Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1894-08-17
CASE OF MOA BARRIOS
A Spaniard's American Story. Written for This
Paper by Phillip Braggalan.
tcopyrishtl

produced a slight variation of what
you Americans call chicken stew.
Won't that suit you?" she asked.
NO." [ answered., whimsically de-
termined to taste the Spanish dish
onc moro in its test formation. Let
us get up the genuine thing. will
help you"
All right" she responded, "if AL
bert and Mamma Eawers will assist"
Albert Dawers was there at that in
slant to reply for himself. Ee was a
big and brawny young man, heated
anu tired from q day of haying, but
g~ocd-looking and amiable. He entered
into the project with spirit, despite
his fatigue. But when l insisted that
Orately correct description, requiring
several hours to manufacture, it vas
decided to time it late in the evening,
and ask q few of the young cou, le S
friends to keep their appetite for it.
We had q merry time at the work.
Upon Moa's crude formula I supcrim-
posed the extras to form q dish really
tit for Spanish commentator. Albert
went willingly here and there after
such ingredients as the house did not
already contain, and even his mother
relaxed considerable of her grimness
as she helped q little, and Moa seemed
handsomer than ever in the mild eX-
element of mingling labor and pas
time. The reader who is also q house,
wife may care to know that we first
stewed some lean beef and peas to-
gether; that simultaneously we boiled
u fowl along with q little ham, smoked
sausages and vegetables; that therewas
a seasoning to a higher degree than
most American palates might like, with
satf on. parsley, and bay leaves; and
that finally, after mixing all these
materials, some hard-boiled eggs, arti-
chokes, glblets. and other things were
podrida than tho little restaurant at
Hocsac had ever before seen, and such
as wealthy S%paniards in their own
country are accustomed to eat. 1t was
. clock in the evening before the
dozen invited guests were seated at the
table, and the lateness of the meal in
sured %voracious appetites. We served
the result of our cookery in q more
formal fashion, too, than the tavern
had been accust omed to. There was q
dinner of several courses; beginning
with q soup dipped from the gravy OF
the ola, strained from the meats and
poured boiling hot over slices of toast.
After this the beef was served with
the peas. Then followed the fowl and
other vegetables. 1t was an unaccus-
toned feast for the company, AMI they
enjoyed it SO genuinely and heartily
that the occasion proved more amusing
to me than anything else 1 had en-
countered in my travels for a long
while.
1t was Observable that Moa, although
she entered into the spirit of the
affair, was not all the time engrossed
in it. | watched her closely. impelled
by admiration, and discerned that she
had spells of serious thought or recur-
with the general jollity. That led me
idea of ga'lantry, but merely because
she interested me. The beverage
which accompanied the meal up to the
last mouthful was cider. and the Juice
OF the apple, vas old enough to have
developed o fair percentage Of ale ho!,
so that the drinkers felt its exhilara-
ton: but as q climax 1 insist. upon
brandy, which, as l explained, woul1
take the place of the native Spa ish
! liquor usually swallowed for digestion's
sake after a hearty ola podrida. The
men followed my direction readily, but
the women were reluctant, and in the
case of Moa 1 poured a spoonful or so
into her glass and loosely insisted
that she should take it. She banter
insly declined and then seriously re-
pulsed me.
II will not have it, and let that sat
isfy you," she said, in q low but en-
phatic voice.
NO. she shall not drink it," Albert
added, in a savage whisper.
The demeanor of the young couple
was such q sudden alteration from
their previous ccruiality that my face
expressed, although my tongue did
not utter, surprise and curiosity.
Albert say this at once, and said apol-
o%getically:
Il beg your pardon, but to sec Moa
drink from a glass fllled for her by a
stranger would be something 1 could
not stand. No-I am not jealous OF
you. That isn't it at all. My re son
is good, though, and tomorrow l will
tell it to you. Don't let us say any
more about it to-night-or think about
it-for that would be apt to spoil Moa's
go d humor, and mine too"
The supper a already over, and
with much merriment and satisfaction
the party dispersed.