The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-02-20

At1s vi sAAy AAACSS o,,,Ps WV >@ss@S
morsel the queen bee-thy swift mes
senger-brings me. Truly, never was
sweet so sweetly sweet"
1T is thou who hast the honey on thy
tongue, although fear there may be
stone in thy heart"
"Ah? Why? No stone could sit 80
lightly in my breast as my heart when
those red lips smile TO me-"
Chonita listened TO this conversation
with mingled amazemant and anger.
She did not doubt Estenega's sincerity to
herself; neither did Valencia appear to
doubt him. But his present levity was
apparent to her. Why should he care
to talk SO to another woman? How
strange were meni She gave up the prob
lem.
After the long banquet concluded the
cavalcade formed once more and we re-
turned to the town. Prudencia rode her
white horse alone this time, her husband
beside her. Leading the cavalcade was
the presidio band. They wore red jack
cts trimmed with yellow cord, Turkish
trousers of white wool and red Polish
caps. With their music mingled the
regular detonations of the presidio can
non. After we had wound the length of
the valley we made progress through
the town for the benefit Of the populace,
who ran to the corridors to watch us
and shouted with delight. But the sun
was hot, and we were all glad to be be-
tween the thick adobe walls once more.
We took long siesta that day, but
hours before dark the populace were
crowded in the courtyard under the
booth which had been erected during
the afternoon. After the early supper
the guests Of Casa Grande and our neigh
bors of the town filled the sala, the large
bare rooms adjoining and the corridors.
The old people of both degrees seated
themselves in rows against the wall, the
fddles scraped, the guitars twanged, the
flutes whistled and the dancing began.
In the courtyard space was cleared,
and changing couples danced "El Jarabe"
and ''El Jota"-two stately jigs-while
the spectators applauded with wild and
impartial enthusiasm, and Don Guillermo
from the corridor threw silver coins at
the dancers feet. Now and again a
pretty girl would dance alone, her gay
skirt lifted with the tips of her fingers,
her eyes fixed upon the ground. A man
would approach from behind and place
his hat on her head. Perhaps she would
toss it saucily aside, perhaps let it rest
on her coquettish braids-a token that
its owner was her accepted gallant for
the evening.
Above the slender men and women Of
the aristocracy, the former In black and
white, the latter in gowns of vivid rich
ness. danced the contradanza, the most
graceful dance l have ever seen, and
since those Californian days have lived
in almost every capsal of Europe. The
music is so monotonous and sweet, the
figures so melting and harmonious, that
to both spectator and dancer comes a
dreaming languid contentment, as were
the senses swimming on the brink OF
sleep. Chonita and Valencia were fa-
nous rivals in its rendering, always the
sala stars to those not dancing. Valencia
was the perfection of grace, but it was
the grace now of the snake, again of the
cat She suggested fangs and claws, a
repressed propensity to sudden leaps.
Chonitas grace was the grace Of rhyth-
mical music imprisoned in woman's
form Of proportions 50 perfect that she
seemed to dissolve from one figure into
another, swaying, bending, gliding. The
soul Of grace emanated from her, too
evanescent to be seen, but felt as one
feels perfume or the something that is
not color in the heart of rose. Her
starlike eyes were open, but the brain
behind them was half asleep; she danced
by instinct.
Twas watching the dancing of these
two-the poetry of promise and the
poetry Of death-when suddenly Don
Guillermo entered the room, stamped
his foot, pulled out his rosary and in
stantly we all went down on our knees.
1t was eight Of the clock, and this cere-
mony was never omitted in Casa Grande,
be the occasion festive or domestic.
When we had told our beads, Don Gull
lermo rose, put his rosary in his pocket,
trotted out and the dancing was re-
sumed.
AS the contradanza and its ensuing
waltz finished, Estenega went up to
Chonita. "You are too tired to dance
any more tonight" he said. LET us sit
here and talk. Besides, do not like to
see you whirling about the room in mems
arms"
1T is nothing to you if dance with
other men," she said rebelliously, al
though she took the seat indicated.
"And TO dance is not wrong"
Nothing is wrong. In some countries
the biggest liar is king. We know as
little of ethics, except, to be sure, the
ethics Of civilization, as one sex knows
of another. So we fall back on instinct.
/ have not prejudice, but feel it dis
gusting to see woman who is somewhat
more TO mo than other women embraced
by another man. 1t would infuriate me
If done in private; why should it not at
least disgust me in public? l care as
little for the approving seal of the con-
ventions az l care whether other women,
including my own sisters, waltz or not"
And, alas! from that night Chonita
I.