The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-09-25
MISS ESPERANZA.

10 pick his way, politely mindful of women's
trains and mems feet. Outside the seawaIl
the ocean lay long and Level. part of it paled
by moonlight, and here and there on lis
darker expanse specked with the small,
steady lights of anchored yachts. The scene
was picturesque-a black arch spanning a
mo0nlit roadway. a gate-tower, dark
against the sky. with a round, bright moon
shining over its shoulder, a glimmering of
white waves seething about broken rocks.
From the corner of the balcony where the
musicians sat foated the strains Of VOL
fram's "Song to the Evening Star" with its
undertOne of ineffable. piercing sadness.
1t was just at this propitiouS moment tina;
the crowd at the far end oft the balcony be-
came aware that the crowd at the end near
the main entrance were enjoying sensa-
ton. There was a rustic Of crushed silk as
the women moved in their chairs. univer-
sal turning of heads, a raising OF girls
lOrgnettes. an adjusting Of mems glasses,
murmurous intermingling of queries and
then running fire of comment, not too
carefully uppreSsed-"Weil did you eVeri
Who are they. for pity sake? Has she ever
been hera before? Where are they from?
D.d YOU say it was an actress?" And all
the heads slowly revolved on the craned
necks as all the eyes turned to follow three
new arrivals walk down the balcony.
Miss Esperanto OShea had often been
stared at, but never to this extent As a
Californian, a beauty and an helress she
had known what II NaB TO be looked upon
With curiosity, admiration and envy. But
she had never before left her native State,
hence she had never been subjected to the
broad, bold, unwlDking stare of the cultured
East Nevertheless she bore it with the
impasSive aplomb OF one born and bred in
lis fierce, bright glare, and. at the head Of
the family, walked slowly down the long
veranda, the little cOrtege trottlng at her
heels as it had done. iguratively speaking,
ever since she had been cid enough to walk
al all.
Miss O'Shea invariably led her family in
all things. She had done so since her ten
dereSt years. Her papa, a big. l0rid,
grizzled man. in high gray hat and a
loosely hanging gray suit, always obeyed
Esperanza. AS to her mamma. she was a
Mexican, and though she had lived for
twenty years under the shadow of our hos
pitabe flag, she had never been able to
master the intricacies Of our complicated
language, and could therefore hardly be
expected to guide the steps OF her eX-
tremely sef-confdent daughter.
Close upon the musicians Miss O'Shea
paused, her darby crcled eyes falling upon
three vacant chairs. She Indicated them
with the gesture of one used to command,
and her abedient parents silently seated
themselves. Mr.. 0'Shea took OF his hat.
ran a fat, short-fngered hand through
his griZzled hair and respired the
sea-air. then turned his eyes inward
and made DO sound. Mrs. 0'Shea
whom the lights revealed to be a dark, fat
wastess fOTmless lady, with ink-back
hair and a mustache, the possession Of
which would have made the heart of a soph-
om0Te sing, INDUCED in soft Spanish NUT
terIngs and went to sleep with tue pTOmpti-
tUde OF one who knows what is expected Of
a we'll trained Spanish mother. Miss
O'Shea alone remained alert anu watchfnl,
aud gave the crowd stare for stare.
1t was not surprising that a crowd should
stare at this brilliant young lady. She was
made up with an open and unblushing
frank ess that bespoke ignorance Of the
popular prejudice against this form of deco
ration. Rice powder was thick on the
bridge OF her nose. There was PINK on her
cheeks and red on her lips. Her hair,
cuTled down to her eyebrows, was bleached
q bright brOnze-Ted. she vas tall and we'll
Toned, with square, broad shoulders
and a tiny waist. Her foot, peeping
from the hem of her skirt in white kid
slipper worked with gold. was by no
means small Neither were her hands. but
they were white as milk. beautifully shaped
and covered with superb rings AS to her
dress, it was an lndeseribably gorgeous
creation Of white and gold, with bodice Of
dead white suede braided from neck 10 waist
line IN gold arabesQues. But neither paint,
powder nor bad dressing could hide that
size was handsome and young.
Where on earth has she come from ?"
hrealhed the crowd, with the wide eyes Of
lively amazement.
Had this query been put directly to Miss
O'Shea would have answered With unTuffied
good humOr that she had come straiC It
from California for he purpose Of ''haYing
COED time" He father, too, had thought
that she ought to have a good time, she
0OGld have continued With the charming
fTankness Of eighteen-n0t a New York or
Boston or even a Chicago eighteen. but a
IL Srrhaa hat 49,
cleaned It's experience OF men and manner s
from life on a ranch near MERGED, varied
during the last two years by winters In III G
t0wD-hOuse in Sacramento.
After a serious perusal of the papers, Es-
perauZa OShea had come TO the conclusion
that NarTagaBsetT Pier was the best place
O. 20 10 in pursuit Of the vaguely specified
good time. Moreover, II appeared to be a
place where a dazzling wardrobe would
meet with an intelligent appreciation. At
breakfast one morning EsperanZa announced
her intention Of spending the summer there.
"AN right Espy," said Mr. OShea, IN
telegraph for rooms to-day.
Isl ST." murmured the Sonora O'Shea,
raising the heavy lids that once shaded the
finest eyes il Mexico, and casting sleepy
glance at her daughter; ''yez, cettanly. Of
COS" and then once mora she relapsed into
smiling somn0lence.
The wardrobe did its work at Narragan-
set Pier If its work was to make its wearer
=
admired II was certainly a remark
able one. In a place of remarkable
wardrobes it made its mark. had its
own niche with the other wardrobes, and
lis share in the days talk. Miss 0Shea
wore It wiki an i'm passive front, and greatly
enjoyed the sensation it created. AS ward
robe 10 be stared at 1t was a bri !lIant suc-
cess. On its own ground none Of the other
wardrobes could compare with 1t. Arrayed
in one its masterpieces no One was as con-
M
10 tell, despite the powder. the paint, was as
handsome as Esperanto O'Shea.
But there is admiration and admiration.
The unsophisticated Esperanto had not
grasped this fact. That the giances and
siares Of one Of the most ill-bred crowds in
the country were not all admiring did DOT
penetrate Der simple mind for some time.
That people were slow In extending the
right hand Of fellowship to her she did feel
with a slowly dawning. hurt surprise. Ii
never occurred 10 her that any one could
possibly object to making the acquaintance
Of a young lady because she had red-gold
hair when nature meant her 10 have dark
brown, or plasteTed her lips with crlms on
glue for all the world to see.
But Eastern peopls were not verv friendly.
She announced this with The customary
candor of the Californans TO lady who
sat next her at table. The lady said: ''No,
they were not expansive" and then smiled
and drifted out of the dining-room, and
afteTward proved TO be one Of the least eX-
pansiVe Of the PEOPLE toward whom Es-
perauza made friendly oYertures.
Yes, they were very stiff. She sat in the
Casino every evening with her papa and her
mamma, and nobody came TO talk to her.
Up in the tower, with its stone supports
black against the horizon, the red electric
lights showed friendly, cheerful, merry
people sitting in groups, and sometimes sip
ping cool drinks at the little round tables.
Their laughter fosted down and mingled
with the faint washing Of the waves on the
rocks. They undoubtedly were having a
good time. So were the people on the bal
cony and the paved terrace, drawn together
in little gay, eAa1ering parties. from which
fbe braaza bnra scraps of epnfpupac md ha