Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1912-06-07
His italian
Friend
A Peculiar Experience of an
American In Rome
By F. A. mitchell
Topvr;ohf bv r,orioop proec Asco-
By f. A. mitchell
Copyright by American Press Asso-
citation. 1911.

In the Piazza Colonna at Rome Is an
italian restaurant the principal part
of which is Oh the sidewalk. A couple
Of hundred feet distant, In the center
of the piazza, towers column erected
in the days Of the ancient Romans
IL ne shadow Of this column one
uftei .oon sat two gentlemen, Giovanni
Sfor@l and Albert Park, the former az
Italian, the latter an American, as the
names indicate.
Park purported to live in Chicago
but had become fascinated with Rome
and lived there most Of the time. The
Eternal City is not only attractive in
Itself, but from it's historic asSocia-
tions, the ruins of its ancient edihces
and the abundant curiosities constant
ly being deposited in its museums.
Park had become interested in Roman
archaeology and had no eyes or ears
except for Rome.
Bert" said Giovanni SforZa, "a
friend Of mine saw you when you
were driving out on the Appian way
the other day and has asked me to
bring YOU to see her.
Il have no time to make visits" re-
piled the other, slipping a glass Of wine
from a table before him.
"One would think that you are in
your Chicago, where time is money, in
stead of an Italian city, where time is
pleasure. What have you to do?'
Tomorrow | go out with an archae-
ologist to be present at the opening of
some Tuscan graves 2,400 years old.
Thursday | am to 20 down the Tiber
to point where vessel some seven
teen centuries ago, loaded with. am
phorae containing wine. was wrecked
and | expect to secure at least one
amphora for myself. On Saturday,
Never mind Saturday. | am quite
sure you will be free on Sunday, and
have made an appointment for you
to visit the charmer who, | am quite
sure, will give you new object to
absorb you"
$50 be it. Giovanni. You have done
so much for me since | have beeu in
Rome that | cannot refuse you. 1t is
true that time for you Italians is only
for pleasure. / wonder how you all
live have never seen you, my friend.
do a stroke Of work. I do not believe
you own any property from which to
draw an income, and yet you always
appear to be plentifully supplied with
money"
"Never mind how l live, my dear
fellow. We Italians have knack OF
getting what we need without break
ing down our health us the Americans
do. Before | take you to call upon
Signorina Poll | wish to caution you
against revealing to her that l have
told you Of her request to bring you. y
II would surely not be so maladroit
rs that" was the reply, and the two
men. rising, turned into the Corso and
sauntered toward the Capitoline hill.
Meeting on the way an officer Of the
cara binieri. SforZa exchanged mean
ing glance with him. which his com.
panion did not notice.
A month after this meeting between
the two friends they sat again over a
liter of wine in the shadow Of the
COlonna column.
"Giovanni." said Park. Il am wor-
ried about this woman to whom you
have introduced me. | can't make her
out. Her name is Italian, and she
speaks Italian beautifully with that
melodious voice of hers. but l doubt if
any Italian blood runs in her veins"
"N'hat is that to youT
There was no reply to this, only a
nervous lingering of the stem Of Parks
glass, and SforZa continued:
"When | introduced you to Signorina
Poll you had no time to make visits,
spending it all in archaeology. Now
you have no. time for archaeology,
spending it all in visits. Moreover,
your visits are made exclusively upon
Signorina poli."
Park went on lingering his glass for
a time without reply, then said:
"She has bewitched me-"
Indeed That means you think OF
marrying her That | wonld advise
you not to do without learning more
about her"
"How can ! DO that"
"There is an adage, a woman is
known by her clothes If you could
get sight of the SignOrina Polls ward
robe you would know all about her."
"But I can't go spying into her
closets. Besides, what opportunity have
to do so?'
"As to any mans right to obtain
n knowledge of one he suspects of
deceiving him I have no doubt: as
to spying on Il woman. one suspects
and whom one thinks of making a
partner for life he who is sQueamish
is q fool. There IS plenty of oppor-
tunity for You to gain access to your
ladylovcs wardrobe. You need only
to call when she is not ut home, tell
the servant you will wait for her and
when left alone make the inspection
If there is nothing to be learned the
doors will be left open TO you; if there
is much to be learned You will find
them locked"
You speak as one of experience IN
such matters, If did not know yon
to be above such a profession l would
think you were Il detective"
SforZa smiled and said that the ltal-
ian race were uscE to chicancry. 1t
had been in the blocd ever since the
davs OF Julius Caesar and had bloom
ed in the Borgias. "You Americans