Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1886-11-16
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9a1lu eagle
THE BOOTY PRIZE.

WHO nau come to the United States to 90 into
business. He had not decided lust what that
business should be. but in the meantime he
occupied himself by seeing the country and
studying the social customs 1t was no1 long
before he gained an especially good knowledge
or progressive euchre and of the german.
His opportunities for the pursuit of these
branches Of education were excellent, and he
did not allow his ignorance of colloquial Eng
lsh to interfere with his progress in them.
In some other departments Of social life be
would have been at q disadvantage had be
not adopted tie habit of listening very little
and tai ing good deal For conversational
purposes he made a compromise between Eng
hsh 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.
and when the subject permitted, he was fond
Of using such German phrases as be had ac-
quired in his study of music. 1t gave him
- sense Of equality when he established an in
telIigent understanding with an American on
the basis Of German, such as might be felt in
meeting an antagonist on neutral ground, and
the less the American knew, the better Ste
fano felt.
blond widow, with whom be also played euchre
and danced the german; and with her he
spoke in Spanish, 50 as to make return III kind
for the education he was receiving. She gave
him much information. always il English,
and he paid 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 Stefano was master. He was
most delightful singer. with q baritone voice
as sweet and penetrating rs the perfume of
the grape blossom. The widow never tired
of his SONGS, but II 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 50 unbending, 50 perfectly
exact, that she drove him wild
i want freedom he would exclairl, IN his
foreign Iangua- es. 4 do not wish to count
ny time when I sing Adelaide nor to think
1 am marching when [ sing love song Of
Andalusil.
'Adela;de"" 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: yo8 10 not understand how that
should GO
She laughed. 1t IS too long, know" she
replied
Fortunately for the group Of friends, Stef-
ano was perfectly willing to sing if HiIda
Fleming played for him. She was always
willing to do this. It rested her, she said
How this could be some of the circle wondered,
because Hiida was a music teacher, and GER
tainly heard enough of the piano Mrs
Lyons, the widow, explained it by saying
that HIda was a homeopathic.
The sOciabIe 10 which they all belonged,
and which gave StefanO his educational adj
vantages, was rather curious in its compost
ton. It 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,
was strictly professional and medical, being
composed of doctors and their wives, one TO-
man doctor, and the young man she was en-
gagged to marry The others were rather
more on the butterfly order, the party con-
sjstin- Of Mrs. Lyons her sister; Mrs. Arnold,
Mr. Arnold. HiIda, Stefauo and q young,
handsome American named Gregory. They
all met every two weeks At different houses,
and, under Cregory'5 administration, had
very good times. The only disconnected mem
Der of the party, indeed, was Gregory him
self. 1t was through lis influence that the
sociabie had taken just the form it had, and
now he regretted it. What be would have
liked would have been long games of whist
with HiIla for a partner, or q never-ending
waltz in which her steps should keep time
with his own. As things were he never had
any satisfaction with her. If they were
together at q table, they were victims
to a swift game. and were at once separated.
u L~I no in vt-bIg
Stefano soon distinguished himself as a
leader. and he even had no chance in walking
home with the young lady. It was one OF
Mrs Lyons little fancies To take Hilda's arm
in preference to that of any one else, because
Hilda was just the right size, and she also
could pinch her whenever she was vexed with
the others IN this way the order of process
sion soon established itself: First walked
Mr.. and Mrs. Arnold and then Mrs. Lyons
and Hilda, with StefaaO md Gregory bring
in- M the rear. Sometimes the young men
would coura zeOuslv walk with the ladies,
though GREGORY declared that he hal 70 step
behind 81 often to make room for passeIs that
it made him fcal like a hin hOrsa'; but when
Stafano vas absent be didn't seem 10 mind it
SO much when he rallied over the narrow
pavements Stefano would tell him that he
ought 70 20 10 Spain and spend q year IN
Toledo, Tor then New y ork would seem like q
prairie to him To this Gregory rather
rudelv replied that his own country was good
enough Tor him.
Stefauo worried Gregory. For one thing,
Gregory had introduced him to the scciablc.
and was considered lis intimate friend.
Stetano WAS even invited TO houses IS . COM
pluneut to Gregory, and this was not made
better bv the fact that wherever be was thus
introduced he was afterward made welcome
for his own sake. and SO established And
thus wherever he went Gregory had to serve
as Stsfano's interpreter. He used to wish the
Spaniarl spoke only his own language. Greg
orv did not understand that. Even his frag
r1lentarv conversations with Hilda were apt
10 resolve into repeating to her what Stefano
wanted her TO know. If he had not been 80
honest he might have made some reyenges
for himself Int he did not; be translated
into bold English all tie Spaniard's ford
phrases. and hoped they would finally dis
gust her.
II Stefauo had not been going 70 Florida in
March. Gregory would have been desperate,
but this prospect upheld him And he had a
s-bs,ne v hich promised 10 compensate HIM.
H s7,. in his dreams beach bv the seal
level bsac., with the tide low, aad the moon
sa-,;ge. On l. The air was crisp, but not
cl,iIfv. tho boom OF the waves sounded on his
very ear He saw himself walking on tbs
beach. and with him was hLda- StelaIo
was N an orange grove or on 4 coral reeI ne
cared nor which 50 that he was not 81 the
beach. Scr did h. dream OF seeing the
widow taorc. Eilda and ne were alone.
There was no changing of partners no i''.1.5-