The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1890-01-02

merous throng of English and Americans
were assembled at the quinta Of Senior M,
On the Paso dei Molina. had been In Buenos
Ayres, but came down the river to partdct-
pate in this holiday festivity. Our popular
host and hostess entertained a distinguished
company at their elegant suburban homo.
Evergreens and the rarest tropical flowers
bedecked sola and corridor. Ornaments and
emblens, appropriate to the season which
we celebrated. were draped with Uruguayt
stripes Of blue and white, intertwined with
the national standards Of Great Britain and
the United States. Many Of the guests were
neighbors and old friends Of Senior M
made doubly welcome by him because they
had not waited for etiquette's special invita-
ton There was music indoors and ont, and
open air dancing beneath natures spangled
canopy From tree to tree, In the grounds,
and along the broad graveled promenades,
ropes were stretched laden with Chinese
lanterns
Again saw La Serena How radiantly
beautiful she was among charming womenl
Her escort on this occasion was Lieut.. s.,
brave officer attached to an English war
vessel then at anchor in Montevideo roads
He was high spirited Briton, yet the very
personifcation Of alniability. Knowing him
his lovely companion, which she most gra-
ciousy received. Later in the evening Sc
nora NJ placed US vis-a-vis at q card ia
BILE. Then, after supper, came the desired op-
portunity for conversation. l hastened to
improve the chance, for my curiosity was
now at the highest pitch. So quietly said:
'Your husband is a good friend Of mine,
Mrs Hamilton"
"You know MY husbandi Impossiblein she
murmured.
Perhaps l misunderstood Lieut.. s.
Are you net Mrs. George Hamiltoni"
ayes"
"Of Boston, Massachusettsr
mo"
"Yet cannot be mistaken in your iden-
tity."
II never lived in your country, sir, as
sure you'll An American, who has business
interests in the city which you have named,
is, however, my husband. We are separated
by gulf that is terrible to contemplate. I
am schooling myself to forget him. He Is
not now in South America, nor will he ever
return to this section of it. His name bear,
for it was honorably given to me in mar
riage You say that he is a friend of yours
Forgive me, sir, but that man is the friend
of no human being other than himself He
Is utterly, brutally selfishl'
II said, senora that we were acquainted.
There is sometimes distinction between that
and solid friendship. We have recently
parted company in Rio"
At this announcement she clinched her
hands, as if in agony. Her frame visibly
shook, and her passionate eagerness was 80
great that feared other guests might see It.
But merriment ran riot; and each couple or
cpfaria w absorbed n in 70
Quickly recovering her composure, Mrs
Hamilton asked:
'Are you sure that your acquaintance was
my husbandf'
''He called you La Serena"
"Only in dersion."
"No, l cannot think it. His tone when
speaking that name (only heard by me once
from his lips) was one Of affection seemingly
choked by some bitter disappointment"
Then briefly told her all that knew of
him whom l had SO greatly liked How, as
fellow voyagers, we had first met on steam
er's deck in New York harbor; Of our pleas
urable social intercourse; his last evening
with me; the broken appointment on the
Neva, and my suspicious as to the reason for
his strange action; Of my subsequently find
ing the locket, and how its portrait enabled
me to recognize her at the Teatro Soils
"You say" she replied, that George Ham
ilton must have preceded or followed you to
Montevideog'
"Such is my opinion, sonora"
"Why should he do thata Not for your
sake, surely; nor yet for his own. With me
$50 cruelty deceived) he cannot hope to be
reconciled. Besides, he is outlawed In Brazil
and the River Plate republics for heavy de-
falcations."
A light broke upon me. The mystery was
being solved, and by an accidental friend Of
the family. There were two George Hamil-
tons, and La Serena imagined that she had
married the wrong one. It had been my
friends fathers name, knew. He had one
day told me that about the time Of his fathers
death, in Massachusetts,, the name had been
adroitly used by a swindler in South Ameri-
on, who obtained large sums of money.
"You became George Hamilton's wife here,
In Montevideo, senora9' was now my leading
question.
mo-" she said, ''at Paris Though was
born in Uruguay, my education was COM
pleted abroad never knew George Ham
ilton in this country. Just as we were pre-
! pairing for our home coming here, the Euro
pean newspapers began to print the accounts
of my husbands crimes The knowledge that,
! by holy bonds, was allied to such a man
overwhelmed me. He was In Liverpool ar
ranging for our passage l had not yet left
I London When did quit the English me-