Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1901-03-21


meant on which floor the rooms
were for rent. 2 pianos meant
two stories high; 4 pianos. four
stories high. Well, Ihaven't said
anything to anyone yet and I
think l shall keep it to myself.
Things are not always what they
seem.
Well, I have to quit. Will tell
you more about the experience of
a foot-eore traveller in my next
letter. II. FRANK HARRIS.
Frank Harris in Rome.
ROME, Italy, March z, 1901
After making the discovery that
Q pianos meant two stories high,
l took my baggage and bid my
German landlord fond adieu and
back to Carlo Aburto, went in and
took possession, fixed my room up
in grand old style, then says 1,
I'll go out now and see a little
Roman life.
had my walk, and l wasn't
gone more than an hour when /
returned, and of all the beautiful
and heart-rending gestures man
ever saw. Those that were pre-
sented to me were something
pious. Grand! oh, words don't
express them. / couldn't make
out what was the matter. l knew
they were not so glad to see
me as all that. l figured and
figured but couldn't get head nor
tail of that conversation of ges-
lures. Finally the landlady went
into my room and got out my two
empty grips, then l knew l was
receiving very gentle but also a
firm hint to :fold my tent and
sneak away" My first thought
was that I was being done ]
had paid my months rent in adj
vance and 80 l just made up my
mind would not be trifled with.
I put myself in chair and then
I gave beautiful exhibition of a
man with ''brave technique on
gesture, but she finally compre-
hended and saw l wanted my
money back. She gave it to me,
1 packed my grips and departed
As near as l can figure out the
reason of her wanting me to GO
was that she had received a tele
gram from some of her relation
who we're coming to Rome to visit
and she would need the room.
Well, theto was only one thing
for me to do add that was to start
all over again. Oh, it's fun! For
the love of all that's good, if ever
l meet man in America that
can't handle the language I shall
certainly treat him with more
kindness and respect than I would
q king. He deserves it. It's some
thing fearful. 1 have in the last
few days I've been In Italy worn
all the skin off my hands making
wild signs to people who apparent
ly are thiok-headed, but 1 know
it's me. 1t makes me laugh. If
some man was to make some of
the wild motions at me that am
making at them, I would think
he had escaped from Clarinda or
some other place like it.
/ looked around in the same
neighborhood and saw my sign,
2 pianos high, and found a room
that I liked much better than the
other one, so 1 was glad that the
other landlady's friends were to
arrive on the scene when they did.
It seems that whatever is, is right
and for the best. I really don't
know whether this landlady has
any relations or not, if she has
and they come to see her, Ill bet
l6 cents that they will sleep on
the floor for sll of me. / am 60
ing to stay here if I have to lock
the door from this side and go out
and in by the window. It's only
two pianos from the ground.
The thing now that worries me
most is learning the money. They
have for what would be one dol
lar "lire." ! think its about 10
cents in our money. It's a silver
piece about as big-no it's not
quite as large as q Is cent piece.
Then they have centesimo and