Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1910-10-01
A LONG TIME
PURCHASE
BY ARNOLD HATHAWAY
Copyright. 1910. by American Press
Association.

, City. Above the piazza Is the Capt.
toline hill. on which state building is
4 being erected and from which extends
! the Corso Umberto. the main shopping
, street of Rome When there make 1t
, a point every afternoon to go down
, the Corso to one of the sidewalk res
/ taurants and drink Frascatti wine.
! / was sitting one afternoon on the
sidewalk in the Piazza Colonna. just
on the Corso. when a young officer
and a young girl took seat at a table
near by. | speak and understand the
Italian language tolerably we'll. and 1t
was not long before caught the word
Americana. The man was talking
about the Americans who frequent
Rome IN such large numbers. inveigh-
ing against the manner In which they
demoralize the tradespeople and serv-
ants by their lavish expenditure OF
money. Officers Of the Italian army
are from the upper classes, and this
Young man was of refined type. The
girl he was with was OF the same
class. tastefully dressed and pretty.
My admiration was especially excited
by her splendid hair, which was coiled
ND In great rolls worthy of an empress
of ancient Rome.
The lady was lamenting that her
family must remove from the home
they had long occupied. owing to the
rise In rents. She was also telling her
companion. who. l judged. was her
fiance. that she needed a sum OF mon
ey, without which some trouble or in
convenience would accrue. The young
man was lamenting his inability to
furnish the amount. having nothing
but his pay in the army. which is small
enough indeed. l could not but feel
the injustice CT my having several
times the income could spend. while
these poor young people were In des-
perate straits for a few hundred
francs, and what disturbed NE more
was that conventional barrier which
prevented my giving them the amount
they needed. matter which would
have conferred upon me as much
pleasure as on them.
They arose and went away without
knowing that their structures on Amer
leans had been overheard by an Amer
lean and that they had not modulated
their voices sufficiently TO prevent my
getting q vague idea OF their necessi-
ties. AS they departed the officer said
pieadingly. If you do it will break my
heart" to which the girl responded.
III l do not / fear my mother will
die
The very next day i met the same
young lady on the Corso. On her face
was a sad but determined expression.
Without any definite purpose turned
and walked in the same direction as
she. Presently ! saw her turn into
shop. in whose windows were wom-
ems switches. wigs and cosmetics. l
could look through the glass and see
the girl in conversation with the pro-
prietor. She removed her hat and let
down her hair II was the most mag
nificent display | ever saw-very thick
and reaching to the floor. The pro-
prietor was inspecting it,
The meaning OF the words of the
officer who had been with her the day
before-"If you do it will break my
heart"-was now apparent to me. She
was about to raise the needed funds
BY parting with her hair. ] saunteTed
into the shop. The proprietor motion
ed me to a seat while he bargatned
with the girl. Presently l heard him
say:
1T Is too valuable for me to buy
Just now. when l am short OF FUNDS.
Come IN at another time"
Does the senorina wish to sell her
hairy, | asked. My wife is looking
for q switch"
Yes. senior: she would sell IT,"
II would buy it. but my wife is not
IN Rome. and I prefer not 10 own Il
until her arrival But il the senori1a
will make a contract for il / will pur-
chase It now"
The lady was interested and said
that the goods could be delivered
whenever wished. whereupon took
the proprietor aside. asked him what
the hair was worth and told him to
oyer OF my behalf double the amount
IL was accepted with delight. sad the
lady asked when and where l wouio
have my purchase sent said mat
she was TO wear IL til called for IL
Then / paid the whole amount OF the
purchase moocy. The lady went away
much pleased.
I left Rome the next day and did
not return for a year. One ony on
sidewalk restaurant OF the Corso who
should see AZ another table but the
ofscer and the iady whose hair ] own
ed. They were staring az me Then
they arose and came toward ne
.-Senor.- said The lady a year ago
you bought NY hair for your vile