The Lake County star., 1877-05-24


otutiSs1alensdre Il Havana. j.
"Why don't take atrip TO Havana
do YOU say? For very good reason,
the people; and secondly, Fred,
came withip an -see once Of losing the
number al ny intes there. C0nse-
quently. my dear fellow, my recollec-
tions OF the Queen Of the Antilles are
anything but pleasant"
"Suppose you give us the yarn, Hal.
You are Q capital hand at It,. you
IA i-'' know, and there is nothing to inter.
,.,.ss rvpt the train Of your thoughts here'n
.,+reS hHumph! The Incidents connected
with that adventure are too vividly
''1hW too recent occurrence TO be easily for.
y -, a.. gotten. As we have nothing better 70
,--si - do this afternoon. will humor your
.s' ~ swhim." ."" F = EAy
Harry Hamscopb was young New
Yorker. who had laid the foundaticn
80 a Of his fortune while performing the
- duties Of an assistantpaymaster in
- the United States navy during the
o.. civil war. He had been fortunate
80 enough to make considerable prize
: - money, which he had invested in the
whirlpool of speculation on Wall
Wealth crowned his most reckless ef-
comb found himself in possession of
three hundred thousand dollars. He
was disposd to see the world, he was
single, his own master, and, having .
s,s - . fine schooner yacht. et.I Trt-
y On board the Phantom Hal passed
the greater part OF his time. It was
there he entertained his friends, and
1t was while lying Off the Ocean
''''.s 70, House, at Newport, one dreamy after
noon, with the surf murmuring along
SHSri the shore, that he related the follow
81 ing adventure:
As you will remember, Fred,
.rnb made up my mind to pass the severe
2ss;s ss. wintry months Of last year In the
= West Indies. cruising from point to
1t was late In January when sight
ed the frowning battlements Of the
Moro, and running close In under its
walls, the Phantom anchored of the
.a.aMols. ,.a s.u-rN - 81 .,..oe' 500. i'n,f,
~ 7sa AZ sunset 1 ordered my gig, having
not forgetting to stow away q trusty
revolver In my pants pocket for i
was well aware that the Spaniards en-
tertained for the Yankees an invet-
hEu Aerate hatred. 'eot-' F9"'' ff' 800
had some thirty doubloons in nv
pockefs, besides drafts on Ruaz q Co,
FOR five thousand more, which precious
sSs ii isltps Of paper I had slowed away in
my pocket-book and, giving q few
parting Instructions to my sailing
master relative to supplies, / showed
of, and was soon walking rapidly up
town.
] .niSI was not very well posted In
Havana, although I had been there
vi before. Still, / knew where the Tacon
ia. Theatre was, and had about made up
my mind to witness the performance
~: there. But, as 1t was yet too early by
x. hi r - baf tv,vv ,o<t
to the right, entered the grand plaza,
and passing into D0mnickas gorgeous
~: saloon; I ordered cream, a basket of
t5u- fruit anda bunch Of maduras.
Itwould have been just as well for
nj ssmeif I had avoided that saloon en-
= tirely, but Of course could not foresee
sa,n what was fated to happen. AS you
know, Fred, I can speak Spanish with
~ 70 the ease and f1uency OF native, and
-. - soon became aware that I had at
81 7tracted some attracted some attention
ui from aquafter where least expected
-ni' such q demonstration. t,
-isS1i' Seated but q short distance from me
were two ladies, Creoles, both young
and handsome as h0uris. tf .~
Well, to make long story short, I
M struck mp filtration with one Of the
-ISlp senoritas, and, notwithstanding the
evident displeasure Of her companion,
the bandsOmest of the two was evil
IDENTIFY not at all averse to the amuse-
ment.
-uv,o The lace veil had been thrown back
Bgs from her pretty head, crowned with B
IGHn 'bewildefing. mass Of jet-black hair.
sloes, flashed unptterable things 1T me,
while her fan futtered to and fro with
,fa,! the grace and ease for which the ladies
-sSio Of the ever-faithful Isle are noted. Her
dark dress, cut low in the neck, re
vealed shoulders of the most ravishing
xvhf nd xuhf n
O. Srdainty foot and slipper peeped from
81. beneath her ample skirts, allowing q
81, ltransitory glimpse Of an ankle that
-ss7 completed the Impression the fair siren
!. had already made upon my infiamma-
The ladies rose to depart q chair
stood in their way, which hastened !
to remove. My fair one turned to
thank me, and by some means caught |
her foot. tripped, and would have fall |
en- heavily had not caught the blush- |
ing lady In my arms.
;s'" In evident confusion, the lady es- |
sayed to thank me, broke down. and /
hurriedly left the establishment TO en-
ter her volante, standing at the door. |
1t wns not until she had driven Off |
,r with her companion that discovered 1
8 - available lace handkerchief lying on |
re, Here was the opportunity I painted |
was In my possession, fve seconds |
more and was In q volante, driving |
" at full epeed through the narrow, |
;ss.' ,l crooked streets of the city, which grad.
;glsa uaLly widened ~ We neared the walls. |
Through the massive gateway we |
dashed, debouching on the iwell-grav- |
40, eled highway leading to the interior Of !
81 the Island. On every side elegant |
villas, half hidden 'mida profusion or
tropical shrubbery, peepel through the
gathering gloom, the white walls of |
L. the buildings cleaning with CHASTITY
hue In their shortlived twilight.
,rag1 The delicate tints OF the bank of |
clouds In the west, the fragrant air,
heavy with perfume, the novelty OF |
yeaumy sltuatlon, mingled with the anti
rsa cipation Of an arnatory adventure, put |
,.,u me In the very best Of humor. ni-
But was not 80 far gone a. to lose |
my head and ihabitual caution. Oh.
no, knew the ground was travelling l
ia ON ;-st least. fattered myself that / |
did. Spanish women are full of in |
trigue, while the men are Jealous and
.ro- Passionate, prefefring to redress q fan-
80 cied wrong under cover Of darkness.
through the medium Of keen-bladed
dirk In the region ofthe fiffh rib. 1T1
WeII il had iuak n fahod vov~x cvstS-