San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-04-09


harm"
On the way to the reception McArdle
explained its nature and objects, and in
a terse and frank though not rude SEN
tence OF good advice recommended the
young man to keep his ears open and his
mouth shut. Il shall introduce you,"
he sand grlmly, las gentleman, not as
claimant. All in good time tonight
| observe and reflect"
In few minutes they reached tre le-
cation, and plunged at once int the
glare and hustle of the reception: and a
notable assembly it was, one possible
| only IN Washington at the height of the
season. Windward was stunned; every
man he met was famous. until great
ness, through lack of gradations, be-
came commonplace again, and he found
| himself moving among the honored of
| millions with a calmneSs and equality of
| feeling astonishing to himself He, too,
was an American, and if they were
famous. he was young, and might be.
Many things he noticed on this fruit
| full evening, but one particularly-the
| huge bulk of the men. He WAS of me-
| dunn weight and size, but among these
| celebrities he felt like dwarf. He
measured their height as he passed them,
| and he judged six feet to be the average;
many We're taller still. Ana then the
girths, the broad deep chests; full
cheeks, warm and glowing under frosty
boards; strong, coarse features, blunt
| round chins, big necks, bold, resonant
voices, pushing ways-they crowded to
the salad just as they had crowded to
congress. 1t was a magnificent collec-
ton of physical manhood. What stom-
ach power they had! Terrapin, salad,
| Jellies, creams, champagne and compos-
lite punches, fruit, cake-and at II o'clock
| at night! Windward had seen nothing
like it since sophomore year. and yet
these men had been living thus defiant
ly giuttOnously for ten, twenty, forty
years and nevertheless now at 50 or 80
years of age We're hale, alert and strong
| enough TO kill him with blow
These gigantic men, thought Wind
| ward. are gladiators who have fought
all corners, neither asking nor giving
quarter, and survive as the tttest to sur
vive i'll the cruel brutal struggle for
power. They reminded him of the old
Cloths. Refinement in speech and man
ner was certainly lacking. but he saw a
| rude vigor of body and mind that was
admirable; they had stamina: they could
| sit out Il deadlock or stump IA scattered, /
half civilized state; they We're able to
maintain their rights. The polyglot
group of diplomatiSts who were present
had much better manners, and yet
Wmdward preferred the horse play and
| robust good fellowship of the natives.
''Of the two jurieS," he unused. I'D
| rather have the American to decide, for
| instance. on the claim. Elegance is very
well, but after all. if | must decide be-
| tween them, give me the land Of wheat
| rather than of the lotus, and the patent
Office before the Louvre"
The colonel moved about through the
motley crowd, calm. civil and phleg-
matte as ever, and even more laconic
than usual Now and then he would
draw Il little group around him to hear a
pithy story or a very brief treatment of
that he ate sparingly and drank moth
ing, though the corks Were popping all
about him and the atmosphere was bur
dened with the fumes OF punch. His
only concession to the cOnvivialty Of the
hour was the iuCesSant smoking of the
hosts fine cigars.
These diplomatists.' he explained to
Ia, H.,
for the third time, don't have to pay
duties. You zee. Now. these are forty
cent cigars. | think III take another
one to smoke on Sunday. There: now l
am ready to go. What say YOU
Windward. of course, interposcd no OBJ
lection, 50 they thereupon sought out
their host babe him adieu in spite of his
polite remonstrance at their early depart
ure, found their outer coverings amid
the chaos of the dressing room and
passed Out into the pure, cold air.
Always leave balls and orgies early,
if for nothing else as an advertisement
that You have II good home and some
work to do the next day remarked the
sarlonc colonel. rs they walked bliskly
onward. 'BeSlueS, mourning Is naSIiSr
than the lees of feast, and especially
mems party. What nonsense such parties
are!''
Without ladies, You mean asked
Windward.
YES. he said, rather savagely, puff
ing at his long cigar. The idea of ig-
noring woman in society! You are I'M
married, l believe"
Yes, sir," replied Windward.
Why asked the colonel bluntly.
why, | scarcely know" answered