The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1886-08-28
THE BOBBY PRIZE.

StefanO GOn2u,cS was young 1'pdiii'uu
who had come to the United States TO go into
business. He had not decided just what that
business should be. but in the meantime he
occupied himself 10y seeing the country and
studying the social customs. 1t was not long
before he gained an especially good knowledge
of progressive euchre and of the german
His opportunities for the pursuit OF these
branches Of education were excellent ana lie
did not allow his ignorance, of colloqulal ENG
fish to interfere with his progress IN them.
In some other Departments of social lie he
would have been at Il disadvantage had ne
not adopted the habit of listening very little
and tai ing good deal For conversation
purposes he made n compromise between Eng
lish and his own language 10y practically
speaking neither. He could not express NM
self in English, and he was not understood
when he spoke Spanish. He therefore took
refuge in French, with some little Italian,
and when the subject permitted, he was fond
of using such German phrases ms he had ac-
quired in his study Of music. 1t gave INN n
sense OF equality when he established an IN
telligcnt understanding with an American on
the basis of German, such as might bc felt IN
meeting an antagonist on neutral ground, and
the less the American knew, the better Ste
fano felt.
He took lessons in English from n pretty
blond widow, with whom he also played euchre
and danced the german; and with her he
spoke in Spanish, so rs TO make return IN KIND
for the education he was receiving. She gave
him much inlormation, always III English,
and he paid her eloquent compliments in his
own language, and they profcssed to perfectly
understand each other, scornng the idea OF
an interpreter. II was said that they gosSlpcd
and told each other secrets. They certainly
entertained themselves.
There was lOwoycr one mode Of expression
in which StCt1DO was master. He was a
most delightful singer, with n baritone voice
as sweet and penetrating as the perfume OF
the crap. blossom The widow never tired
Of his songs, but it seemed the orc flaw that
she could not play his accomplishments for
him. Tie had tried to sing to her playing,
but her time was - unloading, 50 perfectly
exact, that she drove him wild
II want freedom he would cxcaim, in his
foreign languages. 81 do not wish to count
my time when sing Adelaide nor to think
am marching when L sing love song OF
Andaiu>ia.'
AuriditIt. I'Ibi''i NAIt Nh''N' avn
began to play tho opening bars; but Steiano
lightly laid his hand % hers, and said In soft
Castiiiqn:
aNo, no; you do not understand how that
should go.
She laughed. ~ is too long, know" she
replied
Fortunately for the group Of friends, Stef-
ano was perfectly willing 70 sing If Hilda
Fleming played for him. She was always
willing t. DO this 1t rested her, she said
How this could be some Of the circle wondered,
because Hilda was music teacher, and Ger
tainly heard enough Of the piano. Mrs
Lyons, the widow, explained it by saying
that IIda was Il homPopathist.
The sociable 70 which they all belonged,
and which gave Etefano his educational adj
vantagcs, WINS rather curious in its compost
ton, Il wls made up by two entirely differ
ent SITS Of people, who rarely met at any
othe. time One set, the larger Of the two,
was strictly professional and medical being
composed Of doctors and their wives, one wo-
man doctor. and the young man she was en-
gaCcd 10 morry. The others were rather
more on the butterfly order, the party con
sisting Of Mrs. Lyons her sister, Mrs. Arnold,
Mr.. Arnold, llila Stefano and young,
handsome y lncrican named Gregory. They
all met every two weeks at different houses,
and, mdcr Grcgory's administration, had
very good times. The only dscontented mem
Der OF the party, indeed, was Gregory him
self 1t WIS through his influence that the
sociable hal taken just the form 1t had, and
now he regretted it, What he would have
liked would have been long games of whist
with iiildn for a partner, or nevcr-endinG
waltz in which her steps should keep timc
with his own. As things were he never had
any satisfaction with her. If they were
together at a table, they were victims
TO Il swift game, and were ut once separated.
He had i'll fortune in the german, in which
Stefano soon distinguished himself us a
leader, and lac oven had no chance in walking
home with tho young lady. II was one of
Ms Lyons little fancies TO take Hlda's arm
IN preference to that Of any one else, because
Hlda was just the right size and she also
could pinch her whenever she was vcxcd with
the others Ia this way the order of process
sion soon established itself First walked
Mr.. and Mrs. Arnold, and then Mrs Lyons
and Hilda, with Stetano and Gregory bring
ing up the rear. Sometimes tho young men
would coumgeou,iy walk with the ladies,
though Gregory declared that he had to step
Behind SO often 10 make room for pa,scls that
Vt made him feel like "hill horse; but when
Stelano was absent he didn't seem to mind it
so much When he rallied over the narrow
pavelnents s;tefauo would tell him that he
ought to 20 to Spain and spend n year in
Toledo, Tor then New York would seem like
prairie to him To this Gregory rather
ruiely replied that his own country was good
enough FOR him.
Stcfano worried Gregory. For one thing,
Gregory had introduced him to the sociable,
and was considered his intimate friend
Sefano was even invited to houses Us a com
pliment to Gregory, and this was not made
better 10y the fact that wherever he was thus
introduced he was aftcrvard made welcome
for his own sake, and So established. And
thus wherever he went Gregory had to serve
It's StefGio's interpreter. He used to wish the
Spaniarl spoke only his own language. Greg
DRY did not understand that. Even his frag-
mcntary conversations with Hilda were apt
TO resolve into repeating to her whnt Stefano
wanted her to know. II he had not been so
honest he might have made some revenges
for himself, but he did not he translated
into bold English all the Spaniard's forid
phrases, and hoped they would finally dis
gust her.
If Stefano had not been going To Florida in
-,