The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1872-02-16
BLOOMSBURY, PA, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 1872.

companion for a gentleman of my age
and position. 1 felt this strongly,
when, after much consecutive cham
payne, he proposed that we should
journey to Rome together. But what
was l to do? Clearly, could not say
to the man who had just saved my life :
"Sir, cannot consent to travel in your
company, because you wear a prepos.
ferrous hat, and are addicted to perpetu-
al smoking and untimely singing"
| OF course l lacked the courage to say
this, and hence it followed that for the
gether. / will do him the justice to say
that he never attempted 20 borrow
money from me, and that he rendered
me considerable service by acting as an
interpreter between myself and the ma
tives. Still, his undignified habits
were 4 constant source of annoyance to
me. He would insist upon my accom-
panying him into third class cars,
where he smoked, and sang, and drank
cheap wine from casual bottles, with
chance acquaintances, in a manner dis
reputable in the extreme. acquit him
of any intentional disrespect in repre-.
senting to the police of st. Jean that /
was a lunatic, and that he was my
keeper, since he solemn)y averreL that
| by no other pretense could he have
saved me from arrest. / cannot, how
ever, excuse his habit of calling me
sold boy,' and the gross familiarity
with which he criticised my personal
appearance, and what he was pleased
to call "my jolly greenness."
After we reached Rome, as was quite
natural, we saw great deal of each
other. Itso happened that we one day
visited the Catacombs of st. CaliXtus.
! The guide who was with US was ex-
! planning the skeletons and things with
great apparent eloquence, and Dick was
translatng his remarks to me with COM
ment5 and additions of his own, when
we came upon another party, consist.
ing of a middle.aged lady, her daugh-
| ter, and, of course, their guide. As
they were evidently Americans, we
| stopped and conversed a few moments
with them, and ultimately accepted
their invitation to accompany them
through the rest of the catacombs-
Dick escorting the mother, while 1
walked by the side of the pretty daugh,
ter.
Pretty is just the word which de.
scribed her. She was not strictly beau
tiful, but her manner was extremely at.
tractive, and she had, moreover, an
idea of the respect due to a man of my
character and position in life, which /
have found that young girls, as rule,
seldom have. L soon learned thatsher
mother, a widow lady, was from New
York, and that they were both well
acquainted with the family of my bus
iness partner. We therefore rapidly
became as familiar as old acquaint.
ances; and presently, while Dick, with
his accustomed impudence, was giving
the old lady a history of the catacombs
of which l am certain that he knew
absolutely nothing-the daughter drew
close to me and whispered:
"WOuld you dare get me alittle piece
Of bone out of one of the inches They
are all saints bones, you know, but the
guide won't let me have any, and, be-
sides, / can't reach them, thou gh l do
so long for piece of saint!'
l need not say that l stole some saint
"a rib | think it was-and my new ac-
quaintance was delighted with it. The
girliSh pleasure with which she hid the
bone in the folds of her dress, and in.
sisted that she twas ever so m uch oblig-
ed to me-" together with the childish
eagerness with which she had whisper.
ed her request, completely charme
me. In fact | fell in love with her on
the spot. and determined that | would
marry her ifshe would give her consent.
When we parted at the entrance of the
catacombs 1 was warmly invited by
both ladies to call upon them, and to
bring my friend with me.
To visit Miss Scott in company with
Dick was precisely what did not wish
to do. But here, again, could not
help myself Though Dick professed
to be warm admirer of the widow, it
always happened that, soon after our
arrival at the Scotts' apartment, he
would manage to be in close converse,
tion with Susie, while / fell prey to
the mother, whose conversational pow
ers were of the most oppressive charac.
ter. The same thing used to occur
when we visited the ruins and palaces
together, which we did nearly every
day. Still felt no fear of his rivalry.
Susie evidently liked me, and always
appeared delighted to see me. Besides,
| never for moment supposed that she
could prefer penniless vagabond to q
man Of means and recognized re5pecta-
bility.
All this is merely Introductory, and
though the preceding statements have
a tendency to make a short story long,
still ii was necessary, as l have said be
fore, that the precise nature of my init
macy with Dick should be set forth be
fore could ask the question, "Ought
not to have done it ?"
One day we prevailed upon the ladies
to make visit to st. Peters. In order
to make the excursion partake some.
what of the nature of picnic, it was
agreed that we should take our lunch
with us, and eat it on the immense roo
of the church. In order to make sure o.
securing Susie for myself, l prevailed
upon Mrs, Scott to invite the Rev. lie
onidas w. Smiley, who was then il
Rome, TO accompany us; intending tC
inveigle that worthy divine into acting
as an escort TO the widow. i never
thought what would become of Dick i
thus left without a lady companion, moi
were my suspicious aroused by the sar
castle smile with which he praised my
| foratInuUht In inViiipo, ha al ~