The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1886-09-28
THE BOOTY PRIZE.

Stefano Gonzales was young Spaniard
who had come to nc United States to go into
business He had not decided just what that
business should DO. but in the meantime he
occupied himself by 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, and he
dill not allow his ignorance Of collo4uial Eng
lis. to interfere with his progress in them.
In some other departments Of social life he
would have been at a disadvantage had he
not adopted the habit of listening very little
and til ing a good deal For conversational
purposes he made compromise between Eng
lisll and his own language by practically
speaking, neither. He could not express him
self in English, and he was not understood
when he spoke Spanish. He therefore took
refuge in FRENCH with some little Italian,
AMI when the subject permitted, he was fond
of using such German phrases as he had &C
quircd in his study OF music. 1t gave him o
sense OF equality when he established an in
telligent understanding with an American on
the bass of German, such might be felt in
meeting il antagonist on neutral ground, and
the los the American knew, the better Ste
faro felt
He TOOK lessons in English from q pretty
blond willow, with whom he also played euchre
and danced tie german; and with her he
SPOKE al Spanish, to make return in kind
for Tie e,lu alton he receiving. She gave
him much Information, always in English,
and he pail her eloquent compliments in his
own language, and they professed to perfectly
understand each other, scorning the idea Of
an interpreter 1t was said that they gossiped
and told each other secrets. They certainly
entertained themselves.
There was however, one mode of expression
in which Stefaao was master. He was q
: most delightful singer, with baritone voice
Us sweet and penetrating the perfume Of
the grape blossom The widow never tired
of his songs, but it seemed the one flaw that
she could not play his accomplishments for
him. He had tried to sing to her playing,
but her time was SO unbending, SO perfectly
exact, that she drove him wild
Il want freedom" he would exclaim, in his
foreign languages. Il do not wish to count
my time when sing Adelaide nor to think
am marching when l sing a love song Of
Andalusia."
"'Adelaider" repeated the widow, and
began to play the opening bars; but Stefano
lightly laid his hand on hers, and said in soft
Castilian:
No, no; yon do not understand how that
should 60"
She laughed 1T is too long, know" she
replied
Fortunately for the group Of friends, Stef
ano was perfectly willing to sing il Hilda
Fleming played for him. She was always
willing to do this. II rested her, she said.
How this could be some of the circle wondered,
because IIilla was a music teacher, and GER
tainly heard enough of the piano. Mrs.
Lyons, the widow, explained it by saying
that Hil,la was homeopathic.
The sociabe to which they all belonged,
and which gave Stefano his educational ad-
vantages, rather curious in its compost
ton. 1t was made up by two entirely differ
ent sets of people, who rarely met at any
other time. One set, the larger Of the two,
strictly professional and medical, being
composed of doctors and their wives, one wo-
man doctor, and the young man she was en-
gagged to marry. The others were rather
more on the butterfly order, the party con-
sisting of Mrs. Lyons, her sister, Mrs. Arnold,
Mr.. Arnold, Hilda, Stefano and q young,
handsome American named Gregory. They
all i:Iet every two weeks at different houses,
and, under Gregory's administration, had
very good times. The only discontented men,
Der OF the party, indeed, was Gregory him.
self 1t was through his influence that the
sociable had taken just the form it had, and
now he regretted it. What he would have
liked would have been long games Of whist
with Hildl for a partner, a never-ending
waltz in which her steps should keep time
with his own. As things werc he never had
any silkIictiOI Win Hes. I Jney were
together at n table, they We're victims
to Il Svi.t :rt:'iN. :.i were ut once separated.
He had al ,u.,.'.ls ii tine german, in which
Steiaao soon Cis,insuished himself as q
lessllT, uEd H. even had no chance in walking
Lone VIII tEe young lady. 1t was one Of
Mr.. I.yolS little fancics To take Hilda's arm
in preference to that of any one else, because
Hilda Just the right size, and she also
could pinch her whenever she was vexed with
Ia -
sion scoa established itself: First walked
Mr.. and Mrs Arnold, and then Mrs Lyons
and Hilda, with Stefano and Gregory bring
ing up the rear. Sometimes the young men
would courageously walk with tho ladies,
though Gregory declared that he had to step
behind SO often to make room for passers that
IL made him feel like q hill horse; but when
Stefano absent he didn't seem to mind it
SO much. When he rallied over the narrow
pavements Stefano would tell him that he
ought to go to Spain and spend a year in
Toledo, for then New York would seem like q
prairie to him. To this Gregory rather
Fudey replied that his own country was good
enough for him.
Stefapo worried Gregory. For one thing,
Gregory had introduced him to the sociable,
ami was considered his intimate friend.
StefIro was even invited to houses O COM
plime..t to CTcSory. and this was not made
better l,y the fact that wherever he was thus
introduced hc was afterward made welcome
for his own sake, and so established. And
thus wherever hc went Gregory had to serve
as Stcf.no's interpreter. He used to wish the
Spaaiard spoke only his own language. Greg
DRY diI not understand that. Even his frag-
men,ary conversations with Hilda were apt
60 resolve into repeating to her what Stefano
wanted her to know. Ii he had not been 50
honest he might have made some revenges
for himself, but he did not; he translated
into bold English all the Spaniard's ford
phrases, and hoped they would finally dis
gust her.
IL Stefane h2d not been going to Florida in
March, Gregory wogld have been desperate,
but this prospect upheld him. And he had Q
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