Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1917-12-12
The Daily
Short Story
LEARNING THE WAYS OF EuRopr
BY Warren Mille,.

When | was young man, after &,
ishing my education, before sett,;n.
down to the practice of my profession
/ made tour in Europe. Taking shin
for Naples, in 10 days / found NV
self in that city. and after visiting tho
curiosities there took train for Rana
| ! should have first landed in Eng'
| land, the European country most liz
America, and made my way through
France southeastward to Italy. In tbis
way | would have gradually become
use to>the extortiOns travellers yere
subjected to in the peninsula. As il
was | was very ignorant of them,
While in Rome hired a cab TO take
me to see the baths of Caraealla Tho
driver. l noticed before stepping ipto
the vehicle, was not Of the usual TYNE
of cabman He was dressed shabfilr
as cshmen are dressed, but his looks
/ belied his appearance. He was ex-
tremeIy deferential. but his Difference
was more like that of a gentleman
than eabman.
/ knew nothing Of Rome or It's en-
virons. Whether he was driving NE to
the baths of Caraealla or not did not
know, but he took me through one of
the Roman gates and out into the
country. On the way We overlook a
young woman, dressed in the fantastic
eolors worn by the Italian lower class
es. The eoachman drove slowly.
speaking few words to her.
Gbn inoka1 az
window and | noticed that she was
comely. What the cabman said to her
I did not know, as he spoke in Ital-
ian. He pulled up and the woman ap-
preached the cab, saying:
"Signor. would you object to my rid
ing short distance with you? am
very tired and l have walked all the
way from the Piazza Esquilno in the
city
An American is nothing if not oblig-
ing. and throwing open the door 1
made room for her beside me.
She was rather large woman.
! though the only unfeminine thing
about her was her voice. But had
noticed that many Italian women
Lave coarse voices. She carried a
bouquet OF flowers which emitted a
singular perfume. She held it under
my nose that ! might enjoy its frag-
rance, which was sickening But to be
polite | inhaled it. | had not taken 4
Whit before felt my senses passing
away from me.
The woman kept holding the flowers
under my nose at intervals, | not hay-
ing the power to put them away. and
a. last / was in oblivion.
When i came back to consciousness
felt assured that | was underground
The darkness was relieved by couple
: OF candles which were fixed to the
walls. Two persons were with me, one
being the eabman who had driven me
the other man whom / recognized as
ttEe woman who had held the flowers
under my nose The cabman hat
sprueed up bit in his appearance, aHt
,. the man who had perselated a woman
: was well dressed in mans clothes.
= ! was sitting on a cold floor, M
back resting. against a wall. The pIace
we occupied was about 12 by Is fee
! m area. a narrow passageway lead
ing from either end Human bone.
. protruded here and there from til,
walls, and on one side of the spae.
was marble coffin.
Where am II" | asked of the mel
: who were looking down on me witt
! evident composure
/ You are in the catacombs, signor
C Why did Won bring me here?
; told you to drive me to the baths o
: Caracallt." | said. only partially hav
G ing regained my senses.
= My friend the cabman," said one o
!: them. wants to make sure of his pour
/. bois tnaming an extra fee with which
i to bug a drink and feared you Woult
deny him. So We brought you herr
until it is paid"
+ | was not so stupid but that I knep
: | was in the hands OF bandits.
r asked how much ransom would sat
f isfy them. They named $4,000 Ira, o
: about $4,000. | told them that / haj
: only money for travelling expenses.
g would give them that for my liberty
: but they told me that I must cable tt
S America for the funds required 70
S my ransom. told them | had ne suci
amount in cash even in America.
With this they coolly took the can
i, dies and left me.
: In the eatacombs, with their endless
!, tortuous passages but few feet vide
;, the burial place of generations wht
a had died more than fifteen centurie
a agone; alone; not ray Of light.
was ready 10 give up a property
n possessed four times the value Of III
: ransom and at once began TO thini
Il how | could raise the funds. Ny prop
4 erty was unencumbered and none
, could be easily borrowed on it TIL
bandits evidently knew the effect ieay
= ing me alone in the eatacombs wOul
= have on me for they returned in fe'
:, minutes.
. / wrote cablegram to my agent II
America and gave it to my captor:
= One Of them went away with it. tn
: other remaining with me The latte
u disappeared for few moments, the
= returned with hamper filled with
sumptuous lunch and plenty of VIM
With this [ was RECALLED till the othe
n returned with the ransom, when the
k took ne to the surface, where the
e babe me polite adieu- I was to
4 happy to escape being buried alive t
+ brood over the loss OF the money.