West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1888-05-03

on the list, and learned a little about
three or four, but nothing of interest.
was introduced TO one who stopped at
the same hotel with me, but she tc Id me
she never had learned a tune in her life.
might have forgotten the matter had
1t not been that one night as / leaned
against pole at the edge of the ring.
ready for the time when l should crack
my first joke. lady, ore of a large
party of people passing by TO their seats,
hummed phrase of that identical tune
almost literally in my ear. / turned
quickly, the line OF people passed along,
and then called madam ''senora, 7"
''senorita," and sprang over the rope,
calling as l ran TO attract the singer.
Strangely, as il seems TO me, again /
could not tell who il was among the
half dozen women, following one after
another close together, that had sung
that snatch of my musical property.
/ touched the foremost one on the arm
and said. fare you Americana" when
her escort, a powerful black-muZzled
man, struck me squarely in the face and
felled me TO the ground. l cannot de
scribe the excitement that followed; it
was almost a riot. The ringmaster
made matters worse by explaining that
| was perpetrating an American joke.
Then he calmcd the people by saying
that l thought had recognized a long
lost sister.
Two days afterward, as l was hurrylng
TO reach the ship which was to take us
20 Havana, not merely phrase of that
now mysterious tune of mine, but the
entire air rang out upon my ear.
My porter was rushing on with my
bags, block ahead. Furthermore, my
best clothing was in one of the bags, and
in coat pocket was nearly every cent /
had in the world. II was necessary for
me to keep as close to him as possible
for had no knowledge OF hls character
Indeed j was already late for the vessel.
While passed, the last note of my tune
was sung / tried to look in the win
dows of the big building from which the
music issued. | could not; they were
too high. ran to the door and pounded
on it; 1t was opened by negro. ]
asked him who had been singing in there.
lie grinned and said, in words that |
cannot repeat and that gave me a shock
as severe as any / ever felt, that he SUP
posed some woman locked up in there
had regaled me. 1t was a jail
was just in time TO go aboard, and
we reached Havana and played in that
cap, tai two weeks. made valuable friends
in the city's commercial circles, and
when the show broke up and embarked
for New Orleans resigned and became
the interpreter and English clerk in a
shipping Office. / remained there sew
eral years, speculated i'm tobacco and
whatever else offered chance of profit,
prospered greatly, and was happier and
more comfortable than ever before in
my life.
For long time, certainly during two
years, | constantly compared my list of
feminine names with whatever names OF
women / saw on every written or printed
sheet. knew my list by heart; Mcudes,
Alvarez, Ojaro, and so on to the end,
but / never found reason TO believe that
any name / ran across was that Of one OF
that load of passengers among which was
my sweet but practical chorister.
In time / fell in love with a charming
senorita in Havana, lady who did for
me what Katharine did for Henry v
charmed me with her English tongue
for she had been educated in New York
and spoke English perfectly. In the
sweet ecstasy of love that she begot in
me forgot my quest. lost all care for
my list. / even let my pretty hymn tule
slip from my mind.