Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1894-05-09
MISS O'SHEA.


lower balcony of the casino was crowded,
and even on the broad stretch of stone
pavement the chairs were so close that
the passerby had to pick his way, po-
litely mindful of women's trains and
mems feet Outside the sea wall the
ocean lay long and level, part Of it paled
by moonlight, and here and there on its
darker expanse specked with the small,
steady lights Of anchored yachts. The
scene was picturesque-a black arch
spanning a moonlit roadway, a gate
tower, dark against the sky, with a
round, bright moon shining over its
shoulder, glimmering of white waves
seething about broken rocks. From the
corner of the balcony where the musi-
clans sat foated the strains of VOL
fram's "Song to the Evening STAR"
with its undertone of ineffable, pierre
ing sadness.
1t was just at this propitious moment
that the crowd at the far end of the bal
cony became aware that the crowd at
the end near the main entrance were
enjoying a sensation. There was rus
tie of crushed silk as the women moved
in their chairs, universal turning of
heads, a raising of girls lorgnettes, an
adjusting of mems glasses, a murmur-
GUS intermingling of queries and then a
running fire Of comment, not too care
fully suppressed: "Well, did you ever!
Who are they, for pity sake? Has she
ever been here before? Where are they
from? Did 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 walking
down the balcony.
Miss Esperanza O'Shea had often been
stared at, but never to this extent. AS
Californian, beauty and an heiress,
she had known what it was 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, unwinking
stare of the cultured east. Nevertheless
she bore it with the impassive aplomb
of one born and bred in its fierce, bright
glare, and at the head Of the family
walked slowly down the long veranda,
the little cortege trotting at her heels as
it had done, fguratively speaking, ever
since she had been old enough to walk
at all.
Miss O'Shea invariably led her fami
ly in all things She had done so since
her tenderest years. Her papa, big,
florid, grizzled man, in high gray hat
and loosely hanging gray suit, always
obeyed Esperanza. As to her mamma,
she was Mexican, and though she had
lived for 20 years under the shadow of
our hospitable flag she had never been
able to master the intricacies of our
complicated language and could there
fore hardly be expected to guide the steps
of her extremely self confident daughter.
Close upon the musicians Miss o. Shea
paused, her darkly circled eyes falling
upon three vacant chairs. She indicated
them with the gesture of one used to
command, and her obedient parents 81
lently seated themselves. Mr.. O'Shea
took off his hat, ran a fat, short finger
ed hand through his grizzled hair and
respired the sea air, then turned his
eyes inward and made no sound. Mrs.
O'Shea, whom the lights revealed to be
dark, fat, waistless, formless lady,
with ink black hair and mustache, the
possession of which would have made
the heart of sophomore sing, indulged
in soft Spanish mutterings and went to
sleep with the promptitude of one who
knows what is expected of well train
ed Spanish mother. Miss O'Shea alone
remained alert and watchful and 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 un-
blushing franlzness that bespoke igno-
rance of the popular prejudice against
this form of decoration. Rice pow
der was thick on the bridge Of her
nose. There was pink OIL her cheeks
and red on her lips Her hair,
curled down to her eyebrows, was
bleached bright bronze red She was
tall and we'll formed, with square, broad
shoulders and tiny waist. Her foot,
| peeping from the hem Of her skirt in a
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 for her dress, it was
an indescribably gorgeous creation of
white and gold, with bodice of dead
white suede braided from neck to waist
line in gold arabesques. But neither
paint, powder nor bad dressing could
hide that she was handsome and young.
"Where on earth has she come from?'
breathed the crowd, with the wide eyes
of lively amazement.
Had this query been put directly to
Miss O'Shea she would have answered
with unruff1ed good humor that she had
come straight from California for the
purpose of ''having good time" Her
father, too, had thought that she ought
to have a good time, she would have
continued with the charming frankness
of 1S, not a New York or Boston or
even Chicago IS, but a California 18,
an 1S that had CLEANED its experience of
men and manners from life on ranch
near Merced, varied during the last two
years by winters in the town house in
Sacramento.
After a serious perusal of the papers
Esperanza O'Shea had come to the con-
clusion that Narragansett Pier was the
best place to go in pursuit of the vague
ly specified good time. Moreover, it ap-
peared to be a place where dazzling
wardrobe would meet with an intelli-
gent appreciation. At breakfast one
morning Esperanza announced her in
tention of spending the summer there.
"All right Espy," said Mr. O'Shea
"Tll telegraph for rooms today"
Isl, si,' murmured the Senora
O'Shea, raising the heavy lids that once
shaded the finest eyes in Mexico and
casting a sleepy glance at her daughter
''Yez, Cettanly, of Co.'S, and then once
more she relapsed into smiling somno-
lence
The wardrobe did its work at Maria
gansett Pier, If its work was to make
its wearer stared at, talked about and
----.-=- -= a4uixed- Il was certainly a