Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-09-02
TOURlN G IN ITALY
It is Very Pleasant if You Know the
Ropes.
The Fate of Four Innocent Americans
at the Hands of Modern
Drigands.


Americans and burdened with hand bag
gage. They hurried into the railway sta
ton at Naples few minutes before the
express pulled out for Rome. There was
unusual crush at the ticket Office, but,
nothing daunted. the largest OF the four
took his place in line and finally came
abreast of the seller.
-Four tickets to Rome; how much?'
All this was said in one breath, as though
it had been memorized for the occasion.
First, second OF third Glass;" returned
the agent quickly cycling his man keenly
and with a half sneer. Silence Again the
question put. But the face of the
traveller was blank; he was evidently at
the end of his Italian.
-Four tickets to Rome; how mucho"
he repeated, and the line behind him grew
larger and more impatient
First, second or third class? Sbriga-
tevi!' snapped the agent, muttering some
thing about children without nurses. The
shot was lost on the child. though the
tives seemed to enjoy it hugely. In despair
the agent held up first one finger, then two,
then three. A light seemed to dawn on
the embarrassed buyer. He held up four
fingers! then, pointing north, said: Rome.
Since no enc but royalty and fools travel
first class, the agent, convinced of the
mans title to the latter description, gave
him four first-class tickets and blandly
asked for double fare. Where the extra
nOHey went Is an open uutStloI.
Out through the gateway the four made
their way until a burly facchino, the leech
of Italian stations and hotels, stopped their
wild flight for the express.
THE baggage, Signori you must have 1t
checked" an old trick, but too often sue
cessful.
1.-The devilr' shouted the four in unison.
Then the smallest of them, remembering
the potency of money in Italy, put some
money into the mans hand. Presto! with
bows and smiles and gratitude he carries
the heaviest bag and sees them safely IN
a third-class carriage. For ways that are
dark the Neapolitan is not for behind the
celestial trickster of Bret Harte.
1t was quite dark when the miserable ex-
press drew into the central station at Rome
Here the four dismounted. swarm OF
hackmen buZzed around them, lighting JOY
fully for the prey. After a helpless display
of gestures and brave attempts at the
native language, they made bargain with
one of the men to take them TO pen
stone on the Via del 'Tritone. They gave
him the address and bade him drive on,
and drive on he did
For a full hour that wagon ratified along
alleys and streets. finally pulling up at
short corner. There the driver told them
he could find no such place, but if the
signori would give him an extra fare he
would take them to an excellent hotel rms
offer was fatty refused, and the four dis
mounted for further council The usual
crowd gathered to enjoy the quandary OF
the Americana. Then came relief. A Ger
man student, who spoke English. pushed
his way into the circle and after few
words took charge of the disguised young
men. They were within minutes walk
of the persione. Thither they We're led and
left in the care of voluble, polite French
man.
The gentlemen would have two large
rooms, certainly, Clean, comfortable.
charming. Then, in burst of enthusiasm
and Italian: Santissima, none better in the
eternal city and surely none more reason
oI,Ia Toll
worth So. Always so glad to have the
brave Americans-so like ourselves. the
French The incident was closed for the
time being, the Frenchman evidently hav-
ing in view fat revenue from his guileles's
guests.
In the Piazza Poli stands a small, home
like hotel. kept by an Englishman. 1t Is
only a stones throw from the pensione.
The hostess was dark-eyed Roman. A
billiard parlor opens on two streets: 1t Is
very cool and inviting. Here, on the fol-
lowing afternoon We're the four arrivals
playing q quiet game.
The landlord. ever on the watch for trade,
found by dint of carefully placed questions
where they were staying and the terms OF
their accommodation. Before an hour was
gone he had prevailed upon them to quit
the pensone and to transfer themselves to
his care They were surely paying triple
fee to the Frenchman. It was rank fmpos-
ture! He would furnish them better lodg-
ings at one-third the price AS for the
luggage. he would send his porter for it,
There would be no difficuty-none whatso-
ever. They would come. then? All! he
was glad Of that If they cared to see their
rooms, they would kindly follow him-and
he led them up to the first floor. The place
certainly excelled the pensiOne-
A council was held, and the largest
American was sent to acquaint the french
man with their change of residence The
Frenchman while to all appearances salts
fed must have been storing his wrath for
another hour, as proved to be the case.
That evening. while the mellow mood OF
the chianti sat upon the four like a bene-
diction they began their weekly correspon-
dence horne. In the street below their
windows was hardly a sound, for after the
ringing Of the Ave the Roman day Is prac-
tically ended. But the exterior quietness
of that hour was as nothing to the peace
that lowered over those four scribes. The
light Of four candles put to rout some of
the darkness. and cleaned with rich, red
flames on the refilled decanter.
Then across that evening idyl clashed the
brazen note Of war. The hallway was filled
with shouts and blows, epithets and curses.
And the language. which at first was in the
native tongue, suddenly swerved into
French and English. There was a minute
or two of this. then silence. Into the room
burst a scared-looking camererse begging
the signori for love of heaven to come
down stairs to the master. In wonder and
doubt they followed
At the foot of the steps was the wreck
age Of war chairs overturned mats and
chaos. and in the doorway were two police
men and a detective. In their grasp was
the excited Frenchman. On lounge with
in the office the hostess lay. with cash
across her forehead. which a doctor was
rapidly binding with linen. The English
man. quite calm with victory, was watch
ing the process
1t was some time before the sequence of
cause and effect became plain to the Amer
leans The Frenchman, who was only head
walters in the pensione, the proprietor being
away In Frascati, was angry at the loss Of
his guests To revenge himself on the
Englishman he charged the four with hav-
ing stolen one candle and three towels, He
came in person 10 examine their baggage.
Entrance to the rooms was denied him by
the Englishman. Then ensued battle in
which the beligerent Frenchman struck
the hostess. wounding her badly, He Maid
dearly for his temerity at the hands of her
husband. who drubbed him soundly At
the subsequent arrival of the doctor and
the officers the Americans were called for
their testimony.
An hour later the Englishman came to
the four in their rooms. He was smiling
ana In good humor "Gryte AIRY. but 7
give 1t to i'm that time" he remarked
Going to prosecute strongly I sunnosa >,
said one of the four
on. nor he answered quickly ".e,s IN
the FAMILY sir: e married my sister"
The devil!' echoed the four In misc,
ana four hands stretched through the can,
hn dn,n ,A~