed her up, more than a thousand feet above 
 the sea, and located her so that her grandeur 
 is very impressive. Also the views to be had 
 of the great, pale turquoise sea, at various 
 places as we ascend or descend this serpentine 
 road, are not by any means to be despised." 
 
 " Surely not! Sometimes I am tempted to 
 think that the strange, strange sea with its 
 myriad moods, its usually divine, though some- 
 times diabolical beauty, its terrorizing insta- 
 bility and inconceivable cruelty at times is
 
 56 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 the most mysterious work of Nature after 
 man." 
 
 " Say, c after woman ! ' exclaimed Ivo, 
 laughing a little. " Really man does not be- 
 gin to be the mystery a woman is, be she peas- 
 ant or queen." 
 
 " Oh, I don't know. Both are infinitely 
 mysterious as is everything ; so that man will, 
 doubtless, be infinitely employed guessing and 
 unraveling the infinite mysteries of God. But 
 tell me some more about your romantic, high- 
 perched home." 
 
 " If one is a lover of myth, fairy lore and 
 legend, one has but to lend an ear to the peas- 
 ants of the soil to have it filled with uncanny 
 tales in connection with every height, water- 
 fall, gorge, cave or rock. Likewise in this 
 divine spot according to tradition the very 
 gods and goddesses of Greece used to descend 
 sometimes, and, instead of quarreling in a 
 scandalous manner, as. they have been accused 
 of doing while on Mt. Olympus, here, on the 
 other hand, they bathed one another's feet, 
 kept their robes spotless, sang holy songs in
 
 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 57 
 
 short, treated one another like Christians, each 
 preferring the other, and serving one another 
 in a spirit of love " 
 
 " My heavens ! you must be getting delirious 
 again, caro mio" Harriet laid a cool hand 
 quickly on Ivo's brow, regarding him with so 
 serious a look that he burst out laughing most 
 joyously, hearing which Lieutenant Mayer 
 stepped into the room and improved his oppor- 
 tunity to shake hands with Harriet. 
 
 " Always you are the magician," he said 
 pleasantly. 
 
 " Oh, no; not now. It's your comrade who 
 is the magician; raising Greek gods and god- 
 desses for my benefit. And would you believe 
 it, he is endowing them with Christian 
 graces ! " 
 
 ;< What kind are they?" innocently queried 
 the Lieutenant. " I have been in the army so 
 long, I quite forget." 
 
 " Oh, don't ask me. I am a business woman. 
 In the world of business we are still barbar- 
 ians. You know we think nothing of decapi- 
 tating one another, financially, or of bringing
 
 58 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 ruin upon thousands of people if we can 
 thereby feather our nests more quickly. Ah, 
 hut I must be going must bid my two life- 
 preservers ' good-bye ' for the present. We 
 start at two. Father asked me to thank you 
 again for helping to save his daughter, and to 
 tell you how sorry he was that in his feeble con- 
 dition he must husband his strength; other- 
 wise he would have climbed the necessary 
 flights of stairs in order to see you once again 
 and have the pleasure of taking you both by 
 the hand." 
 
 While the Lieutenant was unnecessarily 
 prolonging his leave-taking of Harriet 
 meanwhile holding her hand Ivo was not 
 only losing every particle of patience he ever 
 had, or thought he had, but a terrific brain 
 storm, fast becoming a tempest, was brewing 
 in his head or was it Magdalen's seven devils 
 that suddenly took possession of him ? At any 
 rate he rose up in bed, looking very much like 
 a fiend, and, grasping the jeweled bag Har- 
 riet had laid down on her chair near his bed, 
 shot it with great force at his comrade's head.
 
 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 59 
 
 Next, he leaped out of bed, strong, for the 
 time being, as a giant, and actually thrust his 
 dazed comrade out of the room so quickly that 
 Harriet was not a little disturbed, though she 
 did not show it. She had been rigidly trained 
 by her father to let nothing rob her for an in- 
 stant of perfect self-control. Quickly recov- 
 ering her usual inner poise, she wondered what 
 Ivo would do next, now that he had succeeded 
 in locking the Lieutenant out of the room. It 
 was a queer situation for a beautiful young 
 woman to find herself in ; for, the month being 
 September in Rome, and the Captain, in his 
 tempest of rage having quite forgotten such 
 a small detail as clothes, looked strangely 
 ghost-like in his long, invalid robe. Also it 
 made him seem supernaturally tall in his pres- 
 ent gaunt condition. 
 
 Having successfully got rid of the Lieu- 
 tenant, Ivo turned about and faced Harriet, 
 his eyes blazing like coals. 
 
 " Snake! Witch! Fiend! " he hissed. Paus- 
 ing a moment to transfix her with a gaze per- 
 fectly diabolical, he continued, as if addressing
 
 60 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 a group of Dantean devils : " A woman is al- 
 ways a woman! Always sly, tricky, treacher- 
 ous! Everlastingly a snake! charming a man 
 with her basilisk eyes, then stinging him into 
 madness! . . . Nevertheless, though your 
 treacherous conduct has envenomed my whole 
 being, I am not yet so mad but that I will 
 listen to an apology, if you have any to 
 offer." 
 
 As Ivo finished his angry outburst it was 
 evident that Harriet's quiet, calm deportment 
 had somewhat stilled the tempest in his breast. 
 Also, returning sanity made him conscious of 
 his appearance. Of his own accord he got dog- 
 gedly if a little sheepishly back into bed 
 and drew the coverlid about him. After the 
 tempest, or perhaps in the midst of it, comes 
 the rain. So in this human tempest. The 
 tears came swift and fast into Ivo's burning 
 eyes, and flowed down his thin cheeks. Next 
 came heart-breaking sobs, while Harriet was 
 unlocking the door to assure his poor comrade 
 already sporting a darkened eye that the 
 Captain was quite himself once more, and she
 
 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 61 
 
 would now proceed to put him into a restful 
 slumber by massaging his hot head. 
 
 "All right! Then I will go and give my 
 eye some more treatment, else I shall look like 
 I had been in a fight. Once more, good-bye." 
 
 " Good-bye," answered Harriet, as she 
 heartily shook his hand again. 
 
 ' You are always saying good-bye to that 
 fellow," complained the Captain, in the midst 
 of his sobs. A whiff of jealousy had seized 
 him anew. 
 
 " To be sure ! So as to get rid of him. We 
 can then go on with our nice little private talk 
 together." 
 
 "Oh, is that the reason?" exclaimed poor 
 Ivo, all at once immensely relieved; and, 
 swiftly as the tempest had gathered, just so 
 swiftly did it subside. He held out his arms, 
 saying with eyes as full of love as a moment 
 before they had been glowing with hate: 
 
 " Come, let us kiss and make up." 
 
 Harriet having satisfactorily performed 
 her part in the love-mending that followed, 
 Ivo once more lay back on his pillow, pale,
 
 62 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 spent, but infinitely happy, because he was 
 now convinced that Harriet had not really in- 
 tended to slip away without giving him a 
 chance to come to an understanding with her; 
 for she must know, as well as he himself, that 
 he loved her madly, and must have a word of 
 encouragement to live on when she was gone, 
 else he was sure he could not endure to live. 
 Besides, why had she done her best to save his 
 life, if she meant to cruelly rob him of it at the 
 first opportunity?
 
 CHAPTER V
 
 FOREVER AND A DAY 
 
 I little know or care 
 
 If the blackbird on the bough 
 
 If filling all the air 
 
 With his soft crescendo now; 
 For she is gone away, 
 And when she went she took 
 The springtime in her look, 
 The peachblow on her cheek, 
 The laughter from the brook, 
 The blue from out the May 
 And what she calls a week 
 Is forever and a day! 
 
 It's little that I mind 
 
 How the blossoms, pink or white, 
 At every touch of wind 
 
 Fall a-trembling with delight; 
 For in the leafy lane, 
 Beneath the garden boughs, 
 And through the silent house 
 One thing alone I seek. 
 Until she come again 
 The May is not the May, 
 And what she calls a week 
 It forever and a day! 
 
 THOMAS B. ALURICH.
 
 CHAPTER V 
 
 'ND now, caro mio, that we are again 
 the best of friends, let me hear what 
 further you wish to tell me about 
 your wonderful Bruno Home. 
 Though we cannot remain to see it now, a few 
 months hence, when we shall likely go abroad 
 to some wonderful place to spend our vaca- 
 tion, we may do so; provided," she added mis- 
 chievously, " it really is worth seeing. Father 
 makes it a point to visit only those countries, 
 places, scenes which he considers of educa- 
 tional value to his daughter, Harriet, whom 
 he has tried so hard to educate ever since she 
 first clung tenaciously to one of his big 
 fingers." 
 
 "Well, I told you that some Greek gods 
 and goddesses thought it worth their while to 
 
 visit this romantic spot " 
 
 " Where they actually developed Christian 
 graces " 
 
 65
 
 66 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 " Che! che! Pray let me go on. I want to 
 convince you that it is worth your while to 
 visit this noble spot and live for a time on the 
 heights with the glorious God of nature " 
 
 " Ah, but when it storms I may come down, 
 may I not, and visit with you in your 
 villa " 
 
 " Che, che, che, che! Stop interrupting me 
 with idiotic questions. Of course we are to 
 climb the great mountains together, hand in 
 hand, freely drinking in the pure nectar " 
 
 " Of the Greek gods with Christian graces." 
 
 Ivo, by way of reply, brought his hand down 
 with crushing force; but, happily, Harriet's 
 missed the blow. 
 
 " How nagging women are the best of 
 them! I don't wonder men have been trying 
 to suppress them ever since the world began! 
 They are inconceivably, insufferably, unen- 
 durably, tantalizingly mean and petty ; enough 
 to drive every man on the globe crazy." 
 
 Harriet was quite pleased with her success 
 in rousing a belligerent mood in Ivo. To part 
 with him, while he was fuming, would be easier
 
 
 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 67 
 
 than to do so when he was sunk in despair. 
 She did not wish to drive him to extremities, 
 however, so she said in an apologetic man- 
 ner: 
 
 ' You should understand, angelo mio, that 
 having been reared a business person, I have 
 enjoyed but a bowing acquaintance with the 
 God of Nature; while as for the companion- 
 ship of Greek gods and goddesses, that I can- 
 not hope to have. I must, perforce, worship 
 with my people at the shrine of Mammon. 
 But, tell me of your castle-villa. Love for 
 and appreciation of domestic architecture is 
 not yet a lost art with me, though I have ceased 
 designing anything of the kind. I shall prob- 
 ably live and die in our old-fashioned home 
 in ' little old New York.' " 
 
 "Dip mio: no!" Again Ivo's hand came 
 down with unnecessary force, and, as before, 
 Harriet skillfully evaded the descending palm. 
 'We shall live and die in my little, high- 
 perched Paradise, and our bodies shall repose 
 in one tomb. As for our shades, they shall 
 join "
 
 68 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 " Those of the Greek gods with Christian 
 graces " 
 
 " Beware ! You might get a black eye, right 
 in the midst of your idiotic talk! " 
 
 Ivo was furious, and looked it. Harriet, 
 by way of reply, calmly pulled out her watch, 
 when she said: "I have but a few moments 
 more, and you have not yet told me what a 
 woman wants most to hear about a roman- 
 tic home, the one where, likely, you yourself 
 were born; you, who really must look like a 
 Greek god in form when in health, and your 
 frame is properly cushioned with flesh. As 
 for your face, that often reminds me of the 
 portrait of Raphael painted by his own hand 
 when he was about your age, or, possibly, a 
 couple of years younger." 
 
 Ivo blushed with pleasure, like a girl hear- 
 ing herself seriously complimented by some 
 one who truly admires her. For two years 
 he had been in the wilds of Africa where a 
 man was valued as he showed courage, disci- 
 pline, and approved himself a gallant and 
 trustworthy officer.
 
 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 69 
 
 As for personal beauty, he had forgotten 
 he had any, for not seldom, days, weeks, 
 months passed by without his stopping to do 
 more than after shaving himself in an ab- 
 sent-minded manner give his face a hurried 
 glance in a bit of looking glass, which com- 
 ically elongated his features. 
 
 Ivo quickly recovered himself, ashamed to 
 show that he was so pleased at being compli- 
 mented about what he considered a small 
 matter. To show that it was but a fleeting 
 impression, he said with dramatic impressive- 
 ness : 
 
 " How can I describe a beautiful, artistic 
 castle-villa, full of antiques, art-treasures, old 
 tapestries, paintings things Italians love 
 in a few minutes! 'Tis not to be done! " 
 
 " Oh, well, then, tell me how much the thing 
 is worth, in dollars. That is what an Amer- 
 ican cares most to know about." 
 
 "Imbecile!" exclaimed Ivo, before realiz- 
 ing that Harriet was trying to make a little 
 joke this time at her own people's expense. 
 ' You really deserve a black eye for teasing
 
 70 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 a fellow so brutally, when, in a short time, we 
 must part, perhaps forever!" 
 
 "Ah, angelo mio, I really would like to 
 know what the villa is like. It is easy enough 
 for me to picture an Italian terraced garden, 
 full of all sorts of artistic creations grottos, 
 fountains, statuary pebbly walks wrought in 
 all kinds of fancy patterns, here and there 
 covered with lattice work, embowered with 
 every sort of vine. Flowers, of course, are 
 everywhere charmingly placed; vases every- 
 where; great trees of many varieties pine, 
 palm, fig, olive, orange plentiful, and which 
 know where to disport themselves, show off 
 their shapes or bear their fruit. But the 
 villa itself, a castle- villa at that! You must 
 really enlighten me, so that I can carry a good 
 picture of it home in my mind's eye. Of what 
 material was it built, and who was its archi- 
 tect? " 
 
 The idea of Harriet's wanting to carry 
 home a picture of his homejso pleased the Cap- 
 tain that he began enthusiastically to answer 
 her questions, after he had tossed off from his
 
 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 71 
 
 well-proportioned, artistically molded brow a 
 curling lock of tawny gold. 
 
 " Oh, one of my ancestors drew the plans 
 and supervised the work. The walls are of 
 cement, mixed with rubbish of all kinds ; hunks 
 of lava from Mt. Etna, stones from every- 
 where, broken flower-pots, which in the cement 
 have hardened, making walls so solid that they 
 will never so much as crack till doomsday." 
 
 " Ah, an improvement on our walls, which 
 not only crack, but tumble too often without 
 warning. But, never mind! We shall yet 
 build well and strong and swiftly perhaps 
 artistically when our Edisons can take the 
 time to evolve the right material and the right 
 way to use it. Just now we are too busy mak- 
 ing money to cultivate our home-making in- 
 stincts. Well, I will take it for granted that 
 your castle-villa is a joy to the eye and as 
 substantial as artistic. But how about Amer- 
 ican improvements? Is it fitted up with those? 
 Also I take it for granted that your help 
 serves you like wise friends instead of envious, 
 greedy enemies."
 
 72 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 " Yes, yes ! They take themselves off when 
 their work is done, and leave us in peace. As 
 for American improvements, we are putting 
 them in gradually. We already have gas in 
 place of candles." 
 
 At this point in their conversation Harriet 
 rose, exclaiming in her most business-like 
 tones : " Time's up ! I must be off ! Father 
 and I shall endeavor to see that wonderful 
 Bruno Home a short year hence." 
 
 After pinning her hat in place, she drew her 
 gloves from her bag and then approached 
 Ivo's bedside. 
 
 That young gentleman seemed to be sud- 
 denly paralyzed. He lay on his bed quite 
 motionless, while his countenance paled until 
 he looked like a recumbent statue of Despair. 
 Harriet, in spite of all her skillfully laid and 
 well-executed plans, was not to get off so easy 
 as she had imagined. She had expected a love- 
 battle of some kind; but to see the gallant 
 Captain in a perfectly helpless condition, 
 seemingly as helpless as if dead, was decidedly 
 a situation she had not prepared herself to
 
 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 73 
 
 face, and endeavor to control. However, as 
 she had been taught, first by her father, then 
 by her own self, to " trust God and fear noth- 
 ing," she boldly faced the pale image on the 
 bed, saying: 
 
 ' Wake up, Ivo I You are not going to 
 sleep before you bid me good-bye, are you ? " 
 
 These words roused Ivo from his stupor of 
 despair. He said pathetically, " Harriet, mia, 
 how can you joke when we are parting in all 
 probability never to see each other again? " 
 
 " Nonsense ! If we live a decent, common- 
 sense life, we shall likely both of us reach the 
 normal century mark. Meanwhile we might 
 meet again. So cheer up I " 
 
 "Harriet! You are such an idiot!" im- 
 patiently exclaimed Ivo, beginning to sob like 
 a child. As, however, he felt her soft, yet firm 
 hand caress his brow, he opened his eyes and 
 gave her a glance so full of despairing an- 
 guish, that Harriet's eyes in spite of herself 
 filled with tears, seeing which Ivo grasped 
 both of her hands in a tight, apparently never- 
 let-go-clasp, while he said pleadingly:
 
 74 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 " Oh, madonna mial One little promise be- 
 fore you go toKeep me alive. Promise me, 
 O promise me, that you will be mine, soon 
 quickly! I, too, will learn business to please 
 your father. I, too, will become a docile 
 money-maker. I, too, will kneel to Mammon, 
 for love of you! " 
 
 ' You know not what you ask, Ivo. In a few 
 years from now, I shall probably be a dried- 
 up, money-making machine, with a mind 
 concentrated on gain, a heart perfectly atro- 
 phied. My face, which appears comely now, 
 will then be pale, drawn, repellent, with deep 
 furrows of care in it; since, as someone has 
 truly said, ' It is impossible that anyone 
 should have great and grave responsibilities 
 without in some way showing their scars.' You, 
 on the other hand, developing along artistic 
 lines, with your hand clasped in that of the 
 Great Artist, will be handsomer than ever if 
 that is possible ten years from now. You 
 will be envied by men, adored by women. It 
 would be a shame for me to take advantage of 
 your immaturity now, and while, too, you are
 
 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 75 
 
 ill. Besides, I have already given my word to 
 my father that I will not wed so long as he 
 lives. Since the desertion of my Italian 
 mother, he has been both father and mother to 
 me. Yes, indeed! for twenty-five years a 
 full quarter of a century he has been devoted 
 to me. To disturb our relations now would 
 hasten his death. I would be his murderer 
 savez? " 
 
 Captain Ivo, though much impressed by 
 what Harriet had said, yet made haste to urge, 
 "But I will wait wait wait ! till doomsday, 
 if it is necessary. Only give me the promise! 
 Give it to me now. Now is the accepted time." 
 
 " Ah, but you are young, mon ami. You will 
 be considered a great match, when you are 
 willing to dig up a few of your titles. Then, 
 pardon me, you are so very handsome and 
 charming. Best of all, there is your record 
 for gallant behavior in the army and out. No, 
 I shall not permit you to enter into any sort 
 of engagement with an American business 
 woman older than yourself. Good-bye ! God 
 bless you! My memories in connection with
 
 76 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 my two Italian friends more particularly 
 with one of the two who so gallantly saved 
 my life, shall always be sacred to me; and I 
 feel confident they will ever be the sweetest 
 memories I am to know." 
 
 Harriet withdrew her hands quickly from 
 those of Ivo's, also quickly kissed him on his 
 forehead, and almost before he was aware, 
 had turned and reached the door. He just 
 had time to hold out his arms and mutely beg 
 her not to leave him in despair. 
 
 It did not occur to Harriet, trained as she 
 was to business methods, to go back and unsay 
 her parting words. Involuntarily, however, 
 seeing his mute despair, she said, ere she 
 crossed the threshold, and with great dis- 
 tinctness, " Ivo, mio 3 be as brave in love as 
 you have been in war! Remember! " 
 
 Then the door closed and Ivo swooned dead 
 away. In this condition he was found by the 
 Lieutenant, whom Harriet promptly dis- 
 patched to his bedside.
 
 CHAPTER VI
 
 A^o man or woman can go through divorce 
 proceedings without awful scars, and most can- 
 didates are ruined by the ordeal. Divorce is 
 heroic treatment. It seeks to give relief from 
 the results of a most unhappy accident the 
 mismating of a man and a woman. 
 
 There is only one thing more terrible than 
 divorce, and that is to go through life manacled 
 hand and foot, with an iron compress on head 
 and heart. 
 
 ELBERT HUBBARD.
 
 CHAPTER VI 
 
 IT is to be hoped that few men at 
 the present time have developed so 
 much antipathy to our present mar- 
 riage and divorce system as Har- 
 riet's father, because it is likely to grow worse 
 before it evolves into something better ; and in 
 the meantime people should marry and be 
 given in marriage. To John W. White mar- 
 riage was but another name for scandal, im- 
 mense legal and alimony fees, and, far harder 
 yet to bear, complete loss of reputation as a 
 decent, domestic man ; for Mr. White had had 
 the courage to marry twice over and again 
 twice over to speed swiftly through America's 
 divorce mill to please two impatient young 
 women eager to wed again. 
 
 His first unfortunate matrimonial venture 
 had been with a society belle, a lovely bit of 
 blond flesh, who found it easy to hypnotize 
 herself into distracting love-infatuations. 
 
 79
 
 80 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 Consequently this dazzling bit of femininity 
 soon tired of solid, sober, serious John White, 
 and in less than two years after her marriage 
 with the " dull beast," she was conjuring her 
 petty, bird-like brain as to the quickest and 
 most profitable way to get rid of him. She 
 imagined herself " just gone " on a young 
 sporting man, so devoted, so different from 
 the bear she had unwisely married. 
 
 Mr. White, being a high-bred gentleman, 
 felt that he could do no less than promptly 
 pave the way with gold leading from a hated 
 marriage with himself to divorce, so that his 
 wife could quickly remarry and secure bliss 
 with another man, who was, she declared, her 
 " soul-mate." 
 
 Mr. White himself was in no particular 
 haste to wed again. He preferred to slavishly 
 lose himself in business affairs, eschewing so- 
 ciety utterly. 
 
 At thirty-five, however, having built up a 
 huge business plant and accumulated a large 
 fortune, he once more found himself " caring 
 much" for another young woman, employed
 
 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 81 
 
 by him as a typist. Under his training she 
 developed into a very intelligent secretary, 
 earning a large salary with which she not only 
 supported herself but her old parents, and 
 paid the college fees of a promising younger 
 brother. She was a dark, handsome woman of 
 Italian parentage, but having been in America 
 since she was a little tot, both spoke and wrote 
 English like a native. Her disposition was 
 sympathetic and yielding. Indeed she tried 
 to do that idiotic and impossible thing, viz., to 
 please everybody. 
 
 Not until Mrs. White No. 2 had eloped did 
 her deserted husband learn that his Leonora 
 had wedded him solely to please her parents 
 and her brother. A note left by her on his 
 desk read as follows : 
 
 " DEAR MR. WHITE How can you forgive me for 
 leaving you as I have done? when, too, you have been so 
 kind and generous to me and my relatives. 
 
 " But God forgive me ! I can no longer bear to live 
 in my present state of awful anxiety. You see, my 
 dear Adolphe is very ill, and threatens to blow his 
 brains out, unless I leave ' that American ' and come to
 
 82 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 him. He is in Italy, where I shall be as soon as I can 
 get there. The tiny babe, which looks like you, I leave 
 to help you forget me. Please get a divorce as quickly 
 as possible, so that I can be married to my dear Adolphe. 
 " Yours very sincerely, 
 
 " LEONORA." 
 
 The idea of having to go through the di- 
 vorce mill a second time so wore on the spirit 
 of the brooding, deserted Mr. White, that he 
 thought seriously of taking the shortest route 
 that of suicide. For some reason, domestic 
 infelicity and scandal bear far more heavily 
 on men than on women. Indeed some women 
 seem actually to enjoy posing as domestic 
 martyrs, while a continuous stream of coin 
 flowing ceaselessly into their coffers not in- 
 frequently makes new creatures of them not 
 exactly in the Lord, but in the matter of feel- 
 ing equal to wedding men much younger than 
 themselves. 
 
 It was wee Harriet who kept her father 
 from resorting to so awful a method of ob- 
 taining divorce as the suicide route offered; 
 and the way she did it was extremely simple:
 
 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 83 
 
 merely hanging on for dear life to one of his 
 fingers when she got the opportunity to catch 
 on to it with her tenacipus baby fingers. The 
 soft, clinging hand of his child sent a thrill of 
 pure happiness into the very citadel of his 
 lonely being. 
 
 Presently the tiny creature had developed a 
 broad smile in repayment for the sad but ten- 
 der ones her father lavished upon her. Next 
 she learned, " faster than any other baby," the 
 nurse declared, to clap her hands and crow for 
 joy as soon as Mr. White came into the nurs- 
 ery upon his return from business. But the 
 baby stunt which captured his heart com- 
 pletely, or, rather, gave him a bran new one, 
 was when the little creature began to shout, 
 " Dad! Dad! Dad! " as soon as her wide-awake 
 round eyes caught sight of him, after a more 
 or less prolonged absence. He was sure no 
 one had ever loved him so truly as his little 
 Harriet: always ready to shout in joy, " Dad! 
 Dad! Dad! " And how quickly did the little 
 creature, by the use of such simple means, 
 create a Paradise for Mr. White, where for-
 
 84 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 merly had been a wilderness, full of dead men's 
 bones. 
 
 The fond father did not spoil the little 
 creature, upon whom he bestowed the long, 
 pent-up love of his nature as, after many 
 years, he bestowed upon her the bulk of his 
 great fortune, gathered together by indomi- 
 table energy, perseverance and intuitive finan- 
 cial genius. On the other hand, he trained 
 her to be like unto himself, a tireless worker 
 and an original thinker; likewise a stoic in the 
 business world; taught her to bear herself in 
 crucial circumstances with the calmness and 
 wisdom of a Greek philosopher, or, that of 
 the best type of American business men, who 
 it has been asserted, having lost one fortune, 
 are ready and eager to stand up and have an- 
 other tussle with fortune ; and, if need be, still 
 another, and still another. 
 
 While she was quite young and growing 
 rapidly, physically, he selected for her an ex- 
 cellent private school where the scholars were 
 not too many for their teacher to do ample 
 justice to each pupil.
 
 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 85 
 
 A bonafide Frenchman early became a 
 member of Mr. White's household, to be sup- 
 planted by a German as soon as<e*wr his pupil 
 could speak French " like a native." Later 
 on her music teachers, vocal and instrumental, 
 had a pretty clear field in which to initiate 
 their pupil in their divine art, music, and like- 
 wise assist her to obtain a perfect pronuncia- 
 tion of the most harmonious and best tone- 
 placing language of all the Italian. 
 
 Finally, however, Mr. White shocked all 
 his friends by having his only daughter and 
 heir to millions finished, not in an aristo- 
 cratic, fashionable boarding school, but in a 
 thorough-going business college. Her diploma 
 secured, he took her at once into partnership 
 with himself, without so much as giving her 
 a taste of society by way of a debut. Next he 
 taught her to " dress for business," as he ex- 
 pressed it ; adding, " You cannot mix business 
 successfully with the spirit of coquetry 
 which latter quality is easily aroused by be- 
 decking yourself with feminine frills and fur- 
 belows. Always, in the morning, attire your-
 
 86 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 self in a plain business suit, and forget during 
 business hours that you are a woman." 
 
 In a short time she had learned to imitate 
 so perfectly her father's grave, dignified, yet 
 prompt and alert way of handling a multitude 
 of business details, that it was frequently re- 
 marked by his employees, " Yes, she's a chip 
 of the old block all right, and will make her 
 mark in the business world, as he has made 
 his." 
 
 And yet, though she had for several years 
 done business .just like a thoughtful, enter- 
 prising man during the business hours of each 
 day, yet had she, his Harriet, at the mature 
 age of twenty-five, fallen desperately in love 
 just like any fashionabl^ bred, romance-read- 
 ing girl. True, she had done so in fair Italy, 
 the home of Romeo and Juliet, of Petrarch 
 and Laura, of Dante and Beatrice where 
 love is most ardent and thrilling, passionate, 
 though sometimes meek and patient, as well 
 as enduring. 
 
 The time when Mr. White's business-bred 
 daughter did this most undesirable thing to
 
 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 87 
 
 fall in love was during the last decade of the 
 nineteenth century, that century which has 
 done more for the emancipation of mankind 
 from physical drudgery by the introduction of 
 wondrous, almost intelligent, machinery, than 
 all previous centuries combined. 
 
 The place wherejias already been told; but 
 it is worth repeating over and over, for with 
 each repetition, what vast pictures fill the mind 
 in connection with a city which neither fire, 
 flood, nor earthquake, fierce hate, fierce greed, 
 wanton luxury, fanatic religion, cruel, ener- 
 vating pleasures, nor yet again frenzied am- 
 bition, with its never-ceasing clash of innumer- 
 able legions and armies, could wholly destroy. 
 Yes, it was Rome, the Eternal City, who is to- 
 day renewing her strong youth, aye, is already 
 one of Europe's important capitals. Who 
 knows but that in spite of her countless mis- 
 takes, followed always by sure-footed retri- 
 bution, she is yet destined to become, in the 
 glorious future, the capital of a united, king- 
 dethroned Europe; thrilling our souls as a 
 Mother of Peace, as she could never even have
 
 88 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 bedazzled the eyes of past generations when 
 she was the consummate mistress in the art 
 of war. 
 
 But the ardent lover of Harriet is no longer 
 in Rome. After months of silence, without 
 even so much as a letter from his American 
 madonna to cheer his hungry heart, he has at 
 length crossed the wide ocean and hovers night 
 and day about a certain old New York home 
 in a quaint neighborhood. The house is filled 
 with objets d'art, the gleanings of many a 
 summer vacation in the Old World by Mr. 
 White and Harriet, and members of the 
 White family. 
 
 But at last patience and perseverance are 
 rewarded, and Ivo and Harriet find each other, 
 quite by chance. Harriet was walking swiftly, 
 her mind full of her father, who was very ill, 
 when, without warning, just as she turned a 
 corner, who should she run into but Ivo him- 
 self! Each began hurriedly to " beg pardon," 
 then straightway ran into each other again 
 when they realized, "Why, it's Ivo!" 
 " Dio mio, it's you, Harriet, my lost love!"
 
 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 89 
 
 After they had embraced and kissed in a con- 
 ventional way, like brother and sister, they 
 stood gazing into each other's eyes, when sud- 
 denly Ivo's face grew deadly pale. The next 
 moment he had taken Harriet in his strong 
 arms, muttering, "I mean to have the real 
 thing now by way of kisses after months of 
 almost unendurable torture." Thus speaking 
 he drew Harriet to him, and, quite regardless 
 of consequences, he kissed first her brow twice, 
 then her two eyes, her two cheeks, and finally 
 he pressed on her sweet lips the long, passion- 
 ate, clinging kiss of the Italian lover. Harriet 
 being a business woman who never lost her 
 head, soon protested and drew herself away, 
 saying : 
 
 " My heavens, caro, you must not show your 
 love for me so strenuously on the street. The 
 police might take you for an escaped lunatic 
 and arrest you." 
 
 Captain Bruno, or Conte Bruno, as he was 
 usually called in Rome, laughed gayly as he 
 remarked : 
 
 "Ugh, these cold New Yorkers! It will
 
 90 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 not hurt them in the least to see that an Italian 
 can make love as strenuously as they can*' v/ 
 money, and get a thousand times more satis- 
 faction by so doing. But how is the dear 
 father?" 
 
 In an instant Harriet's face clouded over 
 with anxiety. She put out her hand to Ivo in 
 token of farewell. 
 
 " Heaven forgive me ! He is very ill per- 
 haps on his deathbed. I was hurrying home 
 when I ran into your arms. Au revoir!"
 
 CHAPTER VII
 
 Who believes in the home and the fireside and 
 children most? On my heart, I believe it is, 
 in this day and generation, and in this country, 
 the man. 
 
 Who marries for money? 
 
 The woman. 
 
 For place? For position? For spite? For 
 vanity? For convenience? For family rea- 
 sons? 
 
 The woman. 
 
 Half the women I know are proud of the fact 
 that they do not love their husbands, and do not 
 even pretend to love them. 
 
 American women starving for romance! 
 You're wrong, Prince Troubetsky, you're wrong. 
 It is the American man who is starving and the 
 American woman who is starving him. 
 
 WINIFRED BLACK in The American.
 
 CHAPTER VII 
 
 OO not weep any more, my dear 
 Harriet, but give me your undi- 
 vided attention while I speak of 
 a matter over which I have brooded 
 much. I trust you will continue in your 
 present sphere of usefulness for many years. 
 You fill it well, and it would be hazard- 
 ous to make a change for thousands are 
 dependent on our business being conducted 
 properly. In order that you might some time 
 be a great and shining light among the fa- 
 mous philanthropists of New York I have 
 purposely refrained from being little more 
 than a mere money-maker. Ah, yes, my Har- 
 riet, I have always been ambitious for you, 
 and I have tried to educate you so that you 
 can fill a large place in our great city when 
 I am gone. And to be sure that you will do 
 so, I feel compelled to beg you to promise me, 
 
 ere I die " 
 
 " What is it, father, that I am to promise? " 
 
 93
 
 94 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 Harriet asked, as her father hesitated, then 
 stopped speaking altogether. 
 
 " Promise me never to marry" 
 
 For an instant these two, father and daugh- 
 ter, gazed steadfastly into each other's eyes. 
 During that terrible fraction of time Harriet 
 saw herself bidding adieu to a frenzied lover, 
 to wifehood, motherhood to womanhood it- 
 self! Saw herself evolving slowly but surely 
 into a hard, grasping, loveless being, becom- 
 ing at length a mere machine for the coining 
 of money. But, nevertheless, perceiving that 
 death was about to claim its victim, she quickly 
 wound her arms about her father's neck, and, 
 gazing into his eyes with the look he knew so 
 well, and which said, plain as words, " You 
 can trust me, father," then with distinct em- 
 phasis came unfalteringly: 
 
 " I promise." 
 
 Hearing these words, a smile lit up her 
 father's countenance, and thus did Mr. White, 
 millionaire, pass on, smiling! 
 
 The clock struck twelve as he breathed his 
 last.
 
 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 95 
 
 It was striking twelve one week later, when 
 Harriet looked up from a note she had just 
 finished writing to her lover. It had been ex- 
 tremely hard for her to frame the two short 
 sentences of which it was composed, and the 
 toilsome fruit of her labor was likewise hard. 
 Harriet realized this fact clearly; but she said, 
 by way of excuse, <: 'Tis better so. A cruel 
 business should be finished with dispatch, else 
 it becomes torture." 
 
 The note read as follows: 
 
 " DEAR Ivo I promised my father on his death-bed 
 never to marry. Pray, forgive and forget me. 
 
 " Yours truly, 
 
 " HARRIET WHITE." 
 
 As her ardent lover glanced over this cold, 
 short communication from the woman he had 
 worshiped ever since he had first looked into 
 her eyes, his heart was pierced through and 
 through with an awful, deadly, depressing 
 pain. Next it seemed to him his blood had 
 turned to fire and was consuming him, while 
 his brain became that of a madman, incapable 
 of judging of things sanely and seeing them
 
 96 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 truly. He fairly flew to his trunk, unlocked 
 it with frenzied haste, tossed a pile of things 
 pellmell on the carpet, then digging down to 
 the bottom, he soon found what he was look- 
 ing for his pistol! For a moment his hot, 
 bloodshot eyes examined it critically to see if 
 it was in a condition to kill two people; for 
 poor Ivo had reached the decision, instantane- 
 ously, as soon as the meaning of the cruel 
 note had penetrated his brain, that since he 
 and Harriet could not live together, they 
 should die together. He thrust the pistol into 
 one of his pockets. What to do next? It was 
 useless to hang about her premises so early in 
 the morning, so he dropped into a chair, and 
 as he did so his eye fell on the cruel sheet of 
 paper at his feet. He picked it up in frenzied 
 rage, tearing it into bits with demoniacal glee, 
 saying: 
 
 "Ijjo mio! if only I had that false, heart- 
 less creature in my grasp like this bit of 
 paper how quickly I would destroy her as 
 I am now destroying her diabolical note ! " 
 
 Having by this time made mince meat of
 
 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 97 
 
 the paper, he blew the bits he held in his hand 
 high into the air, when soon they were descend- 
 ing like snow-flakes. He watched them 
 moodily until all had settled on the carpet, 
 then rose and began walking with a swift 
 stride through his suite of rooms, talking to 
 himself, and wildly gesticulating. 
 
 " Yes, she has sold our love, born of 
 Heaven, for gold that base mistress, that 
 blood-sucking vampire, which destroys men 
 and nations, womanhood, and innocent little 
 children. Oh, Golden Calf! wilt thy reign 
 never end? Art not satisfied to wreck the 
 greatest nations of the past but must also lay 
 thy unholy, thy demoralizing, thy paralyzing 
 grip on the New World the New Hope of 
 humanity? 'Tis even so, and high time my 
 Harriet died! Since, when Woman, bearing 
 in her breast the Heart of the people genders 
 hard this divine gift and then kneels by the 
 side of father, husband, or son in homage to 
 the Golden Calf, oh, then, is God betrayed 
 anew! Oh, then again, must vengeance come! 
 for man must reap what he sows! . . .
 
 98 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 Ay, my Harriet must die and I must die with 
 her. Chielo ! I am already dead already suf- 
 fering the intolerable torments of hell ! Why, 
 then, try to drag about my hateful, befouling, 
 putrefying shell of flesh one year two 
 maybe O God! ten! ... I cannot do 
 it and I will not attempt the impossible! 
 . . . Perhaps, who knows? but that in 
 the sweet breast of Heaven pardon may yet be 
 found for we two whom a cruel, Mammon- 
 worshiping father has over-ruled, a bastard 
 Fate outdone!" 
 
 Count Ivo Bruno was a strange blend, not 
 of Jekyll and Hyde, but of Raphael and Cava- 
 lotti. For days together he would appear to 
 be a charmingly well-done reincarnation of 
 the amiable and ever adorable Italian artist, 
 whose early death caused even the Pope of his 
 time to weep bitter tears of anguish and dis- 
 appointment over the premature end of his 
 favorite artist and architect, and to realize that 
 something Godlike had been removed that 
 could not be replaced. Then, on a sudden, al- 
 most without warning, the Cavalotti side of
 
 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 99 
 
 Ivo's character would be to the fore. Some- 
 thing would irritate him unduly. Bitter words 
 would be spoken, the sequel of which might 
 be a duel. Already he had four of these un- 
 fortunate affairs of honor, so-called, to his 
 account. Also Ivo was like Felice Cavalotti 
 in being an extreme Republican, and an ar- 
 dent admirer of Mazzini. For a Pope he cared 
 as little as the loving, amiable Raphael cared 
 much. 
 
 ;< Well, there's a chance that Harriet will go 
 to her place of business to-day. These Ameri- 
 cans never let anything interfere with their 
 devotion to Mammon." 
 
 So saying, he hurriedly put on his overcoat, 
 jammed his hat over his eyes, took his gloves 
 in his hand, feeling unequal to putting them 
 on, and soon found his way to the street. 
 He had gone but a short distance, however, 
 before he felt extremely ill. There seemed to 
 be plenty of air for Americans, to judge by 
 the swift way they moved about, but none for 
 him. He hurriedly pulled off his hat and 
 fanned himself with it. All to no purpose.
 
 100 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 He staggered a few steps and soon had fallen 
 heavily on the sidewalk. A crowd quickly 
 gathered about the prostrate, unconscious man, 
 and many were the exclamations and comments 
 before his body could be removed to a hospital. 
 
 " He's dead drunk, sure ! " mumbled a blear- 
 eyed, frowz^y-looking, red-nosed devotee of 
 King Alcohol. 
 
 "Worse than dead drunk dead! See the 
 blood oozing from the cut in his temple! " com- 
 mented a young girl with a look of awe on her 
 sweet face. 
 
 " What have we here? A Greek god tumbled 
 off his pedestal? " superciliously queried a dan- 
 dified-looking youth drawing near. 
 
 "Looks like it! Gad! he is a handsome 
 chap," said another young fellow. " I wonder 
 where he's from, and where he got all that 
 hair. I'll bet he's one of those foreign piano- 
 playing fellows! They always have hair to 
 beat the band or, rather, to make the piano 
 do terrific, hair-raising stunts. I suppose their 
 strength comes to them via their hair, like 
 Samson's did."
 
 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 101 
 
 Here spoke up an Italian, shaking his head 
 sadly as he remarked, " Dead on American 
 liquor a poisonous compound. Dio mio! 
 Our Consul ought to see that every Italian gets 
 a proper warning about the liquor they sell 
 here. This makes the fourth Italian dead in 
 a week from poisonous American drugs they 
 call whisky." 
 
 " Tis a murder! " solemnly asserted a thin, 
 wiry-looking man in an emotional manner. 
 " Somebody's knocked him on the head and 
 such a handsome head, too. Doubtless there's 
 a woman at the bottom of this mess. D n 
 'em!" 
 
 " Poor man ! " sighed a tender New England 
 spinster, as she walked bravely up to the 
 bloody, prostrate man, and softly raising his 
 head, put her warm fur muff beneath it. The 
 weather was bitterly cold, the pavement icy. 
 She had scarcely finished her act of mercy 
 when an ambulance was driven up and some 
 men alighted. Next the apparently lifeless 
 body, prone on the sidewalk, was quickly de- 
 posited therein, after which the door of the
 
 102 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 ambulance was slammed shut, the horses started 
 off on a gallop, and the crowd dispersed as 
 quickly as it had gathered. 
 
 Poor Ivo! It has been said with truth, 
 " Plump a man down in the middle of New 
 York, and a great bewilderment comes over 
 him. He feels that he has somehow got out of 
 a snug little corner into a great whirl that be- 
 wilders him, and makes him dizzy. He is 
 uneasily conscious that he has been dwarfed 
 to a mere atom; his complacency vanishes; he 
 knows that his importance has shrunk into 
 nothingness, and he doesn't like it. He re- 
 sembles a small mouse that has crept timidly 
 out into a vast hall, and then, appalled by the 
 unwonted vista, scuds back to its hole with 
 squeaks of genuine dismay." 
 
 However, the New York which had helped 
 to befuddle and bewilder " Count Bruno, of 
 Rome," was far less noisy and bewildering 
 than the New York of to-day. At that time 
 she had a population of not more than two 
 millions; if, indeed, a true count could bring 
 her within measurable distance of that number.
 
 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 103 
 
 She classed herself rather timidly with the 
 great capitals of the Old World. More 
 timidly still did the New York of 1892 dis- 
 cuss the idea, broached by a few daring 
 spirits that of swallowing her nearest neigh- 
 bors ! One very earnest soul, who to-day would 
 pose as a very modest one, asserted that any 
 movement toward consolidation should come 
 from the neighbors themselves ; and that up to 
 date they had shown no desire in that direc- 
 tion. This modest person even went so far 
 as to affirm that the proposed union was merely 
 the " fad " of a few men fond of publicity and 
 ambitious of posing as benefactors of their 
 generation! Of course there were the usual 
 number of seers to declare the project "not 
 practical." 
 
 How exploded these ideas in the year of 
 1908-9, after the " fad " of consolidation with 
 neighbors, big and little, on the part of New 
 York has become so thoroughly practical that 
 any opposition has long since been forgotten! 
 Now that America's metropolis has nearly 
 doubled her two millions of inhabitants, all
 
 104 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 her modest citizens are dead. Ask a New 
 Yorker to-day how big he thinks New York 
 will eventually be, and he answers without 
 hesitation, " Thirty or forty millions, perhaps." 
 Notwithstanding New York's marvelous 
 growth in the past and her big expectations 
 in the future, she yet has a thorn in her side, 
 called Chicago in spite of the fact that Chi- 
 cago, up to date, numbers no more than 
 1,982,000. Ah, but the prophet is always with 
 us, and while we pooh ! contemptuously at what 
 he says, he makes the thorn in the side of an 
 ambitious New Yorker rankle, especially when 
 he affirms so stoutly: " Some day and that 
 period is not far distant whin Chicago will 
 rank ahead of New York and London. Chi- 
 cago is located in the very heart of the nation. 
 It is the natural marketing place for food- 
 stuff; the territory belonging to the city pro- 
 duces more grain than the balance of the 
 world combined; Chicago's climate is not very 
 severe; once on a level with the lake, the city 
 now rests high above it; that is the result of 
 energy, and it is energy that is going to make 
 Chicago the world's chief city. There is little
 
 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 105 
 
 doubt that in another decade Chicago will be 
 sending ships to the great oceans by way of the 
 Mississippi River to the south, and the St. 
 Lawrence to the east. Long ago her mer- 
 chants began taking away from New York 
 much of the business going to Mexico, the 
 Central American republics and Cuba; they 
 are now reaching out for the Oriental trade; 
 New York and London had better look 
 ahead!" 
 
 Having listened thus far, the New Yorker 
 with the thorn rankling sore in his side turns 
 away muttering, "The devil take Chicago!" 
 
 But later in the day his heart is cheered 
 by some school-children singing joyously 
 verses by Ida Prinhoff about his " dear little 
 old New York": 
 
 To thee, first city of our land, 
 
 With hearts and voices blending, 
 We raise a loyal song of praise, 
 
 In strains of love unending. 
 We praise thy harbors, and thy ships, 
 
 Thy bays renowned for beauty, 
 Thy parks with statues bravely decked, 
 
 To tell of faith and duty.
 
 106 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 CHORUS 
 
 New York, New York, our city loved, 
 
 To thee in praise we sing, 
 Let every loyal heart and voice 
 
 Its loving tribute bring. 
 
 We sing the praise of the Dutchman's day; 
 
 We chant of Englanding; 
 We tell the growth of wealth and trade 
 
 And freedom's cause unfolding. 
 We praise thy heroes, dead and gone, 
 
 We praise thy heroes living; 
 We rally 'round each patriot's shrine, 
 
 A heartfelt tribute giving. 
 
 [CHORUS 
 
 Thy civic growth we praise in song, 
 
 Our joyous voices blending; 
 We pledge our hearts, our heads, our hands 
 
 To make thy growth unending, 
 And may thy spirit still prove true 
 
 On earthly fields victorious, 
 Still fire thy sons in days of strife 
 
 To make thy banner glorious! 
 
 [CHORUS
 
 CHAPTER VIII
 
 I have heard the statement vouched for by 
 very eminent ecclesiastics of the Catholic 
 Church that, even in the cloister, there comes a 
 time in the life of the most devout religieuse 
 when she finds with dismay that her existence is 
 becoming quite intolerable, when her best loved 
 duties fail to interest her, and when a mysteri- 
 ous lassitude creeps over her mind and body. 
 She, in her innocence and inexperience, does 
 not understand its meaning, but her superiors 
 do. They know it to be the crise, the mighty 
 instinct of womanhood crying out within her, 
 and they dread the outcome; for with many 
 nuns it assumes the form of physical decline 
 and ends in early death. 
 
 M. HUYSMANS.
 
 CHAPTER VIII 
 
 'FTER Harriet had posted her note 
 to her lover, acquainting him with 
 the fact that she had promised her 
 dying father never to marry, she 
 went to a certain room in which were hung ex- 
 quisitely finished copies of some of Raphael's 
 sweetest madonnas, together with a wonder- 
 fully exact reproduction of his " The Sposa- 
 lizio," the original of which, painted by Ra- 
 phael when he was but twenty-one, proclaimed 
 him to be " a finished painter." Here were 
 also fine copies of madonnas by other great 
 masters. 
 
 Harriet's grief since her father's death had 
 been of the dry-eyed kind, so hard to bear, and 
 at the same time so dangerous to health and 
 sanity. Hitherto, she had been able to face 
 life's sorrows with calmness, if not serenity; 
 but they had been mere scratches and simple 
 bruises. Not until now had she faced separa- 
 
 109
 
 110 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 tion from a beloved person: final separation. 
 Under the circumstances to be obliged to give 
 up an idolized father and an adored lover both 
 at the same time, this, one must admit, was 
 a knockdown blow for even a strong and brave 
 woman. 
 
 As Harriet entered the " Madonna Room," 
 her glance fell first on her copy of the paint- 
 ing known in the original as the "Madonna 
 della Sedia," " which has in it more of the won- 
 derful calm that environs the soul of a child 
 at home than any other madonna picture." 
 Some of this same wonderful calm seemed to 
 steal softly into poor Harriet's heart, and to 
 sweetly soothe her anguished being as she con- 
 tinued to gaze first upon this charming ma- 
 donna whom she herself resembled later on 
 and whose countenance fairly shone with the 
 spirit of happy, triumphant motherhood then 
 at her child; who had evidently been sleeping 
 in its mother's arms, but awakening suddenly, 
 opens wide its eyes, as if surprised at what it 
 sees and dimly comprehends, being still lost 
 in dreams.
 
 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 111 
 
 Next, her glance sought the " Sposalizio." 
 Ah, that picture ! how it recalled, in the twink- 
 ling of an eye, the many, many happy dreams 
 it had given birth to, as from time to time 
 her glance had rested upon it for the reason 
 that since Harriet had parted from her Italian 
 lover, she had seemed to see Ivo as the happy 
 bridegroom, instead of Joseph, and herself as 
 bride, in place of Mary. Now this picture, 
 bringing back so poignantly those happy 
 dreams of happier days, had a wonderful ef- 
 fect on HarrieF's imprisoned tears: of their 
 own free will they gushed forth from some 
 hidden source, some hitherto sealed fountain, 
 and gratitude filled her soul. She was saved! 
 
 Harriet dropped on her knees beside the sofa 
 underneath this picture so full of life, love, 
 artless grace, and the happy, reposeful spirit 
 of Raphael and lifted up her heart in thanks- 
 giving, an easy exercise when one's parched 
 soul has been rejuvenated by gentle, refresh- 
 ing showers of tears. 
 
 A new day had dawned ere Harriet raised 
 her bowed head and rose from her knees. Her
 
 112 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 countenance, though very pale, shone with 
 peace and with a determination to fill the place 
 which Duty had marked out for her unshrink- 
 ingly and with serenity. 
 
 Harriet next proceeded to make a careful 
 toliette, for she meant to surprise her " Family 
 of Friends " by acting like her old self once 
 more; that is, bear herself as her father had 
 taught her to be strong, brave, level-headed, 
 serene. 
 
 Mr. White's "Family of Friends," now 
 Harriet's, had been her father's way of solv- 
 ing his servant's problems, which for fifteen 
 consecutive years he had found harder to handle 
 than his multifarious and absorbing business 
 affairs. 
 
 It was an " extra good cook " who sharp- 
 ened his domestic wits to that extent which 
 enabled Mr. White to undertake a reform in 
 the matter of housekeeping, and to evolve a 
 real home for all concerned. Although the 
 Irish woman could really cook in an accom- 
 plished manner, having been trained at a first- 
 class cooking-school, she yet had two bad traits
 
 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 113 
 
 of character, viz., a vicious temper and a ten- 
 dency to an occasional spree. When in her 
 cups Bridget usually had the good sense to re- 
 tire to the servants' quarters, giving as an ex- 
 cuse " a head on me belike to burst." On 
 this fateful evening, however, she had not done 
 so because her assistant in the culinary depart- 
 ment " had no head at all," according to Brid- 
 get. So it happened that when it came time 
 to carry in the roast goose, she gave Nora a 
 kick for some imagined insult, and attempted 
 to perform the feat herself. Staggering into 
 the dining-room, where Mr. White, his daugh- 
 ter, Harriet, and her tutor were seated at the 
 table awaiting a change of plates, she at- 
 tempted to land the big, heavily-loaded plat- 
 ter on the table near Mr. White. Instead of 
 doing so, at the critical moment her knees 
 weakened, the roast goose took refuge in Mr. 
 White's lap, while Bridget managed to keep 
 herself from landing on the floor by clutching 
 at his sleeve. 
 
 In an instant Mr. White lost his temper 
 quite a necessary thing to retain in dealing
 
 114 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 with drunken people having vicious disposi- 
 tions. He said, brutally, his eyes flashing, 
 "Take yourself off, you drunken beast!" 
 The cook silently obeyed in order that she 
 might the more quickly fill her capacious 
 pockets with " cooking eggs," the most of 
 which had, so far, turned out to be actually 
 rotten. The belligerent woman, doubly 
 " loaded," was now quite ready to attack " that 
 baste of a millionaire and give 'im a lisson." 
 As soon, therefore, as she caught sight of the 
 boss, she let fly an egg which approved itself 
 quite the worse for storage either by some 
 deceived hen or graft-seeking person for it 
 popped with a loud report as it came in con- 
 tact with one of Mr. White's not by any means 
 calm, placid orbs. The battle was now on in 
 dead earnest, Mr. White being as determined 
 to give Bridget " an experience she would not 
 forget to her dying day," as Bridget was set 
 on giving " that baste of a millionaire a lisson." 
 As soon as Mr. White could see once more, he 
 remained in the dining-room just long enough 
 to arm himself with the carving knife and to
 
 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 115 
 
 say to Harriet's tutor, " Get me my pistol." 
 Then he rushed after the cook, who, meanwhile, 
 had jet fly two more eggs of doubtful goodness, 
 one of which had landed on the back of his 
 head and the other on his white collar. When 
 Bridget saw Mr. White pursuing her with a 
 long, sharp knife, she gave a yell that brought 
 every servant in the house quickly within eye 
 range of the two flying combatants. They 
 found it impossible not to scream with merri- 
 ment as they saw their dignified " Boss " 
 head yellow with egg armed with a carving 
 knife, the front of his trousers slimy with 
 goose gravy, and the rest of him clothes and 
 boots besmirched with bad egg debri&rushing 
 upstairs and down after the egg-armed, 
 drunken Bridget, who, notwithstanding the 
 fact that she was " loaded," seemed to defy a 
 close attack by landing an egg at the right mo- 
 ment and at the right spot, preferably an eye 
 already the worse for ( egg ) wear. What Brid- 
 get hoped to be able to do, now that Mr. White 
 had got his "lisson," was to reach her room 
 and barricade herself within. She counted on
 
 116 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 his being too proud to call in a policeman, and 
 once behind a solid, barred door, she could 
 hope to make " reasonable terms, bein' as she 
 was a cook in a thousand." 
 
 On the other hand, Mr. White was quite as 
 determined that Bridget Murphy should never 
 remain another night in his house. Conse- 
 quently, he pursued her perseveringly, all 
 lathered with gravy and battered with egg 
 from top to toe as he was, cleverly heading 
 her off from her attempts to reach the serv- 
 ants' quarters, until finally she managed to 
 reach the street door. Here she let_fly a couple 
 of eggs, the aim of which was so clever that 
 she was enabled to unlock it and reach safety 
 in the street under cover of darkness. 
 
 By this time Mr. White's pistol was placed 
 in his hand by Harriet herself, who thought 
 all danger past with the disappearance of 
 Bridget. She was somewhat mistaken, for her 
 father, looking like something diabolical, 
 made himself appear still more formidable by 
 shouting, as he held the pistol cocked in his 
 hand:
 
 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 117 
 
 "Now, every servant in this house clear 
 out I I give you just ten minutes to put your 
 things on and be gone." 
 
 Believing that the boss had gone " clean 
 crazy," they lost no time in doing as they were 
 bid and wisely. Had they tarried, one or 
 more might have carried away some well-di- 
 rected shot. Meanwhile, Harriet and her tu- 
 tor, whom she lovingly called " Uncle Jerry," 
 his real name being Jeremiah Jordan, had been 
 employed throwing open windows and doors. 
 Next they set themselves to remove from ele- 
 gant, expensive carpets, from rich antique 
 furniture, from fine paintings, from cherished 
 heirlooms, egg debris, of which there seemed 
 no end, the cook's pockets having been capa- 
 cious and her aim multitudinous, i 
 
 At this time Harriet was a miss of fifteen, 
 and though she felt " so sorry for poor papa," 
 she found it impossible not to laugh when an 
 egg popped louder than usual. As for timid 
 Jeremiah Jordan, as perfect a bookworm as 
 ever lived, he, early in the fray, betook him- 
 self to his private library, where he securely
 
 118 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 locked himself in with his beloved books. Not 
 until Harriet came to his door and announced 
 that the last departing giggling servant was 
 locked out of the house, did he dare show him- 
 self; and then in his most worn suit of clothes. 
 Had the cook but tossed an egg at one of his 
 books as she had flung many a one at Mr. 
 White he would have collapsed. 
 
 As for John W. White, millionaire, he lost 
 no time in seeking his bathroom with fresh 
 linen, a different pair of trousers, a spotless 
 vest, another necktie and a dressing-gown. 
 Never before had he remained locked fast in 
 this narrow room so long as on this occasion, 
 and never before had he reappeared looking 
 so thoroughly depressed, so abjectly wilted. 
 True, he permitted Harriet to lead him to a 
 well-prepared midnight lunch; but he sat in 
 his seat oblivious of outside matters. Indeed, 
 so profound were his cogitations, that Harriet 
 and her Uncle Jerry, fearing to disturb him, 
 either talked low or not at all. 
 
 That night John W. White, millionaire, 
 solved his servant problem.
 
 CHAPTER IX
 
 Recall the best of the " good times " that you 
 have had in any company. If you will carefully 
 consider the secret of that golden hour the 
 secret of the most delightful good fellowship 
 that you ever enjoyed in your life you mill 
 find that it lay in the fact that all the members 
 of your pleasure party met on a footing of 
 absolute equality. Nobody patronized or con- 
 descended, and no one fanned or flattered; but 
 each felt that he gave to the company precisely 
 as much as he took away. " In good company," 
 says a famous writer on manners, " everybody 
 is of the same age." 
 
 CHARLES FERGUSON in The American.
 
 CHAPTER IX 
 
 BOW did Mr. White solve his servant 
 problem? In the simplest manner. 
 Having rid his house of every serv- 
 ant by the aid of a cocked pistol, 
 and while presenting an appearance more yel- 
 low and sensational than any pictures our yel- 
 low press can hope to produce, he refused 
 to take back any of the old, or to employ 
 fresh ones. Because, while wrestling with 
 a question that, like Banquo's ghost, had re- 
 fused to be laid ever since his first marriage, a 
 happy thought struck him which he hoped to 
 be able to make practical. It was this : Why 
 not evolve a real home, employing equals to 
 assist, instead of trying to maintain a petty 
 kind of aristocracy, as heretofore? 
 
 But who would co-operate with him in this 
 home project? In imagination he scanned all 
 the intelligent, highly educated, independent 
 women he knew. One by one they were re- 
 
 181
 
 122 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 jected as having some characteristic or incom- 
 patibility of taste or temper which made them 
 ineligible for such an enterprise, the chief ob- 
 jection being that they were not of a domestic 
 turn: did not love home duties. 
 
 It was just when Mr. White was at his wits' 
 end that he said suddenly, " The Twins ! What 
 
 J * 
 
 is the matter with them? " 
 
 In his mind's eye he reviewed their past. He 
 first saw them as tiny maids, being reared in 
 the sweetest, neatest, prettiest, and most home- 
 like of homes he ever remembered to have 
 visited, either as boy or man. He recalled how 
 awkward he had been during his first visit to 
 their brother " Jim " ; how he had persisted in 
 calling Celia " Delia," and Delia " Celia," and 
 all because they were dressed just alike, and 
 he was too bashful to really look at either of 
 them. He saw them again when they grad- 
 uated, and again he blundered, calling Celia 
 " Delia," and Delia " Celia," as before ! How 
 stupid they must think him! He was at that 
 time, however, making money hand over fist, 
 in " little old New York," proving that he was
 
 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 123 
 
 not exactly stupid in America's great game of 
 money-making. 
 
 The next time Mr. White saw " The Twins " 
 was when they came to his central place of 
 business. They were dressed in deep mourn- 
 ing, and their visit had to do with money : how 
 best to invest some inherited from their father's 
 estate. Mr. White gave them excellent finan- 
 cial advice, and on this visit was able to clearly 
 distinguish which was Celia and which Delia 
 for Celia was thin and her features were drawn 
 and haggard : she looked prematurely the New 
 England spinster, tall, angular, gaunt, but 
 neat, pensive, reticent while her sister had a 
 good color, and was optimistic, wide-awake, 
 and her muscular frame was comfortably 
 cushioned with flesh. 
 
 As Mr. White bowed the sisters out, he said 
 to himself, " I'll warrant that Celia Taylor 
 has been going through Love's threshing ma- 
 chine at a lively pace, judging by her looks. 
 I must make inquiries." 
 
 He did so, and learned that the day previ- 
 ous to the one on which she was to be wed,
 
 124 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 Celia had been so trustful as to hand all her 
 savings as a teacher in a young woman's col- 
 lege to her lover for reinvestment. He knew 
 of some New York real estate which, promptly 
 secured by the sum she possessed, would, in 
 no long time, be very valuable. Poor Celia! 
 She never saw her lover again. As for her 
 tidy nest-egg, honestly earned and saved with 
 wonderful self-denial, that too disappeared for 
 good, Celia Taylor being too proud to attempt 
 to locate either absconding lover, or to get back 
 again the money which proved his ruin. 
 
 But while she made no outward demonstra- 
 tion of the woe that had overtaken her, she 
 grew thin, became absent-minded, and per- 
 formed her duties as a teacher perfunctorily. 
 Day by day life became a great burden. Often 
 while alone she sighed and wished she could 
 hide away in some lonely retreat where young 
 eyes could not follow her, or curious tongues 
 question her, or anxious friends torment her 
 with well-meaning but utterly useless advice. 
 She thought of suicide, but hesitated to go 
 hence before she was called. Then, too, she
 
 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 125 
 
 must not leave a heritage of woe for her twin 
 sister to bear; and so Celia kept on teaching 
 and growing thinner and sadder day by day. 
 
 Her sister, Delia, meanwhile was being 
 courted by a millionaire, twice her age. She 
 had long been intimate with the millionaire's 
 wife; often, with Celia, spending happy vaca- 
 tions with her. At length the wife died, after 
 living with her husband an ideal married life 
 for many years. The poor bereft husband 
 knew not how to face life alone! True, he 
 had married children; but their own affairs, 
 domestic, social, and financial, absorbed and 
 filled their lives. The old millionaire got to 
 calling around occasionally at the boarding- 
 house of the Twins. Here Miss Delia was al- 
 ways ready to entertain him and make him feel 
 more like himself; make him feel that life was 
 still worth living. In due time he proposed 
 and was accepted. Together they planned a 
 wedding tour around the world, which was to 
 include poor Celia. 
 
 But before the day set for their marriage ar- 
 rived, Delia was shocked to learn that her lover
 
 126 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 had been cruelly murdered by one of his sons, 
 who, " in his cups," had become obsessed with 
 the idea that his mother's memory must not 
 be disgraced by the marriage of her husband to 
 a woman half his age. 
 
 It was now Delia's turn to sigh for some 
 dear, quiet spot where she and her equally un- 
 fortunate sister could hide away from curious 
 eyes, and too often cold hearts, and endeavor 
 to resurrect their happier selves. 
 
 Accordingly, when Mr. White made his call 
 upon the Twins, they were quite ready to lis- 
 ten to his scheme of making a home with in- 
 telligent, highly educated, conscientious, home- 
 loving people as assistants and co-workers. 
 But before deciding, many questions were 
 asked. 
 
 " What sort of a man is Jeremiah Jordan, 
 who, it appears, is already a member of your 
 household? " asked Delia. 
 
 "Pooh! he's nobody 1" said Mr. White un- 
 guardedly. 
 
 The sisters smiled, recalling that Mr. White 
 had just said the proposed home-builders were
 
 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 127 
 
 to be "intelligent, highly educated, conscien- 
 tious and home-loving people." 
 
 Celia remarked laughingly, " It appears we 
 are to have a fool to afford us relaxation." 
 
 " Beg pardon ! Jeremiah Jordan is nobody's 
 fool. He is a very learned man. When I 
 said, ' he's a nobody,' I meant to give the im- 
 pression that he is quite a harmless creature, so 
 far as women are concerned. Probably a year 
 will pass before he will get up the courage to 
 look either one of you in the face without 
 trembling." 
 
 " Why, what is the matter with him? " both 
 sisters asked together, being now quite inter- 
 ested, and wondering what sort of a man this 
 Jeremiah Jordan could be, afraid to look at 
 two plain women, like themselves. 
 
 " Oh, his wife some time ago put him 
 through the divorce mill, claiming that he 
 looked too often upon the rosy cheeks of the 
 soprano singer in his choir. Since that time 
 he has never, I think, really looked at any 
 woman! " 
 
 "Was he really guilty a minister of the
 
 128 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 blessed Gospel? " asked Delia, with a look of 
 awe on her face. 
 
 " Not a bit of it. His wife tired of being the 
 consort of a poorly paid minister. As a 
 very pretty woman, she easily got a rich bach- 
 elor friend of her husband's infatuated with 
 her charms. The rest was easy to secure a 
 divorce by the aid of the bachelor's money." 
 
 "What became of her?" 
 
 " Oh, in less than a year after she had got 
 her decree, the bachelor was no longer a bach- 
 elor, while she herself was a second time a 
 bride, this time with a wardrobe fit for a 
 princess." 
 
 "Of course his career as a minister of the 
 Gospel was ruined," said the sad Celia. 
 
 ' To be sure ; but what does that matter, 
 provided a woman can get an unlimited supply 
 of clothes?" 
 
 " How you talk! So this poor Jeremiah is 
 to be one of our home-builders! And you 
 think him a harmless man?" 
 
 " Quite so ! having transmuted his affection 
 for human beings into a passion for books and
 
 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 129 
 
 book lore! True, he is fond of his pupil, 
 Harriet, and goes to no end of trouble to con- 
 dense for her use voluminous old books con- 
 taining a few kernels of sound wisdom in a 
 bushel of chaff. Oh, yes, he is accommodating 
 with everybody. He will do chores for you 
 a reasonable amount accompany you and 
 your sister to the opera, theater, concert hall 
 or church evening service when you need a 
 male escort. He has even made a tour of the 
 world, to please Harriet and myself. We 
 thought he needed a change, so we insisted 
 that he accompany us. Of course we made it 
 appear that we needed his services else he 
 would never have left his beloved books to 
 the care of servants for three whole months." 
 
 " How will your young daughter like the 
 new arrangement? " 
 
 " She will like anything that pleases me. My 
 Harriet is the best trained girl you ever saw. 
 I raised her alone, you might say; and to edu- 
 cate her properly, I had first to educate my- 
 self. A hundred books at least I have pored 
 over to get ideas scientific ones as to the
 
 130 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 best way to evolve and train that mysterious 
 thing called the intellect, and that I some- 
 times think more mysterious thing, the hu- 
 man body, because if one mismanages the de- 
 velopment of the latter, so that instead of ob- 
 taining a normal growth, we have an abnormal 
 one then look out ! the devil's to pay, usually. 
 Well, think the matter over. I will only stipu- 
 late that our home is not to have any servants 
 in it when I am in it. Get experts to thoroughly 
 renovate the house every week, but throw them 
 out before I get home at night, so that we 
 can dine in peace and say anything we like, and 
 feel that we are all of an age, all friends ; and, 
 for Heaven's sake, give us plain, easily di- 
 gested food ! Put it all on the table at once, so 
 that when we are seated, we can undisturbed 
 leisurely chew our food and undisturbed enjoy 
 the delights of that sort of conversation only 
 to be had among equals." 
 
 Having so spoken, Mr. White bade the 
 Twins adieu. In a few days Mr. White got 
 the answer he wanted and never regretted. 
 He often declared that his last years were his
 
 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 131 
 
 best, his happiest years, and when he " passed 
 on," ten years later, he left a handsome bequest 
 to each member of his Family of Friends. 
 This, in addition, of course, to the prompt 
 payment of handsome salaries while living. 
 No close " living- wage " employer was Mil- 
 lionaire John W. White.
 
 CHAPTER X
 
 Southern simplicity carried to its ultimate 
 expression, leads not uncommonly to startling 
 results; for it is not generally a satisfaction to 
 an Italian to be paid a sum of money as dam- 
 ages for an injury done. When his enemy has 
 harmed him, he desires the simple retribution 
 of putting him to death, and he frequently ex- 
 acts it by any means he finds ready to hand. 
 Being simple, he reflects little, and often acts 
 with violence. The Northern mind, capable of 
 vast intricacy of thought, seeks to combine re- 
 venge of injury with personal profit, and in 
 a spirit of cold, far-sighted calculation, reckons 
 up the advantages to be got by sacrificing an 
 innate desire for blood to a civilized greed of 
 money. 
 
 Dr. Johnson would have liked the Romans 
 for in general they are good lovers and good 
 haters, whatever faults they may have. 
 
 MARION CRAWFORD.
 
 CHAPTER X 
 
 IN addition to Mr. White's " Family 
 of Friends," embracing the Twins, 
 Jeremiah Jordan and Harriet the 
 latter now approaching the break- 
 fast table there were present this morning 
 two other individuals, a handsome young 
 woman being one, whose father was a Hebrew, 
 while her mother claimed English descent. 
 There was nothing in the appearance of this 
 highly-vitalized, dark-haired, robust maiden, 
 not yet out of her teens, to indicate that her ex- 
 traction was other than that which has given 
 us our biblical heroes and heroines; also our 
 devil. In the White Family of Friends she 
 was but a passing guest, though, being related 
 to the Twins, and being also efa very ener- Cf 
 getic, let-me-help-you kind of person, she was 
 ever ready to do a good turn, and particularly 
 so while the White family was so worn with 
 
 135
 
 136 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 grief. Hence the presence of sweet Lucy 
 Myers. 
 
 The other person present might almost be 
 considered a member of the White Family of 
 Friends, for he had filled the place of manager 
 in Mr. White's business affairs for some years, 
 and was on such terms of intimacy with his 
 employer and Harriet, that a plate at the table 
 was always laid for him and a charming room 
 ever at his command. His real name was 
 William Watterson Brown ; but to Mr. White 
 he had long been " Bill," to Harriet " Uncle 
 Billy," while the Twins and Jeremiah cere- 
 moniously spoke of him or addressed him as 
 "Mr. Brown." 
 
 In appearance Mr. Brown looked wonder- 
 fully like President Taft. He was built after 
 the same generous pattern his smile being 
 quite as ready, broad and genial. " Bill " 
 could do a prodigious amount of work, smiling 
 all the time. Perhaps that is the reason, though 
 he attributed it to the fact that he lived the 
 life of a sensible man after he had locked the 
 door of his counting-room at close of day. Mr.
 
 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 137 
 
 Brown had no end of funny stories and jokes 
 in his repertoire, but there was one he always 
 told with lively zest. Of course he was the 
 young hero of his tale, which he never related 
 without wondering how he ever got the courage 
 to do it. 
 
 It seems that a couple of his boy friends 
 dared him to kiss some girls on their way home 
 from school in the big city of New York. 
 They assured him that each of them would, 
 afterwards, kiss two to his one. Billy Brown 
 well knew that he had the name of being the 
 most bashful boy in his school, and he had 
 meant for some time to retrieve his character 
 in this respect; so he replied bravely: 
 
 "Agreed!" and took his stand where some 
 of the prettiest girls must presently pass. Up 
 came a dimple of a maiden. Billy kissed her 
 so quick that she did not have time to blush, 
 much less protest. The next to come his way 
 was a petite blonde, called " Spitfire." But 
 he kissed her just the same, and got^sjritjm 
 for his pains. Here he weakened somewhat 
 and took counsel with himself as to whether
 
 138 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 he should now stop or make a good kissing 
 record while he was about it. He concluded 
 to go on, notwithstanding the next girl loomed 
 up a head higher than himself and was dressed 
 to kill. Of course she slapped him for all she 
 was worth, then passed around the corner. A 
 whole bunch of girls came next. Billy kissed 
 them double quick. Every one screamed to 
 beat the^ band and ran away, but, quite un- 
 daunted, Billy turned to kiss the next or a 
 bunch having by this time got well broken 
 in. But, alas, the next was Retribution, wear- 
 ing the form and features of his teacher. He 
 felt himself taken by the nape of the neck or 
 the collar of his coat, he could never remember 
 which, for his brains were so befuddled by the 
 shaking that followed, that it was not easy for 
 him to clearly recall anything that happened 
 for a week afterwards. Billy Brown always 
 finished his kissing tale by solemnly affirming 
 that, with the exception of blood relations, he 
 had never kissed girl or woman from that day 
 to this! Hisses and groans on the part of the 
 men often followed this assertion, and weak
 
 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 139 
 
 applause on the part of the women, though 
 sometimes, to punish him, an audacious woman 
 would make a rush for his big head, throw 
 her arms about the strong neck, and give him 
 a half a dozen loud smacks, pretending when 
 she was through that they came from Billy 
 Brown, who was practicing his old kissing 
 stunt ; and then ready to pose as a saint ! Billy 
 Brown would make the neat reply that he 
 didn't care what he was accused of just so he 
 got the kisses! 
 
 Yes, Billy Brown was a bachelor of the 
 type whom all women like, and feel perfectly 
 at home with. Why had he never married? 
 No one knew precisely, but there was a per- 
 sistent rumor to the effect that at an early 
 date he had had a love-affair which prema- 
 turely closed much like that of Washington 
 Irving's. 
 
 That Billy Brown had a tender heart may 
 be infefred from his remarks in respect to 
 Harriet before her tardy entrance into the 
 dining-room for breakfast on the morning 
 after her night vigil in the Madonna Room.
 
 140 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 He said in that emphatic way of his when 
 deeply in earnest: 
 
 " I say a woman ought to be permitted to 
 cry whenever she feels like it. Tears are a 
 woman's safety-valve. I've told White many 
 a time he had no right to make a business 
 stoic out of his Harriet or any other woman : 
 that what we needed in our business grind of 
 to-day was an infusion of the spirit of Chiv- 
 alry, turning it into Romance, and that we 
 could not get it so long as we demand of 
 woman machine-like docility, refuse her a liv- 
 ing wage, and murder her ideals by playing 
 the part of beast to her." 
 
 Before any one could reply to this long 
 speech for Billy Harriet stepped in and 
 after greeting each member with her usual 
 smile and nod, took her seat. All felt an im- 
 mense relief to see her seated at her regular 
 place at the table once more ; the first time for 
 a month. 
 
 "My dear, dear Boss," said Billy Brown, 
 laying his big, fat palm on hers, " you are bet- 
 ter. Thank God!"
 
 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 141 
 
 "Yes," replied Harriet, returning his look 
 of intermingled affection and anxiety with a 
 brave one, " Divine Compassion has replaced 
 my heart of stone with one of flesh. I am all 
 right." 
 
 "Thank Heaven I" ejaculated Delia. "I 
 feared I know not what. You have been so 
 unlike yourself since the death of your father. 
 It is a sane admonition, * Little children, keep 
 yourselves from idols.' ' 
 
 Harriet said nothing for a moment, and 
 then with a meditative air murmured, "Wise 
 Aunt Delia, what you say is true ; and, perhaps, 
 now that I have less temptation to break so 
 excellent a biblical command, I may be able to 
 keep it. By the way, what is in the morning 
 papers any new mysterious murder been per- 
 petrated or spicy love letters or a divorce 
 scandal that promises to be remunerative to all 
 but the moneyed victim? " asked Harriet, try- 
 ing to be cheerful. 
 
 " No," sighed,- rather than spoke Celia. She 
 was not only a newspaper fiend, but a yellow 
 press fiend. No divorce scandal, no matrimo-
 
 142 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 nial mix-up, no blood-curdling murder, em- 
 bracing columns set up in blurred, small type, 
 was ever too formidable for her to begin and 
 read conscientiously to the very end, court pro- 
 ceedings and all. 
 
 It was Billy Brown who said, with some 
 hesitation, " I don't know whether I ought to 
 
 mention it or not, Harriet " He stopped 
 
 suddenly and looked frowningly at his plate, 
 then swallowed some coffee. 
 
 Harriet's very heart stood still. She knew 
 in a moment that something dreadful had hap- 
 pened to Ivo, and that he was afraid to tell 
 her what it was. 
 
 " Oh, yes, I know something, too, that will 
 interest you, Harriet," recklessly blurted out 
 Delia. 
 
 14 What is it, Aunt Delia? " queried Harriet, 
 well knowing she could get a more detailed re- 
 port of what had befallen her Italian lover 
 from her than from Uncle Billy. 
 
 But Billy having given her a wink, she spoke 
 guardedly. Naturally it was written up in a 
 sensational manner how a strikingly hand-
 
 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 143 
 
 some Italian had been found lying on the pave- 
 ment, quite unconscious and bleeding profusely 
 from a bruise on the forehead. It was thought 
 he must have been knocked on the head by some 
 Black Hand fiend. " From letters in his 
 pocket it appears his name is Count Ivo Raf- 
 f aello Bruno of Rome." 
 
 An awkward silence followed this piece of 
 information. At length Billy got up the cour- 
 age to look at Harriet, and noticing how very 
 pallid was her countenance, said, sotto voce j 
 " Shall I order the carriage and drive you 
 around to the hospital where this Count has 
 been taken ? That is the quickest way to know 
 exactly what has occurred." 
 
 " No not now. I want, first, to hold a con- 
 sultation with my dear Family of Friends be- 
 fore making any new move having to do with 
 Ivo. My last communication was the note ap- 
 prising him of my promise to my dying father 
 never to wed, and praying him to forgive and 
 forget me." 
 
 ' Yes, I remember, and I felt sure at the time 
 there'd be the devil to pay. Thoroughbred
 
 144. AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 Italians in love like the one you have got on 
 your hands are hot stuff. One can't handle 
 them like they can Americans. We may all 
 be murdered in our beds before we get out of 
 this scrape. I told White so; but he said the 
 risk was greater to you and all concerned to 
 let you marry this sprig of the Roman aristoc- 
 racy, than to make it impossible by a death-bed 
 promise." 
 
 Harriet said nothing more, but sat silent and 
 thoughtful until she perceived that all had 
 finished their meal. Then she said, rising: 
 
 " Dear friends, let us retire to the Madonna 
 Room. I want your advice on a very serious 
 matter, which concerns the happiness of us all." 
 
 " All come but Lucy," said Billy affection- 
 ately, " because we are going to hammer some 
 sound sense into Harriet's poor, topsy- 
 turvy brain. You know she's in love, and 
 therefore a blind fool. We can't have your 
 lovely, sympathetic face present. Go to the 
 piano and practice your music." 
 
 " Oh, I prefer to do the dishes for my good 
 7 aunts."
 
 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 145 
 
 " You will make some man a mighty good 
 wife some day," commented Billy, as he fol- 
 lowed Harriet's lead. 
 
 "Be sure and slip my rubber gloves over 
 those lovely hands," warned Delia as she lightly 
 kissed the fine brow of the maiden with its 
 artistically curved eyebrows. Then she fol- 
 lowed the rest up stairs, sighing heavily. 
 Could it be possible that Harriet was so slav- 
 ishly in love with her Italian count as to be 
 ready to break her promise to her dying father 
 then turn her back on all hitherto dear to 
 her ; render null and void the long training for 
 a responsible position, and fly to Europe at 
 the beck of a man she could know little about? 
 It looked like it. Women in love were really 
 insane. And Delia sighed again, deeper than 
 before.
 
 CHAPTER XI
 
 The woman of the twentieth century will not 
 only have learned many things, she will have 
 forgotten many also the feminine as well as 
 the anti-feminine foolishness of the present 
 day. 
 
 She mill desire the happiness of love with 
 her whole being. She is delicate and refined, 
 not because she is chlorotic, but because she is 
 healthy and red-blooded. She is sensuous be- 
 cause she is full of soul, and truthful because 
 she is proud. She demands great love because 
 she gives love with a still greater passion. 
 Through her refined idealism the erotical prob- 
 lem will be very complicated and often difficult 
 to solve. Therefore, the happiness she will 
 give and feel will be deeper, richer and more 
 lasting than anything hitherto called happiness. 
 Many traits belonging to the wife and mother 
 of to-day will be very lilcely missing in the 
 woman of the twentieth century. She will al- 
 ways remain a sweetheart and only as such will 
 she become a mother. She will devote her 
 noblest and strongest forces to the difficult and 
 beautiful art of being sweetheart and mother 
 in one: her religion will be to create the Bliss 
 of Life. 
 
 ELLEN KEY of Copenhagen.
 
 CHAPTER XI 
 
 "Madonna Room," toward 
 which the White Family of Friends 
 are directing their steps, was Har- 
 riet's idea, worked out very cau- 
 tiously ever since she was quite a young 
 girl with a fondness for madonnas holding the 
 chubbiest of babies. It was located in the 
 third story, and in the preparation of this mag- 
 nificent room for w T orks of art no expense 
 had been spared. Ever since Harriet was a 
 small maid, her father had let her spend her 
 allowance as she chose. Curiously enough it 
 nearly all went to gratify her love for art and 
 the strong maternal instinct inherited from 
 her Italian mother. Every year, for a dozen 
 years or more, a new madonna, sometimes two, 
 found its way to this large, palatial art room. 
 Quite a number of fine paintings, not of the 
 madonna description, had been removed in 
 order to make room for the ever-increasing 
 
 H9
 
 150 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 virgin mothers and their babes. The ceiling 
 was an artistic creation of exquisitely tinted, 
 charmingly grouped clouds and cupids. 
 Some of the winged love-archers were in the 
 act of arming themselves with bows and ar- 
 rows and darts; others, already prepared to 
 transfix hearts, were descending earthward. 
 All the round little faces shone with love, and 
 their pink, chubby, nude bodies were also a 
 delight to the eye. The floor was laid with 
 softly tinted tiles in classical design. Rich 
 rugs reposed at various intervals throughout 
 the room, noticeably before sofas or easy 
 chairs. A couple of inlaid, antique tables 
 added splendor to the appearance of this 
 remarkable Madonna Room. 
 
 The quintet of people, having entered on 
 this scene, seated themselves rather close to- 
 gether. Then all looked at Harriet as if to 
 say, " Why have you brought us to a place 
 filled with mothers holding chubby children, 
 when you are doomed to celibacy? " 
 
 As for Harriet, she fastened her gaze on 
 Billy Brown, seated in the biggest, most com-
 
 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 151 
 
 fortable chair the room held, and said: 
 " Uncle Billy, you have dropped some remarks 
 which have led me to believe that you know 
 why my father exacted a death-bed promise 
 from me not to marry. Please tell us what 
 you know." 
 
 All eyes were immediately focussed on the 
 large man in the great " throne-room chair," 
 looking rather uncomfortable. He jerked 
 out, rather than said : 
 
 " I I must admit that poor White and 
 I talked over this love affair of yours for 
 a Roman aristocrat, a time or two. Your 
 father said that as his Harriet had been a 
 docile daughter, he knew well enough she'd be 
 a docile wife. That meant," he said, "the 
 throwing to the dogs his long training which 
 had made of his Harriet just the right person 
 to fill his shoes when he was gone. Besides, 
 as the docile wife of a European aristocrat, 
 that meant that Harriet's money would be lost 
 at gaming tables, in rebuilding and refurnish- 
 ing old, decaying castles, paying an army of 
 servants, giving and attending balls, riding in
 
 automobiles, attending races, while poor Har- 
 riet herself must give up home, friends, coun- 
 try, religion, and see her children reared aristo- 
 crats instead of solid, sturdy, common-sense 
 Americans." 
 
 Billy Brown paused, out of breath. He had 
 probably made the longest, most serious, con- 
 secutive speech of his life. He could reel off 
 jokes by the yard, and had no end of fish 
 stories at command; but a serious speech, hav- 
 ing to do with women who all glued their eyes 
 on you so that you scarcely dared to raise your 
 own he mentally hoped, as he finished, would 
 happen " never again." 
 
 " You think, then, my father would not have 
 objected to my being associated with Ivo in a 
 marital way, provided I carried out his wishes 
 in respect to the business interests he has 
 taught me to understand in fact has bred me 
 to manipulate? " 
 
 " Probably not. But you know how it is. 
 When a woman is married, she is no longer 
 her own boss. She is a minor. Poor woman! 
 * First a beast of burden, then a domestic ani-
 
 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 153 
 
 mal, then a slave, then a servant, and then a 
 minor.' Your father did not like the idea of 
 your playing the part of minor after training 
 you to boss big business interests and compli- 
 cations." 
 
 Billy Brown, feeling that he had acquitted 
 himself bravely had spoken to the point- 
 now pulled out a big, fat cigar, lighted it, and 
 began to puff vigorously. The Twins never 
 liked the way Billy smoked in the house and all 
 over it, but as Mr. White had often urged them 
 to say nothing, " Bill being such an awfully 
 good fellow, you know," they were mute. 
 
 Harriet broke the silence, which was becom- 
 ing oppressive, by saying, " My conscience 
 troubles me not a little about Ivo. I really did 
 let him see in Rome that I loved him; and 
 although I made no verbal promises that I 
 would be his, by my actions I led him to believe 
 that when my father no longer needed me, I 
 would not longer turn a deaf ear to his plead- 
 ing for my love. Well, now, do you know, I 
 have a good mind to take Ivo on a free union 
 basis, provided he is willing."
 
 154 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 "My heavens! Why don't you say on a 
 free love basis, and be done with it?" inter- 
 posed Celia with flashing eyes. 
 
 "Ay, a free lust basis!" angrily shouted 
 Delia. " This comes of Harriet's being edu- 
 cated by men. All men would like to have 
 free lust in place of the holy state of matri- 
 mony, if they could get the women to agree to 
 such a diabolical state of living." 
 
 " Not all men," corrected Harriet. " Why, 
 it is our men who have made all our laws, those 
 pertaining to marriage included." 
 
 " And made a mess of the business," said 
 Jeremiah Jordan, still smarting over the way 
 he had been stranded in life by clever divorce 
 lawyers, stringent divorce laws, and a sus- 
 picious, credulous public. 
 
 Billy Brown removed his big cigar long 
 enough to correct Harriet. He declared, " It 
 is our priests, who refuse to marry at all, and 
 who look down on marriage, who will have 
 nothing to do with it themselves, that are re- 
 sponsible for our indissoluble marriage system, 
 Once they get a man and woman yoked to-
 
 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 155 
 
 gether, no matter how unequally, no matter if 
 both find the yoke crushing the life prema- 
 turely out of them, just the same, they must 
 put up with it, until, by George, the life too 
 often is crushed out of 'em." 
 
 " Then I suppose you and Jeremiah will 
 back up our Harriet in going to the devil, for 
 that is where this free union free love free 
 lust it is all the same thing leads to." Thus 
 spoke Delia, her fleshy face red with anger. 
 
 Next, thin-faced, sad-eyed Celia began in a 
 whining voice, to make her little speech. 
 
 " I am astonished, Harriet, that such a de- 
 grading idea should have entered your head 
 and to think of carrying it out with a 
 European aristocrat ! And of all things with 
 an Italian aristocrat a born sentimentalist, a 
 born gambler with a childlike ignorance of the 
 ten commandments, and particularly of the 
 seventh! Love has really turned you into a 
 fool, my poor child." 
 
 Celia whipped out a handkerchief and began 
 to weep. 
 
 " Who is this Count Ivo Raff aello Bruno
 
 156 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 does he come of decent stock?" asked Billy 
 Brown. 
 
 " It appears, from what I can learn, that his 
 family tree contains many illustrious names, 
 among which are two well-known saints, St. 
 Ivo and St. Bruno." 
 
 " Has your Ivo the reputation of being a 
 saint, too ? " asked Celia, forgetting in her new 
 interest regarding Harriet's lover, to weep. 
 
 " No, indeed ! I would not be in love with 
 him if he was a saint. Saints are unfit for 
 practical life. They lack common sense." 
 
 Celia continued her weeping, while Delia 
 said pleadingly, " Surely you are not in 
 earnest or you are so perplexed you do not 
 know what you are talking about. Dear 
 child, let us wait a few weeks, before consider- 
 ing this awful matter of free union further. 
 We are all worn out with grief over your 
 father's death." 
 
 "And, in the meantime, another person very 
 dear to me may die," sighed, rather than said 
 Harriet, becoming alarmingly pale. 
 
 " Go to see him, of course. While he is flat
 
 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 157 
 
 on his back in a hospital, he cannot hurt any- 
 body. I will drive you around, and then I 
 must be off to business. It is time now I was 
 on hand," Billy decided, after consulting his 
 big watch. There was nothing small about 
 " Bill Brown." 
 
 Harriet spoke firmly. 
 
 " No, I will not see Ivo again unless I 
 we are willing he should become a member of 
 our Family of Friends and a co-partner with 
 me in a marital way." 
 
 " But you can't marry! Can't you get that 
 into your head! And to live with him as you 
 suggest in a free union way is a crime!" 
 yelled Delia, almost in hysterics. 
 
 " I can't see it in that light," said Harriet 
 firmly, and with more spirit than she had hith- 
 erto shown. " It seems to me, on the other 
 hand, that it is a crime against human nature 
 and particularly American human nature, sup- 
 posed to have infused into it more love of 
 liberty than any other kind to insist that 
 every couple pledge away all domestic liberty 
 when they get married at an age, too, when
 
 158 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 by far the greater number only imagine them- 
 selves in love. There is nothing I am more 
 thankful to my father for than the prompt 
 nipping in the bud of my girlish infatuation 
 for a man I never could have really loved when 
 once I saw him as he was without character. 
 Then after that to have felt myself obliged to 
 bear his children can't you understand what 
 a condition of often intolerable purgatory this 
 state of affairs would involve? " 
 
 " Oh, let Harriet have her way. She's got 
 more sense than all of us put together," urged 
 Billy Brown, as he got up to stretch himself 
 and walk about a bit for a change, smoking 
 meanwhile, and irritating the Twins more and 
 more. Delia, therefore, spoke in her highest- 
 pitched tones, and with an angry glance di- 
 rected straight at Billy, though what she said 
 was directed to Harriet. 
 
 " Do you suppose, for a moment, that any 
 respectable woman would enter so intimate a 
 relation as marriage entails, without an indis- 
 soluble marriage rite, upheld by both law and 
 religion?"
 
 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 159 
 
 "And counsel fees and alimony when the 
 wife tires of her husband," added Jeremiah 
 Jordan, who, hitherto had not spoken. He 
 was the regular type of "book-worm" the 
 thing he became after his wife ruined his ca- 
 reer as a preacher of the Gospel. That is, he 
 had developed into a bloodless, parchment- 
 skinned, bespectacled, bald-headed ~f- book- 
 devouring machine, though sometimes for a 
 change he prepared a learned volume which 
 never failed to drop, still-born, from the press. 
 
 " Ah, yes," resumed Harriet, " the way 
 things are now, married men are certainly get- 
 ting the worst of it. Think of my poor, inno- 
 cent father! What immense pain, as well as 
 big sums of money, his two supposedly in- 
 dissoluble marriages cost him, and all because 
 two women married him on account of the fact 
 that he was rich, and probably for no other 
 reason. I don't wonder there is a great and 
 growing tendency on the part of liberty-loving 
 men to be bachelors rather than benedicts. 
 The truth is, there ought to be two kinds of 
 marriages to fit those in bondage to the old
 
 160 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 order, and for bona fide Americans. The for- 
 mer, who regard the institution as a sacra- 
 ment, could then be wedded in a church, which 
 seldom permits an annulment of marriage 
 vows and re-marriage. The other, who hold 
 common-sense views of matrimony, should be 
 permitted to go to a civil servant and be mar- 
 ried by him with the right to have their mar- 
 riage contract dissolved in the usual way by 
 another civil servant, the Judge presiding over 
 the case, and to be at liberty to make a new 
 marriage if desired. The truth is, marriages 
 of * anguish and alimony' are becoming 
 scandalously frequent." 
 
 " But," urged Delia, " think of the hell you 
 will find yourself in, should you go ahead and 
 practice what you propose a free union with 
 this Italian aristocrat. It is notorious that a 
 man tires of unlawful marital relations as he 
 grows older and turns his face toward respect- 
 ability. What will you do then, my poor 
 Harriet?" 
 
 "Attend to my business, as usual;" said 
 Harriet with her usual serenity.
 
 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 161 
 
 " Yes, but with a broken heart! " exclaimed 
 Celia, removing her handkerchief and present- 
 ing to the view of all some very red eyes. 
 
 " Well, no not for a man who tires of me. 
 I have, I am sure, more common sense than to 
 permit my heart to break for that sort of a 
 man." 
 
 " Harriet has been trained by reasonable 
 men, not by unreasonable, emotional women," 
 remarked Jeremiah, regarding Harriet with 
 admiration. 
 
 " Oh, you shut up. You are nobody! " with--r-0 J^J 
 eringly ejaculated Delia, as she furiously 
 stamped her foot. 
 
 Billy Brown now resumed his " throne-room 
 chair," and said impressively: 
 
 " Ah, but my dear child, have you reflected 
 that free union might entail disagreeable con- 
 sequences. There might be children " 
 
 " I hope there will be! " said Harriet impul- 
 sively. " Ivo is a tremendously well set up, 
 handsome fellow. Who knows but that I 
 might have by him children with forms like 
 Greek gods and goddesses! I always said,
 
 162 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 when I was a little girl, that I would have 
 seven real children some day in place of seven 
 make-believe ones. Think of my presenting 
 the world with seven American-Greek gods 
 and goddesses ! " 
 
 " My God ! Our Harriet to bring into the 
 world illegitimate children! Illegitimate! II- 
 
 legit " Poor Delia could say nothing 
 
 more from the fact that at this point she went 
 off into violent hysterics, while her sister 
 stopped her weeping to faint dead away. 
 
 Billy Brown rushed downstairs to telephone 
 for a doctor and to send up sweet Lucy Myers 
 with remedies calculated to assist Harriet and 
 the tutor in their efforts to restore conscious- 
 ness to Celia and abate the violence of Delia's 
 attack of hysteria. 
 
 Then he hied himself down town to business, 
 congratulating himself that he was out of that 
 wjwnanmess^ 
 
 Bachelordom has its secret joys and, per- 
 haps, more than its share of secret sorrows.
 
 CHAPTER XII
 
 Your heart is never away, 
 
 But ever with mine forever, 
 
 Forever without endeavor, 
 To-morrow, love, as to-day; 
 Two blent hearts never astray, 
 
 Two souls no power may sever, 
 
 Together, my love, forever! 
 
 EXCHANGE. 
 

 
 CHAPTER XII 
 
 HARRIET'S manager was very loyal 
 to her, and so it happened that the 
 lunch hour found him hurrying back 
 to help her, if he could, under the 
 present trying circumstances. He was pleased 
 to see the Twins occupying their usual places 
 at the dinner table, and more than pleased to 
 observe that something like happiness shone 
 once more in Harriet's countenance. Sweet 
 Lucy Myers was busy passing good things to 
 eat around among this silent and somewhat 
 absent-minded group. 
 
 'Well, how are you coming on?" asked 
 Billy Brown in his hearty way as he seated 
 himself in the place always reserved for him. 
 Delia, looking unusually pale, replied, " Oh, 
 we have told Harriet she would find us true- 
 blue no matter what she did! That if she 
 j chose to go to hell itself, we would go along 
 > watching for a chance to fan her." 
 
 165
 
 166 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 This speech caused no end of merriment to 
 Billy Brown, while Jeremiah's parchment skin 
 relaxed about his mouth, and made him look 
 suddenly quite human. As for Lucy, she 
 smiled, but in a subdued manner, fearing that 
 if she did otherwise she might hurt the feel- 
 ings of her really good, high-minded-if -nar- 
 row aunts. 
 
 " I see you have the carriage at the door! " 
 observed Billy when he had stopped laughing 
 and blinking at Harriet. 
 
 " Yes, Uncle Jerry and I are going to the 
 hospital where Ivo is, just as soon as he has 
 finished his lunch." 
 
 " I am ready now," declared that gentleman 
 with alacrity. He knew well enough that 
 Harriet was immensely eager to be off. And 
 so these two lost no time in setting off behind a 
 pair of high-spirited, perfectly matched pair 
 of " grays," Harriet driving, of course, it 
 being too hazardous to let short-sighted, absent- 
 minded Jeremiah attempt anything so perilous 
 as irresponsible driving in crowded New York. 
 But he was a good person to leave with a well-
 
 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 167 
 
 hitched team; for always there came out of his 
 pocket some abstruse work which made it easy 
 for Harriet to go about her business in a leis- 
 urely way, if necessary. 
 
 The young Italian count had been taken to 
 Bellevue Hospital, 'the first stone of the orig- 
 inal building of which was laid in 1811. At 
 this date, 1892-3, it embraced forty wards with 
 768 beds, thus constituting one of the largest 
 institutions of the kind in the world. But 
 Bellevue was only one of eighty of New 
 York's " inns on the highway of life where 
 suffering finds alleviation and sympathy," 
 some of these inns hospitals being among 
 the largest and most magnificent in the city. 
 The newer ones are fitted up with the most 
 efficient heating and ventilating apparatus. 
 Indeed, it was affirmed "there is no kind of 
 bodily suffering that may not find skill- 
 ful treatment in these healing homes, where 
 the most eminent physicians and surgeons 
 give freely of their time and skill to the 
 inmates." Truly, New York has a tender 
 heart, since she already cares well for her
 
 168 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 maimed, disabled and diseased children. Some 
 day she will be just as solicitous for her hard- 
 luck people those out of work, who too fre- 
 quently wearily tramp her streets, seeking em- 
 ployment, until they prematurely die of fa- 
 tigue and hunger. True, New York's family 
 grows by leaps and bounds; but then so does 
 her store of good things multiply like the 
 loaves and fishes we read about in our New 
 Testament. Hence, without doubt, the New 
 York of the future, reposing on her island 
 home, gracious, glorious, magnificent, like a 
 city let down from Heaven, will see to it that 
 every member of her Family of Friends has 
 enough and to spare. ) 
 
 Harriet, having consulted the proper author- 
 ities, was soon following an attendant until she 
 was brought to where her eye fell upon Ivo, 
 his head well bandaged, his dark eyes heavy 
 with a nameless melancholy, restlessly roving 
 about as if seeking for something. 
 
 Harriet had kept well in the rear of her at- 
 tendant until they were quite near his cot, when 
 she stepped forward, bursting, as it were, sud-
 
 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 169 
 
 denly on his vision so near without warn- 
 ing! A week of stony grief, minus food, 
 except a little liquid nourishment, and almost 
 without sleep, had strangely altered Harriet's 
 countenance, usually so smiling, so serene be- 
 speaking vigorous health and fine mental poise. 
 Ivo was horrified at the change one week had 
 wrought, and his heart smote him. How 
 could he have done this pale, lovely woman 
 such fearful injustice! how believed her to be 
 false and without heart! Tears filled his eyes 
 as he held out his arms. Harriet was too weak, 
 too worn, too conscience-stricken, too hungry 
 likewise for a little love, to care what the wit- 
 nesses about might think. She knelt down by 
 Ivo's side, laid her head on Ivo's breast, and for 
 a few moments wept with perfect abandon- 
 ment. Then, recalling the fact that she should 
 be self -controlled and cheerful in a hospital, of 
 all places in the world, she quickly rose, saying 
 as she wiped her face : 
 
 " Forgive me, Ivo, for being so weak when 
 I should be strong, so bad when I should be 
 good."
 
 170 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 They were quite alone, now, so far as the at- 
 tendant was concerned, she having gone about 
 her business as soon as she perceived that these 
 two were lovers. 
 
 " Dear Harriet," eagerly began Ivo, " I am 
 the one to ask pardon " 
 
 " Say no more, Ivo mio. I was wholly to 
 blame. I should have seen you and talked the 
 matter over frankly. But let us now consider 
 the best means to improve your health. You 
 look sadly run down. When can you be re- 
 moved to a private hospital, or some charming 
 home where you can have more room to get 
 well in, more air to breathe, more privacy." 
 
 " There is really nothing the matter with 
 me a mere scratch on my temple," said Ivo, 
 as he held her hands tight within his own and 
 devoured her with his eyes. 
 
 " If that is true," murmured Harriet rather 
 doubtingly as she attentively regarded him, " I 
 will go and search for some classic villa without 
 too many modern improvements, where you 
 can quietly and artistically recuperate." 
 
 Ivo laughed at Harriet's joking suggestions.
 
 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 171 
 
 " As you please," he replied, " only I must 
 insist that it be not so far away but that you 
 can come to see me often." 
 
 " Oh, I am taking a vacation now and I shall 
 make it my business to assist you to rugged 
 health." 
 
 " And when you have gotten me well, cara 
 roiaj with your tender care and loving glances, 
 then will you leave me to languish miserably 
 by cold neglect or, perhaps, send me a cruel 
 note that deprives me of reason Oh, Harriet ! 
 surely you will not banish me again from your 
 sweet presence, which means everything to me 
 that life holds dear. With you I live ! With- 
 out you who can foresee what a hideous 
 tragedy may take place with you and me in the 
 leading roles? " 
 
 As Ivo finished his threatening speech, he 
 raised one of Harriet's hands to his lips and bit 
 it savagely; but Harriet only laughed, and re- 
 plied in a soothing manner, " Ah, Ivo mio, let 
 us be happy in the present, and fear nothing. 
 Perfect love, you know, casteth out fear." 
 
 Then she stooped down and permitted Ivo
 
 172 AN" AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 to take the long, clinging lover's kiss he en- 
 joyed so much even in a hospital with plenty 
 of witnesses 1 Being at length released, Har- 
 riet hurriedly retraced her steps, only pausing 
 at the door to wave a cheerful adieu.
 
 CHAPTER XIII
 
 There is one element in human nature and 
 the constitution of society more important than 
 any other consideration, or considerations, to 
 the future of marriage. That is the noble sen- 
 timent of love, too much ignored, ever dominant 
 in the human race, ingrained in the very being 
 of men and women, native to their growth. It 
 will not be educated out of us. It shapes it- 
 self to our peculiarities. It is generous in the 
 generous, refined in the refined, strong in the 
 weak, but strongest in the strong. What im- 
 proves the man improves the lover. So long as 
 grass grows green and water runs down to the 
 sea, will men and women share their joys and 
 sorrows, cherish their offspring, and build in 
 happy hope the fabric of their homes. 
 
 JOHN L. SEATON in North American.
 
 CHAPTER XIII 
 
 IVO had been installed in a beautiful, 
 spacious apartment, embracing a 
 trio of rooms, in a " cjisajlusaluti," a 
 whole month before he dared touch 
 again on so dangerous a topic as marriage. 
 But at last he could wait no longer, and, being 
 an Italian, he naturally prepared the way in an 
 artistic manner. 
 
 After Harriet had bidden him farewell in 
 Rome, he set himself to accomplish three 
 things by one of which, if successfully ac- 
 complished, he hoped to win the approbation 
 of the father, John W. White; by the other 
 two, command the admiration of his daughter 
 and bind her heart to his own in a still closer 
 union. 
 
 The first task was to so invest his fifty thou- 
 sand dollars as to make it breed money with 
 American swiftness. In this enterprise, luck 
 together with the shrewd advice of a Jewish 
 
 175
 
 176 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 friend favored him so that at the end of one 
 year he had doubled his original fifty thousand 
 dollars. But, alas, Mr. White had passed 
 away quite unconscious of the titanic efforts 
 put forth by Captain Bruno in the hope to 
 make himself solid with the old man, thereby 
 being able to win his consent as a suitor for 
 Harriet's hand. 
 
 It now remained to see what effect upon 
 Harriet his artistic efforts would produce. She 
 visited him every afternoon, arriving at an 
 early hour. Usually she came in one of her 
 own private carriages, when they took a ride, 
 visiting some historical or romantic scene, of 
 which New York has an abundance. During 
 a part of an afternoon spent in Central Park, 
 Ivo made Harriet very happy by his enthusi- 
 astic praise of this noble park. True, he also 
 made suggestions as to how it could and should 
 be improved by so prodigiously wealthy a peo- 
 ple as New Yorkers were famed to be until 
 she began to realize it was only in the first 
 stages of its usefulness, picturesqueness and 
 magnificence.
 
 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 177 
 
 But this afternoon, when Harriet came, Ivo 
 stoutly refused to go riding with her, giving 
 the laughable excuse that he already knew 
 more about little old New York, ambitious 
 New York, and aspiring, metropolitan New 
 York, than he knew about his own city- 
 Rome. Then he added, " Besides, I have, I 
 think, an agreeable surprise for you. Come 
 right in ! Follow me ! " 
 
 As Harriet followed Ivo not to the recep- 
 tion room, for some unknown reason anxiety 
 was gnawing at his heart in a way that seemed 
 to him, at the time, to threaten early dissolu- 
 tion. Accordingly he was determined " not 
 another day or hour " to obey Harriet's oft- 
 repeated advice "to be patient and get strong 
 physically before attacking things not easy to 
 handle." 
 
 Ivo's " surprise " for this afternoon con- 
 sisted of three paintings which he had produced 
 under the inspiration and at the dictation of 
 that most formidable of autocrats, Love I 
 Whether they were masterpieces or quite other- 
 wise, he could not say, having given neither
 
 178 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 " the world " nor any group of artists the op- 
 portunity to sit in judgment upon them. At 
 present he cared only to please Harriet. If 
 she liked them it mattered " not a continental " 
 what others thought of their merits or de- 
 merits. 
 
 Not a word was spoken by Ivo, not a caress 
 offered as the poor lover with sinking heart 
 conducted Harriet toward a newly rented 
 room, " with the light just right," where he 
 had carefully hung what might decide his fate 
 his three paintings. He was well aware that 
 Harriet was a true lover of Art in its manifold 
 manifestations. Indeed she had proved her- 
 self extremely susceptible to its influence over 
 her mind and heart in many ways, and had 
 sometimes expressed deep regret that her 
 father had chosen to educate her for a business 
 career instead of having her trained to follow 
 some branch of Art. When asked which 
 branch she would have chosen to devote her life 
 to, she would laugh and say she could not 
 tell off-hand, since she loved them all so well. 
 
 When Ivo opened the door of the room con-
 
 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 179 
 
 taining his treasures, his face was quite pallid 
 with fear. So much hung on the outcome of 
 the next few moments! If Harriet thought 
 them masterpieces, then she might be influenced 
 to make some master move which would not 
 only not separate them in the future, but A tend 
 toward completeness of union to perfect 
 unity of being. 
 
 Ivo felt what a certain writer has put into 
 suggestible language : " By the mysterious 
 law of sex polarity, each fills in and perfects 
 the other in heart, knowledge and intuition, till, 
 being wholly identified in one another, they 
 prophesy. By their unity each knows more 
 and better because of the other. The com- 
 pleteness of the unity perfects them." 
 
 Having once got the door open with his 
 shaking hands, Ivo said, " Look, Harriet! and 
 then tell me what you think. Sit in judgment 
 on the work of your poor lover, who will retire 
 to the sofa, awaiting your verdict." " Being 
 meanwhile in hell," Ivo said to himself, as he 
 walked away. 
 
 Harriet, however, was paying no attention
 
 180 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 to anything save the painting on which her eye 
 first alighted. It held her spell-bound. It 
 spoke to her with an eloquence which filled her 
 eyes with tears, and pierced her heart with joy 
 so intense it could scarcely be distinguished 
 from pain. When she could gaze no longer 
 because of the tears which came so fast in spite 
 of her efforts to hold them back, she walked to 
 where Ivo was seated, with her tear-stained 
 face hidden in her hands. Next she knelt 
 down by his side, laid her head on his lap, and 
 actually sobbed, like an uncontrolled, emo- 
 tional girl half her age. 
 
 The picture which had caused Harriet such 
 intense emotion was entitled " Love's Healing 
 Glance." True to life had Ivo drawn and 
 painted Harriet as she looked, bending over 
 him, while he lay ill in a hospital of Rome with 
 a brain tortured by fever and full of mad 
 fancies. He had, it is true, idealized Harriet's 
 face somewhat, making it super-beautiful, with 
 a lovely halo about the head. She was repre- 
 sented as gazing with love-filled glance stead- 
 fastly into the dark eyes of the sick man an
 
 excellent likeness of Ivo. Next, the artist had 
 so rendered Harriet's steady gaze, that one 
 could actually see, intermingled, delicate heal- 
 ing rays of love and light streaming from her 
 beautiful eyes direct into that other pair, so 
 full of pain and bewilderment yet full, too, 
 of eager hope. At one side, back of Harriet, 
 stood the Lieutenant, resplendent in artistic 
 Italian military trappings, eagerly watching 
 the pair destined to be lovers. Still further 
 back on the other side sat Mr. White, looking 
 a trifle bored. The background and indeed 
 every detail of this magnificent painting had 
 been finished with the utmost care and skill. 
 Some brilliant colors had been used, but all had 
 been charmingly harmonized not a false note 
 anywhere. Ivo had not only approved him- 
 self a very skillful draughtsman, like Raphael, 
 but a wonderful colorist, reminding one of 
 Titian and his group. Then Harriet knew 
 enough about portrait painting to be cognizant 
 of the fact that it requires a very great artist 
 to catch and place upon canvas such wonder- 
 fully true likenesses as Ivo had accomplished
 
 182 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 with the four people represented in " Love's 
 Healing Glance." "Why, Ivo must have 
 toiled early and late for years to be able to 
 so completely overstep the line which divides 
 talent from genius," she said to herself. That 
 the painting was a masterpiece Harriet recog- 
 nized at a glance. Hence partly her intense 
 feeling in the matter. 
 
 When Harriet had knelt to him, Ivo was 
 instantly transported to the seventh heaven of 
 bliss ; but presently he said aloud quite calmly, 
 though with evident, suppressed emotion: 
 
 " And you like the painting, Harriet, 
 really?" 
 
 Harriet raised her tear-stained face to chide 
 him a little ere she rose. 
 
 "Oh, Ivo! Why did you not tell me that 
 you were already a great artist? Why leave 
 me to find it out in this sudden way, and make 
 a fool of myself, as father would say? " 
 
 Having thus spoken, Harriet with Ivo's as- 
 sistance rose and began to smooth her hair, and 
 to assume her usual serene, dignified manner. 
 Ivo, observing that she was a little piqued,
 
 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 183 
 
 caught up her hands and covered them with 
 kisses. Then he asked : 
 
 " Why do you not deign to glance at the 
 other two paintings? They are doubtless feel- 
 ing piqued, too, at your neglect. At least Z 
 am beginning to feel hurt." 
 
 Ivo laughed joyously and thus belied his 
 words. 
 
 "Are there others?" Harriet inquired, 
 glancing attentively around the room. If she 
 had observed other pictures she had taken it 
 for granted that they belonged to the place. 
 Now, noticing a couple more paintings as 
 large and handsomely framed as the one she 
 had been observing, she proceeded to examine 
 the nearest one. Hardly had her eye rested 
 upon it than she laughed merrily. The color- 
 ing was rich, even gorgeous ; the scene lively-^ 
 charming, while underneath one could read in 
 Ivo's artistic scrawl, "Kiss and make up!" 
 In this painting there were no spectators, only 
 Ivo and Harriet evidently on the best of terms. 
 On the wall, back of Ivo's couch, hung some 
 tapestry gay with lively colors, depicting a 
 

 
 184 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 verdant^jove^sc^ie. Ivo was represented re- 
 clining in a nest of handsome pillows, each 
 covered with rich material, painted and dec- 
 orated in antique designs ; also he himself was 
 arrayed in a resplendent dressing gown, only a 
 part of which was visible. Other artistic orna- 
 ments, pieces of sculpture, bits of painting, 
 etc., to be seen on wall, stand or shelf, gifts 
 of his nurse Harriet to help him while away 
 the time when she was unavoidably absent, and 
 keep his mind, too, off himself, were likewise 
 there. In this painting Harriet was shorn of 
 her nimbus and represented full of vitality and 
 strong youth, and with an expression on her 
 face of amusement, intermingled with slight 
 annoyance, as if she had suddenly been hurt. 
 She was glancing at plainly visible marks of 
 teeth on her hand, the fingers of which were 
 held tight by Ivo, who was regarding her with 
 a laughably pathetic glance on his handsome 
 face, just as if he were pleading, " Kiss And 
 Make Up." It was a delightful work of art, 
 every detail of which was finished in as careful 
 a manner as the first.
 
 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 185 
 
 " You are a great genius, Ivo ! That is very 
 plain ! " Having remarked thus, Harriet 
 turned to give her attention to the third paint- 
 ing, wrought for her especial benefit, and to 
 accomplish a certain purpose. 
 
 Ah, that last and third painting, how can it 
 be described in words, tiny symbols, in black 
 on white! for it depicted the parting scene of 
 the lovers Harriet and Ivo just when Har- 
 riet was saying to herself, " How hard to give 
 up this new and exquisite love that has created 
 a new world for me, and made of me a new 
 creature. But I must be true to my dear 
 father who has been so true to me." She was 
 not aware how she looked as these thoughts 
 passed through her mind. She only felt how 
 difficult it was to breathe for a time. But Ivo 
 had caught the look of renunciation which had 
 paled her face and at the same time caused it 
 to shine, as she said with great tenderness to 
 her lover with outstretched arms and a look 
 of despair on his face " Ivo mio be as 
 brave in love as in war." 
 
 Yes, it was all there! deep, unchangeable
 
 186 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 love, united with renunciation on her part; and 
 love as pure as deep, overshadowed by despair, 
 on his. The painter had placed the most beau- 
 tiful of halos about the head of Harriet, whose 
 countenance he had made to shine with a love 
 which partook more of that which is divine 
 than of that which is human. His own face 
 was handsome as it could not help being if 
 true to nature but full of the black depths of 
 despair. 
 
 As Harriet continued to gaze on this third 
 and most wonderful painting, big tears began 
 slowly to follow one another down her cheeks. 
 
 "Read what it says at the bottom! " called 
 out Ivo, who had been a silent and blissful 
 spectator. 
 
 "Please read aloud," he added a moment 
 later. 
 
 "Ivo Mia Be As True In Love As In 
 War," read Harriet falteringly. 
 
 "What does that mean?" asked her impa- 
 tient lover. " Come sit down opposite me on 
 this easy chair where I can have a full view of 
 your sweet face."
 
 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 187 
 
 " Why, it means," said Harriet, unsuspect- 
 ingly, "just what it says. Your record for 
 bravery in war was of the highest description, 
 I was told. Under the circumstances I wished 
 you to make as good a record in respect to our 
 love for one another, which I feared was futile, 
 and therefore to be conquered." 
 
 " Che! che! che! Pay attention to the first 
 part, not the latter. Explain, please, what you 
 meant by associating two little words of three 
 letters each, together, and emphasizing the sec- 
 ond as you did. In short, what did you mean 
 by saying, in that serious, yet charming way 
 you have, when emotion stirs you deeply and 
 the words come slowly, as if each were being 
 weighed before it was uttered * Yes, dearest! ' 
 Tell me what you meant when you said so 
 slowly, so emphatically, * Ivo, mio '? " 
 
 Ivo gave Harriet a look, as he finished speak- 
 ing, which thrilled her innermost being. She 
 blushed vividly, as she replied, rather depre- 
 catingly: 
 
 "Ah, Ivo, you must not hold me respon- 
 sible for the way that little word 'mio' es-
 
 188 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 caped my lips. Truly, it emphasized itself. 
 I was astonished at the way it betrayed 
 me!" 
 
 " Que fortuna! It was your heart, speak- 
 ing directly to mine in deadly despair! 
 Why, do you know, I must have perished 
 become distracted but for the solace that little 
 emphasized word r mio mine! ' brought to 
 me, like balm straight from Heaven? Yes, 
 jioja mia! your Jieart that day put in its claim, 
 and my heart responded in perfect loyalty; and 
 from that time until I received your cruel note, 
 I had the feeling that your heart was mine as 
 mine was yours. In fede mia that moment 
 when our hearts understood each other and 
 beat as one, was a true marriage in the sight of 
 Heaven!" 
 
 Ivo took Harriet's hands firmly in his own, 
 and looked straight into her beautiful eyes. 
 She answered slowly, as she always did when 
 deeply stirred: 
 
 " In the sight of Heaven I think it was 
 but we are living on earth, where it is the cus- 
 tom in your country to have both a civil and a
 
 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 189 
 
 church marriage. Here, only one is oblig- 
 atory." 
 
 " Obligatory! did you say? " asked Ivo with 
 burning eyes and hands that suddenly became 
 cold as ice. " Why obligatory? " 
 
 " Oh, if you do not do as other people do, 
 especially in respect to marriage, everybody 
 press, pulpit, society and particularly the re- 
 ligious portion of the people, proceed to tor- 
 ture you with a subtil/ty and inventive clever- 
 ness truly diabolical. They rob you of your 
 good name! of your means of support when 
 possible and so surround you with poisonous 
 thoughts and diabolical looks, that if yo 
 are susceptible you fall ill and prematurely 
 give up the ghost, or, perhaps, commit sui- 
 cide." 
 
 tf Misericordia! Cielo! Under the circum- 
 stances, how could your father force a dying 
 promise from you that you would never marry? 
 Knowing, too, that you were in love with me. 
 Come, be frank with me! Or Dip mioj We 
 will together leave this world double-quick! 
 Intendete?"
 
 190 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 A savage look came into Ivo's dark eyes that 
 could shine so tenderly when love-filled. 
 
 " I understand you well," replied Harriet, as 
 she soothingly pressed one of his hands to her 
 lips. " Naturally I guessed his reasons, which 
 have been since confirmed by our manager, 
 Uncle Billy Brown. It seems they talked our 
 love-affair over together, and reached the con- 
 clusion that it would not be wise for you and 
 me to marry." 
 
 "Why?" demanded Ivo impatiently as 
 Harriet paused. 
 
 " There were several reasons the most im- 
 portant being the desire on my father's part 
 that the daughter he had educated so carefully 
 to fill his shoes should really do so. It is a 
 business that cannot be mastered in a day, and 
 many thousands are dependent on its being 
 properly carried on." 
 
 " But I should not have interfered." 
 
 " Ah, but how was poor father to be made 
 sure of that fact? As a rule, almost without 
 exception, when an American heiress marries 
 into the European aristocracy, she must give
 
 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 191 
 
 up all that an American holds dear: country, 
 religion, friends, family, and a good deal of 
 hard-won womanly independence. Worst of 
 all, she must see her children bred aristocrats. 
 All must go backward in the scale of being 
 instead of forward. Of course it would never 
 have occurred to either father or me to ask you 
 to make sacrifices for an American girl who 
 is a nobody in the eyes of haughty, aristocratic 
 Europe." 
 
 "Che! che! che! Had you but consulted 
 me, you would have found your Ivo only too 
 happy to, exchange an Old World full of 
 soldiers, aristocrats, priests, mendicants, tedi- 
 ous conventionalities, insufferable banalities, 
 undermined by warring anarchistic elements 
 and overtopped by rulers trembling in their 
 shoes and shorn of glory for a New World! 
 Ay, and for the Great Republic itself. Better 
 still, exchanging an Old Rome, the best part of 
 which is underground, for the New World 
 Rome, with a magnificent, glorious future 
 looming up before her instead of rotting be- 
 hind her. And right here let me prophesy
 
 192 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 that the glory and the magnificence of the New 
 World's Eternal City will be as different from 
 that of the Old as a civilization reared by free- 
 men, bearing within their bosoms the elixir of 
 love, is vitally different from one that was 
 honeycombed with slaves, poisoning their labor 
 with hatred. But, listen! Best of all, I should 
 have been eager to exchange any hopes I ever 
 had of winning a conventional, aristocratic 
 mate, for an enterprising woman of the New 
 World one who loves where her heart points 
 the way, and proves that she does so by her lips 
 of nectar. Ecco ! give me some more proof ! " 
 
 Harriet readily acquiesced, being of an ar- 
 dent nature with but little Puritan blood in her 
 veins. Indeed, if her father's brain had de- 
 scended to her, Harriet's body was replete with 
 the blood that had made a tragedy of her 
 Italian mother's life. 
 
 " It is too late to consider what might have 
 been," she said thoughtfully. " The point is, 
 dare we undertake to live together in Free 
 Union or, as the dear public would say, ' In- 
 famous Union '? "
 
 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 193 
 
 " Why do you ask? Did you not assure me, 
 a while_back, that ' perfect love casteth out 
 fear ' ? " quoted Ivo triumphantly. 
 
 " That is very true ; but a famous woman of 
 world-wide experience declares that it is man's 
 nature to turn his face to respectability as he 
 grows older, just as surely as a tired horse 
 turns toward his stable. She insists that a 
 person who will risk living with a man on a 
 basis of love merely is a very foolish person; 
 that if a man cannot marry a woman, he 
 eventually leaves her." 
 
 ' Then you don't trust me," said Ivo quickly, 
 his eyes filling with tears. 
 
 For reply, Harriet wound her arms about 
 his neck, and laid her soft lips on his. 
 
 Presently Ivo asked in much anxiety, " But 
 how shall we be able to consider ourselves one 
 in fact, without any marriage ceremony and 
 without any fuss? " 
 
 Harriet smiled upon Ivo so serenely that he 
 felt a little as if making much ado about noth- 
 ing. Then she replied, quite seriously, " You 
 know, my dear Ivo, that I have been bred a
 
 194 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 business woman. That means that I have been 
 taught to accomplish things in the shortest, 
 simplest, straightest manner possible. We 
 will have a simple home celebration of our Free 
 Union. Have you any friends that you care 
 to invite to this little celebration? " 
 
 " Under the circumstances, I think not. 
 They would not understand." 
 
 ' Well, then, there will be present only the 
 members of our Family of Friends. They 
 will understand, because I have beat it into 
 them, and already the fainting and hysterical 
 spells on the part of the Twins are a thing of 
 the past." 
 
 Before Ivo asked the next question he 
 dropped gracefully on his knees by the side of 
 Harriet, took both her hands, placing them 
 together in the form of prayer, as if silently 
 invoking their aid, then asked in a pleading 
 voice: 
 
 " Madonna mia! I pray you have mercy on 
 your patient lover, and let this celebration take 
 place in a few days, or a week hence, at the 
 farthest."
 
 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 195 
 
 " It shall be a week hence," said Harriet as 
 she stooped over and kissed, in a dainty man- 
 ner, Ivo's handsome, Raphael brow. Then she 
 said in her rapid, business tones, after consult- 
 ing her watch : 
 
 "Ah, me! I must be going." Both rose 
 together, and as Harriet walked toward the 
 wonderful paintings for a parting glance, she 
 sighed deeply, and murmured: 
 
 " How can I leave these beautiful, beautiful 
 paintings! " She began to admire them anew. 
 Presently she said, as she turned to Ivo with 
 tear-filled eyes: 
 
 " Surely, Ivo mio, you will devote your God- 
 given genius to art? " 
 
 " To art and to the American Madonna who 
 loves me, as I never dreamed I could be loved 
 by womankind, and who has been my inspira- 
 tion," the young artist replied, with a look of 
 adoration.
 
 CHAPTER XIV
 
 Raphael's Marriage of tin- I'irgin'"
 
 CHAPTER XIV 
 
 IVO had just finished his elegant Free 
 Union toilette in his apartment and 
 was turning away from his mirror, 
 wondering what made "that beast 
 of a driver" so late, when he heard a knock 
 at the door. He was so glad to perceive 
 the delinquent had arrived, that he forgot to 
 " give him the devil," as he intended doing a 
 few moments previous. On the contrary he 
 smiled, thus causing the smiled upon to say to 
 himself: 
 
 "Gosh! I should say this 'ere fellow was 
 in a pictur' did I not see him with these eyes in 
 the flesh." 
 
 In no long time Ivo and his attendant and 
 baggage had arrived at Harriet's fine old man- 
 sion. Here the door was opened by the mis- 
 tress herself, arrayed in a beautiful lace- 
 trimmed ivory satin gown. She did not wish 
 Ivo to be made nervous by having to face 
 
 199
 
 200 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 strangers before they took their places under 
 " Liberty Tree " hence her playing the part 
 of doorkeeper on this eventful evening. 
 
 Harriet ordered " John " to take Ivo's lug- 
 gage upstairs, after which her lover got his 
 coveted kiss. They then, also, more leisurely 
 followed the attendant to the second story of 
 her home. After this individual had finished 
 playing his little part and gone his way de- 
 lighted with the extra tip Ivo gave him, and 
 the lovers had been lavish with praise in respect 
 to the appearance each presented on this fateful 
 evening, Harriet said laughingly: 
 
 " And now, my dear Ivo, be as brave in our 
 Free Union Celebration, as in war!" 
 
 " Altro I Come down to details. What am 
 I to do in that room down stairs where your 
 confederates are bunched together ready to 
 glare upon that ' brainless fop,' that ' sneaking 
 fortune-hunter,' that 'incorrigible gambler.' 
 that ' Italian sentimentalist with a childlike 
 ignorance of the seventh commandment/ 
 that " 
 
 Here Ivo had to stop short from the fact
 
 that Harriet's strong, yet soft hand was placed 
 inconveniently across his mouth. She held it 
 there fully a second, laughing merrily as she 
 did so. When she removed her palm Ivo was 
 in a better mood, though he said, rather petu- 
 lantly: 
 
 T" /* V^- 
 
 You have got me in a hole. Now 
 
 you must help me out." 
 
 Harriet, perceiving that Ivo was really rat- 
 tled, said, very sympathetically: 
 
 " Why, Ivo, I thought you knew how Amer- 
 cans proceed when they do things in a truly 
 American spirit. First they decorate a hall, 
 or big room, with flags, bunting and Ameri- 
 can heroes some of them: usually George 
 Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham 
 Lincoln. Well, I have had our big double 
 drawing-rooms down stairs handsomely draped 
 with several fine specimens of our gay flag and 
 plenty of bunting. Next, there were a num- 
 ber of paintings removed to give place for 
 splendfjfd engravings of Paine, Washington, 
 Jefferson, Franklin, Jackson, Emerson. Also 
 of Garibaldi and Mazzini, and, as if that were
 
 not enough, I had set up in the big front bay 
 window a Thomas Paine sort of Liberty Tree. 
 We are to take our places under this tree, all 
 loaded with gifts which have been pouring in 
 for several days. Of course Uncle Billy who 
 could never keep anything quiet has been 
 babbling right and left. But that is all right ! 
 Our Free Union Celebration was bound to be- 
 come public property and, the sooner the bet- 
 ter, I am sure." 
 
 " Ah, but Harriet, it is doubtless easy enough 
 for a speech-bred American to concoct on his 
 feet a neat, spread-eagle talk. But I was bred 
 a soldier. My business was to fight. How 
 can I make a speech? " 
 
 " Why, there was Napoleon, bred a soldier 
 likewise, also an Italian by birth, who could 
 fight and talk with equal brevity and forceful- 
 ness ; a conqueror with words no less than with 
 arms. You need only say a few words." 
 
 " Altro I Suppose on this occasion my 
 tongue is tied so tight in my mouth I can't 
 speak at all. What then, cara mia? " 
 
 At this point Ivo dropped on a sofa near by,
 
 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 203 
 
 and lay back looking for all the world as if in 
 a dead faint. Harriet, suspecting it was but a 
 bit of clever Italian acting, got a fan and 
 wielded it so vigorously as to tumble his won- 
 derful bronze-gold locks in every direction, 
 making his head appear as if a cyclone had 
 struck it. Ivo opened his eyes without loss 
 of time, and grabbed the hand which was 
 doing such damage to his carefully arranged, 
 ambrosial locks. This he held so tight for an 
 instant that Harriet perforce gave a little 
 shriek. After making good by releasing her 
 hand with a kiss, he said laughingly: 
 
 " It is my belief that American women are 
 growing too clever. Religion and Law must 
 get busy again. What a pity I cannot marry 
 you in the good, old-fashioned w r ay!" 
 
 After speaking these words, and accom- 
 panying them with a look amusingly pathetic, 
 Ivo turned to a glass and carefully rearranged 
 his rather long locks in an artistic manner. 
 Harriet meanwhile observed, " I have always 
 understood that there are two situations 
 wherein men are invariably cowards."
 
 204 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 "What are they?" queried Ivo, glancing 
 from the glass to Harriet. 
 
 " One is that which you find yourself facing 
 to-night. The other is where a man becomes 
 panic-stricken not when he mounts his charger 
 for battle, but a dental chair!" 
 
 " Altro 1 " said Ivo, turning a pallid face 
 to Harriet, and afterwards re-seating himself 
 by her side. " I could have all my teeth pulled 
 and not suffer as I am doing now." 
 
 " Ah, what a pity that would be ! You have 
 such perfect ones. I suppose Italians have 
 the finest teeth in the world and Americans 
 the poorest. Therefore what would be a tragic 
 situation for an American, an Italian could 
 not even understand." 
 
 " And not understanding cannot appreciate, 
 eh ? But Dio Mio! help me out of my misery ! 
 That big room, or rooms, down stairs has got 
 to be charged, its inmates conquered, put to 
 the sword, or to rout, or made prisoners of, 
 or done something with I don't know what. 
 In the name of sweet peace or, of liberty, 
 if you prefer teach me how to play my little
 
 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 205 
 
 part down below. If now we were going 
 through the form usual on such occasions as 
 this, I could have got the thing down fine; 
 have made the responses in a dignified manner ; 
 have kissed women relatives with grace and 
 listened becomingly to a thousand more or less 
 congratulations even concocted suitable re- 
 plies. But here is a new situation, so appal- 
 lingly " 
 
 " Simple! " interjected Harriet. 
 
 " Che! che! chej let me finish properly. So 
 appallingly new and therefore difficult." 
 
 " Not at all, Ivo, caro. All we need do is 
 to walk through the hall door which I will 
 open and then a short distance to where the 
 Liberty Tree looms up in the front bay win- 
 dow. Underneath its ample branches we take 
 our stand. If, when there, you find yourself 
 too embarrassed to say anything why you 
 know a woman's tongue is hung in the middle. 
 Come along now, we must not stand shivering 
 on the bank any longer." 
 
 As Harriet finished speaking she took one 
 of her lover's hands firmly in her own, and to-
 
 206 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 gether they walked down the stairs and soon 
 were standing under the " Liberty Tree," a 
 couple of rare beauty, Ivo's pallor making him 
 look more like a Greek god than ever, while 
 Harriet, in her queenly robe, trimmed with old, 
 Italian lace a present from Ivo, as were like- 
 wise the antique jewels she wore., looked every 
 inch a queen. 
 
 Feeling Ivo's hand become deadly cold in 
 hers, Harriet turned about and looked him 
 bravely in the face. As she did so she slowly 
 repeated in her firm, even tones: 
 
 " Ivo, mio, let us ever love each other so 
 truly that, 
 
 * Our work shall be the better, for our love, 
 And still our love be sweeter, for our work.' " 
 
 By this time Ivo was rapidly recovering from 
 his attack of stage fright. He found his lips 
 sufficiently pliable to begin his little speech, 
 though he spoke at first very haltingly. 
 
 "Dear Family of Friends. You are 
 aware that, under the circumstances, Harriet 
 and myself cannot make what is termed a
 
 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 207 
 
 legal marriage. We believe, however, that the 
 Great Spirit of Love has joined our hearts in 
 an unbreakable union and that whom God 
 hath joined man cannot put asunder. Feeling 
 thus we begin our united life full of sacred 
 joy as well as of love and trust. On the thresh- 
 old of our new and more complete existence 
 we pause, hoping to receive your cordial con- 
 gratulations and hearty God-speed." 
 
 "Bravo! bravo!" repeated Harriet, as Ivo 
 finished, at the same time flinging her arms 
 about his neck and giving him several exuber- 
 ant kisses. Ivo blushed like a school-boy, and 
 came near forgetting to place a very beautiful 
 ring, set with the birthstones of himself and 
 Harriet, on her finger. When, at length, this 
 was accomplished, the happy couple found 
 themselves surrounded by a smiling group to 
 whom Harriet introduced Ivo as " Captain 
 Bruno, of whom you have heard me speak. 
 He is embodied Art, Romance and Love an 
 acquisition." Then she said, laughingly, " Ivo, 
 you kiss the women, and I will kiss the men." 
 
 Her lover, nothing loath, approached the
 
 208 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 Twins, and as he did so, Harriet admonished 
 him: 
 
 " Kiss them good! I doubt if they have ever 
 been kissed decently in all their lives. Ameri- 
 can men don't know how to kiss." 
 
 The Twins blushed deeply as Ivo approached 
 them. Under the circumstances Captain 
 Bruno felt obliged to make a little speech in 
 order to pave the way for the kisses; and as 
 he had gotten confidence by the one just made, 
 he said, impulsively and charmingly: 
 
 " Now I am going to treat you just as I 
 do my Aunt Helena, one of the best women 
 in the world." Thus speaking, he threw his 
 arms about the necks of each one in turn and 
 gave each frightened woman of Puritan 
 descent two warm Italian kisses apiece ; one on 
 each side of their mouths. Then he completed 
 the conquest of their hearts by telling them 
 that he did not intend to rob them of any of 
 their portion of Harriet's affection that he 
 was quite satisfied with the new place he him- 
 self had won by pluck and perseverance. Need- 
 less to assert that from this time on until he
 
 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 209 
 
 went to Rome seven years later Ivo had not 
 two firmer friends than the Twins. 
 
 Ivo was surprised to find in the wake of the 
 Twins, a charming brunette whom Harriet 
 had not mentioned as being present, and whom 
 he had not observed until this moment. She 
 was young and beautiful and blushing mod- 
 estly as Ivo's dark eyes fell upon her. ' What 
 to do now? " It was one thing to kiss elderly 
 ladies, members of one's family, and quite 
 another to offer so intimate a caress to a beauti- 
 ful young woman of whom one knows nothing. 
 Of course, the fact that she was present on 
 this occasion and evidently on terms of inti- 
 macy with Harriet's Family of Friends, spoke 
 volumes. Nevertheless Ivo was nonplussed at 
 this new situation so suddenly sprung on him. 
 He said, rather awkwardly for him who was 
 usually so gallant and graceful in society : 
 
 " Did Harriet know you were here when 
 she told me to kiss the women? " 
 
 " I don't think so. I slipped in late." 
 
 " Well, I don't think I'll dare to kiss you 
 then only this lovely, artistic palm." Thus
 
 210 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 speaking he caught up one of sweet Lucy 
 Myers' pretty hands and deposited a kiss upon 
 it in true knightly style. Then Ivo turned to 
 greet the two men, Uncle Jerry and Uncle 
 Billy, whom Harriet had been having a lot of 
 fun with, because when she came to kiss her 
 manager, he had insisted on having just as 
 many kisses as had fallen to Ivo's share when 
 through with his Free Union Celebration 
 speech. Next Uncle Jerry, always a little 
 jealous of " Bill," declared that he too must 
 be generously dealt with on this wonderful oc- 
 casion. 
 
 But, at length, all the kisses and caresses and 
 hearty congratulations had been given, as well 
 as the dinner served immediately afterwards 
 done full justice to. Then Harriet rose, say- 
 ing to Ivo seated by her side, but loud enough 
 for all to hear: 
 
 "We must hasten upstairs and get into 
 something stout and durable. By that time 
 the carriage will be at the door to take us to 
 the depot. Don't let us disturb the rest of 
 you, unless it be Lucy, whom I should really
 
 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 211 
 
 like to have assist me out of my rather com- 
 plicated satin robe." 
 
 Lucy rose with alacrity, also Billy Brown, 
 the latter offering to perform the same office 
 for Ivo that Lucy was to undertake for Har- 
 riet. But Ivo declared he needed no assistance, 
 having been bred a military man, and taught to 
 wait on himself while very young. 
 
 The three proceeded upstairs to the apart- 
 ments formerly occupied by Harriet's father 
 and herself. The large, comfortable front 
 room with its great bay window had been her 
 father's favorite room. The pieces of furni- 
 ture he used most had been, since his death, 
 removed to a room on the upper floor which 
 Harriet called her " Holy of Holies." Here 
 she came every day for a space of time, longer 
 or shorter as could be spared, to read in the 
 books they both had loved, and ere she locked 
 the door to return whence she came, she knelt 
 in prayer, pleading that she might be just as 
 true to work and duty now as when her father's 
 watchful glance was upon her. 
 
 On the same floor, where the light was just
 
 212 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 right, a couple of rooms had been metamor- 
 phosed by skillful hands into a charming, well- 
 appointed studio for Ivo. Metamorphosis 
 likewise had overtaken the great, fine front 
 room on the second floor. To see it, as the 
 trio of people now entering saw it, one would 
 never have guessed how comfortable, how 
 American it had looked only a short while 
 ago. Now it reminded one of Italy during her 
 greatest period, that of the Renaissance for 
 Harriet had transferred to this finely propor- 
 tioned, elegant room many of the finest things 
 of that period, which she and her father had 
 been able to secure during various vacations 
 spent in European art centers. As Ivo ex- 
 amined with Harriet and Lucy one after an- 
 other of the exquisite and rare objets d?art f 
 and was astonished at the taste displayed as to 
 their arrangement, he more than once pressed 
 Harriet's hand, not daring to offer a more ar- 
 dent tribute of praise and appreciation with a 
 third party present. 
 
 When Harriet flung open the massive double 
 doors leading to the next room, Ivo's eye fast-
 
 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 213 
 
 ened on various locks which, when in use, must 
 offer a stout resistance to anyone desirous 
 of passing from the front parlor to its com- 
 panion room. 
 
 " These must all be removed," said Ivo with 
 emphasis. " No locks between you and me," 
 he added recklessly. 
 
 Harriet smiled her wise, inscrutable smile, 
 but said nothing. 
 
 Ivo's next remark, as he glanced into Har- 
 riet's private parlor, was, "Chielo! What a 
 thief you must be, Harriet! Evidently you 
 have robbed Mt. Olympus of every one of its 
 gods and goddesses! " 
 
 " Besides robbing Rome of her most perfect 
 one in flesh! " added Harriet, laughing. Then 
 she said, after consulting her watch, " Do you 
 know, Ivo, we must banish you to your own 
 quarters, and make a lightning change of rai- 
 ment? It is high time we were ready for our 
 little trip." 
 
 When Ivo had meekly obeyed and was safe 
 over his threshold, Harriet proceeded to thrice 
 lock the door, remarking to Lucy as she did so :
 
 214 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 " 'Tis better to begin with your sweetheart 
 as you mean to hold out. Teach him that a 
 woman has some personal rights as well as a 
 man. He will respect you the more, and love 
 you the better." 
 
 Lucy smiled, but wondered how Harriet 
 could ever dream of turning a key on so ador- 
 able a lover as charming Captain Bruno; or, 
 as he was called among his aristocratic asso- 
 ciates, " Conte Bruno." Sweet, innocent Lucy! 
 Never as yet had she come into contact with 
 the artistic temperament! Ah, never as yet 
 had she dreamed to what heights and depths 
 of folly such a temperament can rise or de- 
 scend to when played on by passion! 
 
 After Harriet and Ivo had departed on their 
 Yp vacation trip, and swjjejjjucy Myers had gone 
 to bed, the White Family of Friends under- 
 took to talk over the present situation which 
 the Twins still regarded as a very demoralizing 
 one, notwithstanding the good impression Ivo 
 had produced on them. Said Billy Brown : 
 
 " Captain Bruno is in love with our Harriet 
 all right, and must suit her right down to the
 
 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 215 
 
 ground, for he has the form of a Greek god, 
 which she so admires." Having thus spoken 
 Billy indulged in one of his chuckling laughs. 
 
 " And the face of a Raphael," added Celia. 
 " But don't you think, Mr. Brown, that it is 
 very hazardous for our sweet Harriet to live 
 with a man in so loose a bond? Why, he can 
 walk off any day he likes! There is nothing 
 to hinder him! No Law, no Religion noth- 
 ing. Harriet has no string on him, whatever ! " 
 
 Delia burst in before Billy Brown could re- 
 move his fat cigar to reply: 
 
 ' Why, that great lecturer who knows so 
 much about European men and Englishmen, 
 declares that the former don't pretend to care 
 for their wives because the dowry system kills 
 love, while the latter, though; he marries for 
 love, is quite tired of his^ wife in five years. 
 Then he adds that men are natural born po- 
 lygamists, which is the real reason why the 
 priests who are men, in a way have given 
 Christendom an indissoluble marriage system. 
 By its aid a woman having once got a man to 
 the marriage altar, can keep her place as his
 
 216 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 wife as long as she lives, and make him support 
 their children. It is a well-known fact that 
 the majority of men remain ' true to their 
 wives,' as we say, simply because they are 
 bound to them by religion, custom and public 
 opinion. In short, they dare not be otherwise 
 than good husbands. Now, suppose this hand- 
 some Captain, this aristocratic sprig of the Ro- 
 man aristocracy, gets tired of our Harriet and 
 runs away " 
 
 "Let him run!" laconically put in big 
 Billy. 
 
 " Ah, but stop and think a moment. Our 
 poor dear Harriet might have a child by him. 
 How awful would be her fate! To be de- 
 serted, with a fatherless child on her hands ! " 
 
 Celia began to wipe her eyes, which fact 
 filled Jerry and Billy with apprehension. 
 Nevetheless, the latter answered stoutly: 
 
 "Well, what of that? Undoubtedly the 
 child would be a child worth having, being love 
 begot, because it is easy to see that these two 
 adore each other now. Children born under 
 such conditions represent the union of their
 
 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 217 
 
 parents at their best, and are apt to be lovely 
 in countenance, fine in character and full of 
 vitality. Our Harriet is no fool. She will 
 put in her claim for a child and she is a born 
 madonna while Ivo is in his most adoring and 
 adorable mood." 
 
 " Oh," said Celia, in a voice that broke as 
 she proceeded, " but the suffering of our poor 
 dear Harriet when this love turns cold!" 
 
 Again she buried her face in her handker- 
 chief and silently wept. Jeremiah, fearing 
 that he and " Bill " might presently have the 
 Twins repeating their fainting and hysterical 
 spells on their hands with no Harriet to help 
 them out, here spoke up, in his jerky way: 
 
 " But married life has its suffering, too 
 as I happen to know." 
 
 " Oh, well! but it is a different kind of suf- 
 fering. You get, if respectably married, re- 
 spect and sympathy," triumphantly asserted 
 Delia. 
 
 " And alimony from the one kicked out of 
 sight," added Jeremiah bitterly. 
 
 This speech acted like a red rag displayed in
 
 218 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 the face of a bull on Delia, who screamed rather 
 than said: 
 
 " Keep still! You're nobody! " 
 
 Under the circumstances, with no Mr. White 
 or Harriet to keep the peace, Jeremiah would 
 have done well to have done as Delia ordered 
 him to do. But he could not forbear say- 
 ing: 
 
 " I was somebody till I got married." This 
 proved too much for the sisters, already worn 
 to the limit of endurance. They started im- 
 mediately and obstreperously from their seats, 
 and swiftly approached the now cowering Jere- 
 miah. They stopped only when they had 
 reached his feet, which he immediately drew 
 under his chair, there being more than one corn 
 on them. And it was well that he did so, for 
 Delia stamped her foot in a reckless way, and 
 also shook her long forefinger menacingly, 
 while she poured out vials of wrath on Jere- 
 miah's bald pate. 
 
 " It is you who are to blame for the awful 
 mess we find ourselves in. Yes, it is you, and 
 you alone who are responsible for the fact that
 
 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 219 
 
 Harriet knows nothing that she should know, 
 and everything that she shouldn't know. My, 
 you have been teaching her a dozen years or 
 more, and what is the result? " 
 
 Delia paused for breath while Celia an- 
 swered: "The result is that our poor, dear 
 Harriet is a rebel against all law, all religion 
 and social order. She is an outcast, and 
 Heaven's thunderbolts will fall and destroy 
 her sooner or later. Oh, you wretched man ! I 
 could tear you limb from limb; I could cut 
 you up in small pieces; I could apply hot 
 pinchers to your flesh. I could " 
 
 At this point Billy Brown felt himself called 
 upon to interfere in behalf of Jeremiah. 
 
 " Come," he said, in his stentorian voice, 
 which he used with good effect when aroused, 
 " quit your squabbling. What's done can't be 
 undone. If Harriet has learned to know and 
 manage many men with rare skill in a business 
 relation, rest assured that she will know how to 
 manage one in a domestic way. It is because 
 men and women know so little about each 
 other's natures when they marry, that terrible
 
 220 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 misunderstandings often follow marriage. 
 Come, Jeremiah, let's off to bed." ^ ', 
 
 Jeremiah followed big Billy Brown out.the 
 front drawing-room with alacrity. The Twins 
 had given him enough excitement and dramatic 
 change for one night. 
 
 Probably Jeremiah Jordan never was con- 
 scious of the debt he owed these two mature 
 New England women, having great learning 
 of a certain conventional kind, with energetic 
 natures, triumphantly clean, inspiringly good 
 cooks, and with tongues that kept him from 
 stagnating. Indeed, his wits had been sharp- 
 ened not a little in the word battles which took 
 place now and then over the dining-table, be- 
 tween himself and them, with Mr. White egg- 
 ing him on and occasionally when " poor 
 Jerry " was getting the worst of it, coming to 
 his assistance. On these occasions Harriet was 
 overlooked, regarded as a negligible factor, be- 
 cause, as a rule, she merely listened. But, ah, 
 she was a good listener! and, who knows what 
 conclusions she drew concerning great, per-
 
 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 221 
 
 haps never-to-be-settled vital questions, such 
 as Marriage, Divorce Is Christianity a Prac- 
 tical Religion? and if not, Will It Be Super- 
 seded by Science? What is Socialism? Is it 
 a Foreign Importation Like Christianity?
 
 CHAPTER XV
 
 But he (Boyesen) mas proud of his American 
 citizenship; he knew all that it meant, at its 
 best, for humanity. He divined that the true 
 expression of America was not civic, not social, 
 but domestic almost, and that the people in the 
 simplest homes, or those who remained in the 
 tradition of a simple home life, were the true 
 Americans as yet, whatever the future Ameri- 
 cans might be. 
 
 W. D. HOWELLS in Literary Friends and 
 A cquaintances.
 
 CHAPTER XV 
 
 IVO and Harriet sped a few miles on 
 an express train, then were rapidly 
 driven to a dainty suburban hotel, 
 where they registered as " Mr. and 
 Mrs. Bruno." 
 
 " I suppose this good proprietor would po- 
 litely assure us, ' There are no vacant rooms 
 at present,' if he knew the law had not been 
 invoked to bind us in an indissoluble marriage 
 for better or worse so long as we live." 
 
 This remark Harriet made to her sweet- 
 heart, sotto voce, so as not to be overheard 
 by the clerk, who was preceding them to their 
 rooms. 
 
 niio ! this Free Union business is bound 
 
 to yield a puzzling amount of dramatic situa- 
 tions ; but I fear nothing with you, Harriet 
 for you do not seem to know what fear is. Be- 
 sides, you have a wonderful way of being equal 
 to each new situation as it shows jup." Ivo 
 
 "~ ' 
 
 225
 
 \j/( 
 
 226 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 raised the hand he held to his lips and kissed it 
 ardently. 
 
 [< Thanks, my Ivo. It is delightful to enter 
 upon our new life with an abundance of faith. 
 We shall doubtless need every particle of it, 
 because, in spite of the fact that my mother 
 was Italian, I have been toed from childhood 
 up, to eliminate romance and keep my eyes 
 glued on the business side of life. This means 
 much annoyance for you and the development 
 of patience." 
 
 By this time the clerk had unlocked the door 
 of their pretty suite of roomsyafwl^hen he had / 
 lit the gas and seen that all was in order, riuietry ' 
 took his departure. Scarcely had the door 
 closed than Harriet's sweetheart grabbed her 
 and gave her an embrace which only a robust 
 woman could have endured without emitting 
 a tell-tale shriek. Then he said as he de- 
 voured her with his thrilling glance and after- 
 wards with his perfect lips " At last you are 
 mine, mine, mine! Now I know that God's 
 other name is Rapture! And that we are his 
 children!"
 
 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 227 
 
 But, alas, while Ivo and Harriet are enjoy- 
 ing their new-born Paradise, another couple, 
 not a stone's throw away, are sleepless with 
 perplexity and anguish. They are in receipt 
 of " dear Harriet's letter " apprising them of 
 her intention of forming a Free Union with 
 her Ivo, since her promise to her dying father 
 makes a bona fide marriage impossible. The 
 letter went on to state how much she wanted to 
 show them her sweetheart as handsome a man 
 as grew above ground! But, having done so, 
 and knowing how truly sincere they were in 
 respect to the need and wisdom of the indis- 
 soluble form of marriage, and realizing the 
 pain they must feel to see one who had long 
 been dear to them living in what they must con- 
 sider an unholy manner, they would not re- 
 main over night. 
 
 How this dear old orthodox couple did wres- 
 tle in prayer on the receipt of this astounding 
 letter! They had long been tenants of Har- 
 riet's father. Indeed, for a quarter of a cen- 
 tury they had made a living and a competence 
 for old age by taking care of and raising
 
 228 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 produce on the picturesque birthplace of Mr. 
 White. They had watched the " little one," 
 which his runaway wife had given him, grow 
 from a toddling child into a sweet maiden, then 
 to evolve, under his skillful training, into a 
 charming, extremely clever business woman. 
 They had more than once listened to Harriet's 
 father, as he proceeded to make plain to them 
 the fact for so he considered it that women 
 did not know how to raise children; that they 
 made a mess of the only legitimate business 
 Heaven had entrusted them with that is, the 
 bringing into the world and the training of 
 children. He declared mothers spoiled their 
 children at the very start, and kept on spoiling 
 them so long as they had any influence over 
 them. For proof that a man could train up 
 a child in the way it should go, when he made 
 a business of it, with no woman to interfere, 
 he would point triumphantly to his Harriet. 
 Now, this good couple, after a long period 
 of wrestling with the God of Abraham, Isaac 
 and Jacob, finally rose from their knees and 
 reseated themselves in their easy chairs.
 
 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 229 
 
 " Someway," admitted the old farmer, 
 Joshua Edwards, as he scratched his bushy 
 gray hair in a puzzled way, " I don't seem to 
 have got much light as to whether we ought to 
 let 'em stay over night or not." 
 
 Martha said nothing, while she adjusted her 
 spectacles and took up some darning. After 
 getting under headway with a big hole in one 
 of Joshua's socks, she remarked laconically: 
 
 " Nor I, Joshua ! " Presently she spoke 
 again to inquire if there was no verse or com- 
 mandment in the Word of God to tell them 
 .what to do so they might be sure what was 
 right and what was wrong at so crucial a time 
 as now. She finished her anxious queries by 
 remarking, " Surely, Joshua, you kin remem- 
 ber some verse or commandment to help us 
 out of our fix? " 
 
 Joshua, thus appealed to, again scratched his 
 head, fidgeted in his chair and sighed deeply. 
 Finally he said, " There's that 'ere command- 
 ment on adultery." 
 
 "What is adultery? I've allers wanted to 
 know, but never got the time to find out. When
 
 230 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 I was a girl and asked my Sunday-school 
 teacher, she said it wasn't nice for a girl to 
 know. Of course I knew it was something 
 awful bad." 
 
 Martha looked up from her darning and 
 fixed her watery blue eyes scrutinizingly upon 
 her husband. He did not want to tell her, but 
 seeing no way of escape, he said, frowningly: 
 
 "Adultery, come to think of it, don't fit 
 this case at all. That has to do with married 
 people, those who are not true to each other." 
 
 " But can't you think of some verse that 
 does? You've had more time to read in the 
 Word of God than I have. F'r instance, some- 
 times in the winter on a rainy day, you do get 
 a little time to read Scripture. As for a farm- 
 er's wife, her work goes on just the same, rain 
 or shine, Sunday or week-day it's never 
 done!" 
 
 " I'll tell you what, I'll just open the Bible 
 careless like and, I doubt not, my eye will light 
 on the right bit of Scripture to help us out. 
 I've tried it a number of times, and never knew 
 it to fail."
 
 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 231 
 
 " That's a bright idea! " ejaculated Martha, 
 without, however, pausing in her work. 
 
 Joshua proceeded to the parlor, where, on 
 the center-table reposed a big family Bible, 
 rarely opened by the busy couple. On Sun- 
 days, it is true, he tried to satisfy his uneasy, 
 Puritan-bred conscience by taking the book 
 in his lap and reading some passage in Holy 
 Writ, wherever the book happened to open. 
 But being used to a very active, out-of-door 
 life, he was soon fast asleep. 
 
 Having secured the Bible and laid it on his 
 knees, he proceeded cautiously to open it. 
 Next he proceeded conscientiously to read 
 aloud the verse his eye lighted upon : 
 
 " And the Lord caused a deep sleep to fall 
 upon Adam, and he slept; and he took one of 
 his ribs, and closed up the flesh thereof." 
 
 " I don't see anything in that verse to help us 
 out, do you? " queried Joshua, his face more 
 deeply wrinkled with anxiety than ever. 
 
 " Read right on until you do strike some- 
 thing to give us the needed light. There's 
 nothin' like perseverance. If at first you don't
 
 232 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 succeed, try, try again. Them's my prin- 
 ciples." Joshua dutifully did as he was bidden 
 not knowing what else to do : 
 
 " And the rib which the Lord God had taken 
 from man, made he a woman and brought her 
 unto the man. 
 
 " And Adam said, This is now bone of my 
 bone and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called 
 Woman, because she was taken out of Man. 
 
 " Therefore shall a man leave his father and 
 mother, and shall cleave unto his wife : and they 
 shall be one flesh." 
 
 ' That'll do, Joshua. Those verses are right 
 to the point. It's plain to me that when God 
 Almighty marries a couple, we can afford to 
 let 'em stay with us over night." 
 
 " But how are we to know whether God has 
 made this Captain and Harriet of one flesh 
 or not?" 
 
 " Now, Joshua, you know as well as I do 
 that if anyone, nowadays, ' walks with God,' 
 it's as likely to be Harriet as any priest or min- 
 ister we've heard tell of. If she has taken this 
 'ere Captain Bruno or Count Bruno, as some
 
 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 233 
 
 call him to be flesh of her flesh, she must first 
 have been mighty sure it was God's will. At 
 any rate I'd place more confidence in her word 
 than in anybody else's, present company ex- 
 cepted!" loyally concluded Martha. To be 
 compared with Harriet in the matter of mak- 
 ing his word good and to have his word as 
 good as his bond was Joshua's special pride, 
 and removed the last bit of flickering doubt in 
 respect to permitting Harriet and her sweet- 
 heart to remain over night. He exclaimed 
 triumphantly : 
 
 " Gosh, let 'em come! Let 'em come! Let 
 'em stay as long as they please ! I wanted 'em 
 to come all the time, but I knew you well 
 enough, Martha, not to dare to ax 'em if you 
 weren't willin'. Women can make things 
 mighty oncomf ortable for their own sex when 
 they once set out." 
 
 ' That's because men are inclined to be too 
 easy in respect to the sins they have a weakness 
 for. But what do you suppose ever made 
 John White get his daughter to promise him 
 not to marry? It's the strangest thing in the
 
 234 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 world! He might have foreseen just what has 
 happened." 
 
 " Doubtless he did, for John W. White was 
 a far-sighted man. That's why he died so 
 rich." 
 
 "What! you don't mean to tell me that 
 Harriet's father would not turn in his grave 
 if he could have foreseen the effects of that 
 dyin' promise?" 
 
 Here the startled Martha, feeling sure that 
 Joshua was keeping something back, dropped 
 both work and scissors on the rug, thus necessi- 
 tating a stooping over to secure them, which 
 she did not like after a hard day's toil. 
 
 " B'gosh! I s'pose I might as well tell you, 
 first as last, for when a woman guesses a man 
 knows somethin', she never rests till she gets 
 on to it." 
 
 " Out with it! It takes you so long, some- 
 times, to limber up that tongue of yourn. 
 Now a woman's tongue never catches the 
 rheumatism." 
 
 "I wish it did," responded Joshua ungal- 
 lantly. " Think what a rest a man would have,
 
 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 235 
 
 married to a woman with a tongue laid up 
 occasionally, or which she could only painfully 
 set going. She might learn then to think 
 before she speaks." 
 
 " Poor creature! how the men would shun 
 her! But do tell me why John W. White ex- 
 acted a dyin' promise from his daughter never 
 to marry. Why, I supposed that is what the 
 women were made for to marry and hear 
 children. I know that's Scriptur', for I've 
 heard more sermons preached on the text that 
 says so, than on any other in the whole big 
 Bible. For Heaven's sake, hurry up spit it 
 out ! What are you afraid of? " 
 
 Martha stopped her darning to critically ex- 
 amine the one man she looked upon as her very 
 own mind, body, and soul. Nothing vexed 
 her more than to feel that he was trying to keep 
 her locked out of some little cubby-hole of his 
 complex being. 
 
 Joshua squirmed about in his great easy 
 chair, not particularly easy just now with the 
 sharp eyes of Martha riveted upon him. He 
 finally said, with the greatest reluctance:
 
 
 236 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 !< The reason I've kept quiet was because I 
 was afraid if I told you, you would think the 
 less of John, who can't speak up for himself. 
 Of course I didn't get the whys and wherefors 
 of this dyin' promise business from John him- 
 self, but from big Bill, who blabs everythin'." 
 
 "Well?" 
 
 " Wai, it seems Bill and John had some long 
 talks over Harriet's bein' dead in love with this 
 furrin count, and what was likely to happen 
 when her father no longer needed her personal 
 care." 
 
 "What do you mean? Explain yourself! " 
 
 "Why, you know well enough how the 
 daughters of our big millionaires are crazy to 
 marry Old World aristocrats and breed new 
 ones, which have mostly to be supported with 
 American money. God only knows what mul- 
 titudes of our people are over- worked and their 
 children prematurely made bread-winners, in 
 order to bolster up and renew this aristocratic 
 business in Europe. The thought that Harriet 
 might do the same thing on account of the 
 great love she bore this Italian aristocrat made 
 Mr. White and Bill put their heads together to
 
 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 237 
 
 make sure that not only would the White mil- 
 lions remain in America, but that Harriet her- 
 self would be obliged to remain here, too." 
 
 " So they took advantage of Harriet's other 
 great love that for her father to carry out 
 their purposes. Poor Harriet! Is that all 
 Bill Brown told you? I don't know why I 
 should think the worse of poor John for doing 
 what he did. It is notorious that the European 
 aristocracy have small respect for American 
 girls, and look upon their marriages with 'em 
 as the exchange of a title for American dollars. 
 But you are holding somethin' back. I see it 
 in your guilty face. Now tell me all." 
 
 " Wai, when Bill said to John, * Supposin' 
 Harriet, who has been brought up by men, 
 that is, taught by 'em mostly, and never been in 
 society, should make up her mind that a real 
 union of hearts, cemented by true love, was, 
 after all, a very real marriage in the sight of 
 Heaven, and should act on that belief, her 
 promise to you preventing her getting married 
 the usual way and of this union some chil- 
 dren should result what then? ' 
 
 " Bill said after he had put it in this startling
 
 238 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 way, Mr. White, who was determined on the 
 dying promise, said nothing for a full five 
 minutes. Then Bill declares he said solemnly, 
 as if standin' afore the Great Judge: 
 
 " ' Bill, it's not an altogether satisfactory 
 picture to see my Harriet bringing into the 
 world a brood of illegitimate American chil- 
 dren. But my God! I had rather see her do 
 that than discover should Heaven occasion- 
 ally permit me to return to look upon her sweet 
 madonna face that she was in Europe helping 
 to breed a new generation of wanton, idle aris- 
 tocrats.' There! you've got the last shred of 
 information that Bill poured into my ear about 
 this dyin' promise business. And now let's go 
 to bed. It's very late. I'm glad we've settled 
 it that they are to stay all night to-morrow 
 night."
 
 CHAPTER XVI
 
 It would seem that women are more largely 
 swayed by destiny than ourselves. They sub- 
 mit to its decrees with far more simplicity; nor 
 is there sincerity in the resistance they offer. 
 They are still nearest to God, and yield them- 
 selves with less reserve to the pure workings of 
 the mystery. 
 
 And therefore it is, doubtlessly, that all the 
 incidents of our life in which they take part 
 seem to bring us nearer to what might almost 
 be the very fountain-head of industry. 
 
 It is, above all, when a clear presentment 
 flashes across us a presentment flashes of a 
 life that does not always seem parallel with the 
 life we know. They lead us close to the gate 
 of our being. 
 
 May it not be during those profound mo- 
 ments, when his head is pillowed on a woman's 
 breast, that he learns to know the strength and 
 steadfastness of his star? And, indeed, will 
 any true sentiment of the future ever come to 
 the man who has never had his resting place in 
 a woman's heart. 
 
 MAURICE MAETERLINCK.
 
 CHAPTER XVI 
 
 It will be an excellent thing for the descendants of 
 the stiff-necked and repressed and unelastic old Puri- 
 tans to mingle their blood with that of passionate and 
 fiery and demonstrative Southern Europe. Out of such 
 unions will come natural and normal human beings. 
 
 ELLA WHEELER WILCOX. 
 
 'S a result of the conversation and 
 Bible reading on the part of the old 
 Puritanical farmer and his wife, 
 Ivo and Harriet received the warm- 
 est of welcomes when they showed_J[rp the 
 next day. Indeed Joshua and Martha had 
 shaken each warmly by the hand, while Harriet 
 got a motherly kiss in addition before she could 
 say to the couple : 
 
 " I am so glad you have guessed, without my 
 having to tell you, that this handsome young 
 gentleman can be none other than my better 
 half, Captain Bruno. Ivo, shake hands again 
 with the best and most devoted couple I know 
 Uncle Joshua and Aunt Martha Edwards." 
 
 241
 
 242 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 Ivo did as he was bidden with gratifying 
 promptness and courtly grace. And, as he did 
 so, the old farmer looked him through and 
 through and up and down, remarking finally: 
 
 " Gosh ! he's a well set up chap, kind o' like 
 a stun Greek god I seed once." 
 
 '* You always did have discernment, Uncle 
 Joshua, always hit the nail plump on the head. 
 But in addition to being set up well, so that he 
 is a joy to the eye, my Ivo is a descendant of 
 the great Renaissance breed of artists, and 
 proves it by his work. You must bring Aunt 
 Martha to New York very soon, and make 
 us a good visit. I will then show you what he 
 can do, when he tries, in the art line." 
 
 " And I tried mighty hard, you may be sure, 
 because I feared that if I did not do something 
 worth while, I would never win my American 
 madonna." 
 
 All laughed heartily at Ivo's speech and his 
 dramatic way of making it. Then Martha 
 sighed and said, "Ah, me! I know precious 
 little about any art, except the butter-making 
 art." Harriet was quick to comfort the down-
 
 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 243 
 
 cast woman by saying, as she caught up one of 
 her stiff, knotty, toil-worn hands and pressed 
 a soft kiss upon it : 
 
 " Dearest Aunt, you are a finished artist in 
 respect to that art, which is high above all other 
 arts : The Art of Home-making." 
 
 ;< Thank you, my dear, you've allers had such 
 a nice way with you. And now lay aside your 
 things. Supper is ready." 
 
 The hungry young couple lost no time in 
 complying with their hostess's request, and 
 soon were seated at a table loaded down with 
 good, old-fashioned edibles. 
 
 " Have you come direct from New York? " 
 asked the farmer as he passed them some home- 
 made bread. Joshua's eyesight was poor, 
 otherwise he would not have asked the above 
 question to a couple who looked decidedly 
 seedy, already, from the fact that they had been 
 tramping all day over a very picturesque but 
 wild bit of country. Up hill and down hill 
 they had marched oA run, for a change 
 pushing their way through heavy underbrush 
 and briars and brambles; wooed, occasionally
 
 244 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 by a pebbly brook glinting and gurgling and 
 singing as it wound its way along through 
 wood and vale into loitering and tossing 
 stones. Or, anon, they climbed some great 
 height where with arms about each other they 
 lost themselves in dreamy meditation as they 
 looked upon the enchanting Hudson and in the 
 hazy distance noted the great ocean. Harriet 
 had managed to keep up with her military hero, 
 whose legs had been well trained for some 
 years ; but having done so, she was desperately 
 tired, while Ivo looked fresher than when they 
 began their search for a suburban home-site, 
 early in the day. 
 
 " Do we look as if we had come direct from 
 the metropolis?" asked Harriet, with a de- 
 cidedly fatigued though smiling expression on 
 her face. 
 
 While this Puritan farmer was scrutinizing 
 the two young people conscientiously, so as to 
 give a truthful reply, his wife blurted out 
 frankly: 
 
 " I must say, Harriet, I never saw you so 
 mussed-up-like as I see you to-night. Why,
 
 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 245 
 
 your dress is actually torn in one or two places, 
 your hands are scratched, your shoes all but 
 ruined. But mussed-up clothes are of small 
 importance. You, yourself, are, as usual, the 
 picture of health. How is it that you always 
 keep so well and strong? Now, there's our 
 Jennie, a trained nurse, supposed to have 
 learned the latest and best ways to get people 
 well, always coming home to be nursed herself, 
 ain't she, father? " 
 
 The farmer looked sad as he replied to his 
 wife's query: 
 
 " Jennie never was very strong, and that's 
 a trying business she's larned. I wish she'd 
 give it up and stay at home. What ails the 
 girls and women nowadays that w r e can't keep 
 'em at home any more, Harriet? Not even 
 when we buy 'em a piano! " 
 
 " I don't know unless it is because America 
 has made her Tree of Knowledge of good and 
 evil so easy of access that they have lost their 
 heads trying to secure as much fruit as possi- 
 ble in the shortest time." 
 
 " And while the American women are cram-
 
 246 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 ming their heads with ill-digested knowledge 
 at the expense of their bodies and babies, their 
 men of finance are frenziedly filling their 
 pockets with ill-got gold," added Ivo with 
 disgust. 
 
 " You are right, young man ! You are right ! 
 Father and I have brought into the world four 
 children, every one of whom flew away as soon 
 as he or she could get away. Why? Oh, 
 country life and home life was too slow for 
 them. My three boys are now on the Pacific 
 Coast making money hand over fist, and so 
 absorbed in business that we scarce ever hear 
 from 'em. And if one of 'em, once in an age, 
 does send me a letter, I weep with joy when I 
 get it, and again with sorrow when I see how 
 short it is. Then when I answer, father says, 
 * Cut it short,' lest a long letter weary them. 
 My God! it is a harrowing thing to be the 
 parents of up-to-date American children ain't 
 it, father? " 
 
 Tears, in great, big drops, were falling 
 swiftly over Mrs. Edwards's thin, wrinkled 
 cheeks as she finished speaking, while the fast-
 
 dimming eyes of the old farmer became blurred 
 with moisture. But he was a plucky old 
 fellow. He would not let on what was quite 
 true that his old heart felt their children's 
 neglect deeper yet than the more easily moved 
 one of his wife. Ignoring his wife's question, 
 he exclaimed cheerily: 
 
 " Mother, where's your eyes? Can't you see 
 that the young folks have had their fill of your 
 good cooking? Lead the way to our best 
 room! I know that Harriet is dyin' to talk to 
 me about this 'ere suburban home she's been 
 tryin' to get her father to build nigh ten years. 
 I hope, young chap, you'll let Harriet have 
 her way sometimes 'cause everybody knows 
 she's got a wise head on her young shoulders." 
 
 '' That proves it has been good for you not 
 to have your own way," said Ivo, sotto voce f 
 as he placed a chair for Harriet close beside his 
 own in the farmer's best room. 
 
 The conversation that took place during the 
 two hours that followed, wonderfully cheered 
 the sad hearts of Joshua and Martha Edwards ; 
 since, by this time, the young couple, making
 
 248 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 such a handsome picture together, and such an 
 animated one, so full of the joy of life, had 
 thoroughly convinced the old couple that they, 
 too, were on the threshold of a new and more 
 varied existence than had hitherto been their 
 lot. It seemed that Ivo and Harriet actually 
 needed them to help carry out their plans for 
 the making of a new Home-Paradise to be all 
 fitted up with the best, up-to-date American 
 improvements. The land, it appeared, was to 
 be cultivated in a truly scientific, Burbank way, 
 the stock to be of the finest, most approved 
 breeds. Better yet ! Harriet felt sure that Ivo 
 and herself could offer such inducements to the 
 sons of the old couple, that one or more might 
 be induced to return and lend a hand to the new 
 enterprise connected with their birthplace. 
 Perhaps, likewise, the daughter would cheer- 
 fully accede to their united desire that she be- 
 come a member of their Family of Friends, 
 when she understood how charming and ro- 
 mantic a Home can be made without 
 servants ! 
 
 Accordingly, when the time came for the
 
 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 249 
 
 young couple to be escorted to the suite of 
 rooms prepared for them, by the old couple, it 
 was noticeable that the faces of Joshua and 
 Martha shone once more with joy and hope. 
 
 As for the temporary bridal suite, each room 
 contained a well-made bed that looked very 
 comfortable and very enticing. Uncle Joshua 
 explained to Harriet why they had set up a 
 bed in the front sitting-room. 
 
 " I told Martha," he said, " that married 
 people nowadays are not taught to sleep in one 
 bed, like we were; that, nowadays, they slept 
 in different beds and often in different rooms." 
 
 ' You are a very thoughtful man, Uncle 
 Joshua, and after such a tramp as Ivo and I 
 have had to-day, we surely need a bed apiece 
 to repose in." 
 
 As Ivo had been escorting Mrs. Edwards 
 up the stairs, he did not hear this ominous con- 
 versation. 
 
 "Well, good-night to you both!" said the 
 happy farmer. 
 
 "And happy dreams, if ye dream at all!" 
 added his wife, after kissing Harriet good-
 
 250 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 night. Then she followed her husband down- 
 stairs. From thence they proceeded to their 
 own bedroom, located in a one-story ell. The 
 most attractive feature of this room was an 
 old-fashioned fireplace, which always looked 
 picturesque, while, during the cold, dark winter 
 days it was a source of cheer and satisfaction 
 to the old couple. 
 
 Harriet and Ivo found nothing specially 
 attractive by way of adornment in either room, 
 with the exception of a fine large engraving of 
 Abraham Lincoln, hung in a prominent place 
 in the front room. 
 
 "What a striking painting I could have 
 made of that man with his strong, bony, mel- 
 ancholy face and long, thin, gaunt form if I 
 could only have had the opportunity ! " re- 
 marked Ivo as he gave close attention to this 
 engraving. 
 
 "Ah, yes, indeed! with your genius for 
 making the inner man come forth at your call 
 and at his best, most characteristic moment ! 
 Truly, America has been blest with some very 
 great men, so great that her people do not yet
 
 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 251 
 
 comprehend how great. There is Thomas 
 Paine, now. Few understand what compre- 
 hensive, God-like common-sense that man was 
 endowed with, and what a miracle it worked in 
 behalf of America and Liberty at the right 
 psychological time. Speaking of common 
 sense reminds me that I am ready to drop from 
 fatigue, and must seek rest. So are you, Ivo, 
 mioj though I must admit that your limbs have 
 been better trained than mine." 
 
 Thus speaking Harriet gently loosened her 
 palm from Ivo's hand, then pressed a kiss upon 
 it, when she left him and glided quickly into 
 the adjoining room, closing the door after 
 her. 
 
 "What a very modest young woman my 
 American Madonna is," observed Ivo to him- 
 self. " Heaven only knows when I shall be 
 able to obtain a good view of that exquisite 
 bust of hers, and of her finely molded arms. 
 I mean to put both into durable sculpture 
 when we become sufficiently well acquainted." 
 
 Ivo waited patiently enough for what 
 seemed to him an age. However, he reached
 
 252 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 a point when he could stand his present isola- 
 tion no longer, so he approached the closed 
 door and timidly knocked. There was no re- 
 sponse from within. He knocked again a little 
 louder. Still, no response. By this time he 
 was in a fever of impatience. He, therefore, 
 softly tried to open the door. It yielded a 
 little, but open it would not. He began to 
 scrutinize it carefully. " Chielo t ft j s actually 
 bolted inside ! " was his ominously muttered 
 comment. ' What to do next? " he asked him- 
 self, as he turned away in a furious mood. 
 When he had become a little more calm, he re- 
 turned, and kneeling down, he put his lips close 
 to the crack where the door lacked a trifle of 
 meeting the door post. Using his most plead- 
 ing, pathetic accents, he said, " Harriet, caris- 
 sima, I can't sleep without my good-night 
 kiss. 
 
 There was a pause during which Ivo's heart 
 thumped so loud that he was afraid he would 
 not be able to hear what his American Ma- 
 donna said, even if she was still awake and 
 responded. His fear proved groundless, be-
 
 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 253 
 
 cause the moment Ivo's ear caught the sound 
 of her sweet, musical voice, his very heart stood 
 still. This is what the poor, locked-out lover 
 heard: 
 
 " Ivo, mio, go to bed and rest well. We are 
 both dead tired. Besides, I must attend to 
 some very important business to-morrow which 
 requires a clear head and a well-rested body. 
 Go to bed, sweetheart." 
 
 " Go to the devil, why don't you say? " ex- 
 claimed Ivo to himself as he got up off his 
 knees and began stamping about the room, giv- 
 ing certain pieces of furniture a gratuitous 
 kick when they pulled him up for recklessly 
 approaching too close to them. His excited 
 mind gave vent to furious comments on 
 Americans : 
 
 " Qran' Dio! Up-to-date Americans are the 
 devil! They care for nothing but business, 
 which means corraling the Almighty Dollar! 
 They can't take time to expand their minds 
 with art, science, music or literature nor stop 
 to render thanks to their Maker who has made 
 them heir of a glorious New World. The
 
 254 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 sweetness and holiness of domestic life are not 
 for them, because of business ! business ! busi- 
 ness! . . One year of business of money- 
 making, a la American , is enough for me. It 
 is hell! where your associates are liars, rascals, 
 thieves, whose one aim is to do you up. Even 
 your friends prove false and treacherous in a 
 money-making deal. Thank heaven, I have 
 retired. No more money-making for me. I 
 loathe, abhor, detest the game and the crowd. 
 To what end this demoralizing, devitalizing, 
 enslaving worship of the new god these Amer- 
 icans have set up which they call Business, 
 and for which they prostitute life, love and lib- 
 erty? Race suicide of bona fide Americans? 
 Looks like it ! Ah, but it is a pity to see sweet 
 women and even children infected with this lust 
 for business and money, and thousands of 
 homes broken up in consequence ! Now there's 
 my American Madonna, dowered with a wealth 
 of womanhood, temptingly enshrined in a 
 beautiful body, with the sweetest lips ever made 
 by the good God meant to be sipped much 
 and often! Alas, all this quintessence of joy
 
 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 255 
 
 is fast locked in that room on the other side of 
 that mean door ' in order that business shall be 
 properly attended to on the morrow ' 1 " 
 
 Ivo paused in the midst of his furious stam- 
 pede about his room, to scowl at the offending 
 door. Then he resumed his bitter monologue, 
 Italian fashion: 
 
 " Of course Harriet's clever enough to know 
 that I would not be satisfied with one kiss or 
 two! America does breed clever women, and 
 cleverness among women is catching. Men 
 religion law something, ought to get busy 
 and pull them up again. Chielo! I wish I 
 could pull one woman up or out of her bed 
 and thrash her!" 
 
 When Ivo came to reflect that he might not 
 get his coveted kiss under such circumstances, 
 his mood softened. He approached " that 
 mean door," and kneeling down again applied 
 his mouth anew to the crack. To himself he 
 said, " I simply can't go to sleep so near and 
 yet so far from my beautiful Madonna." Out 
 loud he pathetically entreated, in low, but dis- 
 tinct tones :
 
 256 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 "Canssima! have pity! I shall go mad if 
 I don't get my good-night kiss. Intendete? " 
 
 Harriet gave a long, deep-drawn sigh. She 
 was, as she had admitted, " dead tired." To 
 march bravely, hour after hour, with a thor- 
 oughly trained military man had left her de- 
 cidedly the worse for wear. Nevertheless she 
 replied in her sweet, even tones : 
 
 " Angelomio, rest well to-night. I will give 
 you a double portion of kisses to-morrow morn- 
 ing. Dorma bene, sweetheart." 
 
 To hear again the voice he loved and which 
 seemed to go direct to the center of his being 
 and to set it vibrating in an exquisite manner, 
 was a sort of comfort to the poor, locked-out 
 lover. And to know that his Harriet was not 
 too far gone into dreamland to hear his voice 
 and perhaps be influenced by it, was another 
 bit of satisfaction. However, he meant to 
 have his good-night kisses if he had to work 
 all night for them! Again with his mouth 
 close to the little opening between door and 
 door-post he began, in a voice full of tears, to 
 plead anew.
 
 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 257 
 
 " Qarissima sweetest ever! I pray you 
 have mercy on one who adores you who can- 
 not sleep a wink without a good-night kiss 
 from lips made to be kissed tenderly and often 
 V by the Divine Lover himself ! " 
 
 A long pause followed this plea so long 
 that Ivo was in a fright lest Harriet was in a 
 sound sleep. Just as he was cudgeling his 
 brains what to do next, he heard her say in her 
 most thoughtful way: 
 
 "Carq, let us give our lips a little vacation 
 to-night. I am sending you a soul kiss for a 
 change." 
 
 The idea of his Harriet substituting a soul 
 kiss for the " real thing " on the second night 
 of their honeymoon, so enraged Ivo that he i 
 &* must have made the air about him black 
 and blue, filling it as he proceeded to do with 
 all the swear words he could lay his tongue to 
 in languages both dead and living. This word- 
 storm producing no apparent effect, he pulled 
 off a shoe and threw it slam-bang against " that 
 mean door" a rather rickety door which 
 Captain Bruno was sorely tempted to break
 
 258 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 down. Alas, only silence was his reward for 
 his energetic protest against receiving a soul 
 kiss in lieu of one warm with human vitality. 
 Removing the other shoe, he threw that one 
 with such force that the sole unbroken panel 
 cracked with a loud noise, while the door itself 
 shook as if an earthquake was in progress. 
 
 Harriet was now sufficiently alarmed to 
 repeat in her most caressing, madonna-like 
 tones : 
 
 "Angelo mio, be good and go to sleep. 
 Why, if you continue to carry on as you are 
 doing now, that good, pious couple downstairs 
 will think I have got a madman up here, and 
 rush up to protect me." 
 
 The very idea of anybody's coming upstairs 
 to interfere between him and his American 
 Madonna frightened Ivo to such an extent that 
 a dead silence followed Harriet's ominous 
 words. At length, however, it was broken by 
 Ivo with mouth close to the crack saying in 
 a low, distinct, hissing manner : 
 
 "Jmbechile! To-morrow will be pay-day 
 for you, all right 1 "
 
 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 259 
 
 " Why, what will you do to me, Angelo 
 mio?" came sleepily to Ivo's intent ears. 
 
 " Do! " thundered the distracted lover, quite 
 forgetting the pious couple below, " why the 
 instant I catch sight of you I shall fling you 
 across my knee and use my slipper like this ! " 
 
 To illustrate how he meant to chastise her in 
 the morning, he began to beat the door in a 
 manner quite suggestive of a tattoo, giving 
 notice to soldiers to retreat, or to repair to their 
 quarters in garrison, or to their tents in camp. 
 This midnight exercise he perseveringly kept 
 up until Harriet, really alarmed, said very 
 seriously : 
 
 " Ivo, you must behave. Those good people 
 know nothing of the artist temperament. 
 Should they hear you carrying on in this way 
 in the dead of night, they will be sure that you 
 are an escaped lunatic. Heaven only knows 
 what they will do then perhaps raise the 
 neighbors and the dogs ! " 
 
 Perfect silence greeted this speech. Noth- 
 ing apparently was doing; and Harriet had 
 just breathed a sigh of intermingled relief and
 
 260 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 fatigue, and was congratulating herself that at 
 last Ivo was asleep, when the sound of a piano 
 greeted her ears. " How lovely ! " she ex- 
 claimed to herself, for it was being played in 
 so careless, yet graceful and poetic a manner 
 that she found herself listening, spell-bound, 
 with delight. She rose at once and drew on a 
 morning robe, intending to go immediately 
 into the other room from whence proceeded 
 such deliciously solemn, romantic music. Be- 
 fore she had reached the door, however, she 
 stood still, transfixed by the sound of a lyric 
 tenor voice, singing ah, so beautifully ! Har- 
 riet felt herself instantly transported on the 
 vibrations of the lovely voice and exquisite 
 music, to some abode whose name could be none 
 other than Perfect Bliss. There she stood, 
 looking like an adoring celestial visitant 
 scarcely breathing, her whole being thrilled, 
 until the last sweetly solemn note died away. 
 
 What was the aria Ivo sang in a manner to 
 remind one of Bonci, the most perfect artist of 
 the last decade of the nineteenth century? Ah, 
 it was that magnificent one perhaps the very
 
 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 261 
 
 finest, divinest of all tenor solos, the closing one 
 
 in " The Elixir of Love." , *i 
 
 Harriet drew back the bolt and swiftlw^ptA] 
 0} opened the door/ interposing between <a being 
 who, for the time, seemed divine and therefore 
 to be adored ; that is, in this case, to be heartily, 
 enthusiastically kissed. 
 
 So athrill was Ivo's American Madonna with 
 blissful emotion that she gave, without stint 
 what he liked best kisses! She began with 
 his abundant, shiny, bronze-gold hair. Hav- 
 ing done that wonderful hirsute adornment 
 ample justice, his lovely Raphael brow came in 
 for attention. Next each eyelid, as well as 
 each delicately tinted cheek, got its share. 
 Neither was the top of Ivo's aristocratic nose 
 or his firm chin overlooked. And last she 
 ^placed her lips squarely on his, giving him the 
 
 I). J\\ " real thing." Afterwards as Ivo rose and 
 
 \j \j ~~ 
 
 took possession of her two hands, to make 
 
 sure she should not vanish again to secure rest 
 in order that she might the better devote her 
 energies to that horrid vampire, Business, 
 she said a little reproachfully:
 
 " Caro, why have you never told me that you 
 could sing like an angel? " 
 
 Ivo, though awfully well pleased that he 
 had found an easy way to manage his Ameri- 
 can Madonna, yet, nevertheless, veiled his joy, 
 and replied a little contemptuously: 
 
 " Poof! Have you not found out yet that 
 all Italians are natural-born musicians, all fa- 
 miliar with such grand operas as are worthy 
 the name, from childhood up? " 
 
 " Ah, but you can count on the fingers of 
 one hand and then find you have too many 
 those who can sing in so finished a manner as 
 you have just done, and who have voices of 
 such lovely tenor quality. Come, own up! 
 Tell me what must be true, viz., that you have 
 been taking a lot of lessons since I saw you 
 last, and thrown heart and soul into the mak- 
 ing of what you are now an artist in music, 
 as well as in art itself." 
 
 " Gran Dio ! you don't suppose I would leave 
 a stone unturned to win my American Ma- 
 donna, do you? When I was not cudgeling 
 my brains trying to make money like an
 
 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 263 
 
 American, I was painting, or, if not busy so, 
 I was singing. Ask the best maestro in Rome 
 whether I took any vocal lessons or not! 
 ChieloJ I never looked at a woman the whole 
 of the past year, my whole mind and soul 
 being concentrated on doing the things that 
 would win you, ingrate" 
 
 As Ivo said " ingrate," he raised one of the 
 hands he held and bit it, but not badly, being 
 too happy. 
 
 " How did you know that I was passionately 
 fond of music? " queried Harriet wonderingly. 
 
 " Have you forgotten how you once con- 
 fided to me your girlish aspiration to be a great 
 singer, like Malibran having her kind of 
 voice and how your father stopped your 
 music lessons as soon as he saw that music was 
 becoming a passion with you? and at the same 
 time nipped, too, your budding love for your 
 Italian maestro? Dip mio! how thankful I 
 am that your father nipped wisely in at least 
 two instances 1 " 
 
 Harriet replied with enthusiasm: 
 
 " My father was a very wise and a very good
 
 264 AN AMERICAN MADONNA 
 
 man. How thankful I am that he let me take 
 vocal lessons as long as he did. Ah, me ! how 
 beautifully we shall sing together one of these 
 days for our dear children!" Harriet's eyes 
 shone with joy, for the mother-light was in 
 them. 
 
 Ivo could not reply, his heart being too full 
 of speechless, sacred emotion. Indeed, some- 
 thing inexpressibly divine had taken possession 
 of his whole being. Mutely he bowed his head 
 on the shoulder of his American Madonna, 
 and as it rested there she felt warm tears 
 trickle down down into her bosom. 
 
 Inevitably there followed Love's holy, cre- 
 ative kiss. 
 
 A sequel to " An American Madonna " is in course of 
 preparation. M. I. T.