Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-06-06
The Daily Story
My Platonic Friendly F. A. Mitchell.

nil. Tne floors beneath were occu-
pied for different purposes-apart-
ments. studios. music rooms. and the
like. | usually descended and ascend
ed by an elevator. But on this occa-
sion. preferring not TO wait for 1t. 1
walked down the stairs. Coming up
between the second and third floors
whom should l meet but my young
friend. My look of surprise was met
by the same pleasurable expression
had seen on his face before. wished
TO thank him for his attention to me
at Frascati. but he gave me no oppor-
tunity. bounding up the stairs so light
" as to seem to be made of air.
| wondered if he lived in the build
ing, and in order to find out, after that
usually walked downstairs, hoping to
meet him when he came up. / did not
have TO make many such trips before
l saw a door opened. He came out
and descended the staircase directly
ahead of me. This time he did not see
me- for he was in haste and did not
look back.
Determined to open an acquaintance
/ met him would drop something. He
would pick it up hand it to me.
would thank him, and in this way the
conventional gulf between us would be
bridged. An opportunity soon occurred.
Entering the building in which lived.
saw him coming on the street In
stead of taking the elevator. walked
upstairs, and when ! heard a footstep
behind me 1 purposely dropped my
| glove.
Then ! heard the conner behind me
mounting two steps at time and pres
emily voice beside me said:
"Signorina!'
! turned, and my friend was handing
J my glove to me. l said, THANK you
/ very much" whereupon he shook his
head mournfully, indicating that he did
not understand me. l knew enough
! Italian to say "Gracia" 0hanks) and
moved on, but the disappointment in
my face was reflected In his.
Those were the first and last words
spoken between us. / saw him once
more. i had made an engagement to
go on one Of the many excursions in
the environs of Rome, and the only
available train left early in the morn
ing. l descended in the elevator and
when reached the ground floor, hear
ling step on the staircase, turned
and saw my friend coming down. He
was dressed in a dark suit, his coat
buttoned close under his chin. conceal
ing his shirt bosom and even his white
collar He raised his hat and smiled
not sad smile such as I would have
expected had l known the Grand on
which he was going. but the smile of
one who has not yet learned how thin
is the crust on which mortals walk and
the certainty of breaking through to
destruction at last. Indeed, he seemed
light hearted as boy.
Soon after this, yielding to my desire
TO know him, l asked my landlady, who
spoke both English and Italian. to
write for me on bit of paper in ital-
Ian some sentences to hand him when
! should next meet him. l kept this
paper with me always and never went
out of or entered the building but
was ready to hand it to him should
meet him.
A week passed, and. though I entered
and went out, climbing and descend
ing the stairs, did not see him. Then
one day 7 received letter through the
mail addressed to Signorina Worthing-
ton at the pension where | lived. I
opened 1t and found 1t written in the
Italian language. The signature was
unknown to me. Since I could not
read it took Ii to a friend, who trans
lated it for me. 1t was rs follows:
My Friend-I go to fight duel. II 1
live you will never receive this letter; II
die II will be sent you by my second, who
, has instructions TO do 1t is said that
there can be no such thing as friendship
between the sexes. / have dlsproved the
statement by conceivng a pure affection
, for you with whom l have no acquaint-
ance. So strong Is this feeling within me
that have no desire to love or be loved
with view TO marriage. l cannot believe
that you will receive this letter. for II
does not seem to me that ! can ever die
any more than that can grow old. But
IL you do receive il be assured, dearest
, sgnorina, that, though my body perish,
my affection for you is eternal.
: My reception of the missive was
proof that he had fallen. Rome. which
till this moment had been fun of inter
est. suddenly became repulsive 10 me.
: 1t seemed typical of the world of
change in which we live. What is that
gap of time from Augustus to Victor
Emmanuel? 1t seemed to me rather n
precipice toward which all Romans
have been marching and over whose
brink they have been pouring like the
waters of a. cataract. The Eternal City
is rather the city of the dead. or nc
other have we such records-of its mer
= and women who shone Respondent fol-
a brief season, then mingled with the
Oblivion of the past.
| returned TO America with sad
ness that has never entirely left met
l sadness occasioned by one with whom
| had 10 acquaintance. yet between
whom ana Eis there existed pure az
lection unalloyed with human attri
butes. OF all my momentary meetings
z with him the most wildly remember
ed is that last. when I saw him on thC
l. brink Of the chasm, yet as light heart
ed as u bridegroom going to mi-et BIZ
{ bride