The San Francisco call., 1897-05-17
FAIR MAYE
DENIES THE
|MPUTAT|0N
Did Not Intercept Lillian
Blair's Letters to
BarillaS.
SHE KNEW HER NOT
AS A RIVAL.
But, Then, the Gallant General
Gave All the Girls Costly
Presents.
LILLIAN PRESUMED FAR TOO
MUCH.
Interpretsr Ribs Tells His Story
While All the Rest Are Out
" 18th Denia,S.
LILLIAN PRESUMED FAR TOO
MUCH.
Interpreter Ribs Tells His Story
While Al the Rest Are Out
" 18th Deniais.

If the warm, young heart of Lillian
Blair pitta-patted on the mention OF Gen.
eral Barillas' name, and if the millionaire
Guatemalan in turn yearned for the fair
Lillian while he was absent from her IN
far-off Europe, pretty Maye Taber was in
entire ignorance of it.
Now, if there had been anything of the
kind going on, Nave would have come
pretty near knowing it, for she was
member of the party which accompanied
him from this City 10 the old country and
enjoyed his every confidence. Maye says
she never heard of Lillian Blair, and has
reasons tor believing that the opulent- and
lavish general had only slight ac-
quaintance with the cigar-store girl, if
any at all. Certainly the general was
never beard to mention Lillian Blair
during the European tour, and certain it
is, too, that be didn't write any letters to
her. for he does not write nor speak
word of Englisn.
The letters Lillian received were written
by Ribas, who was at that time private
secretary and interpreter for Barillas, and
Miss Taber has her doubts as to whether
or not the general ever dictated or author
lied them. Lillian may have written to
him, but if that were the case her gushing
lnissives, accompanied by requests for
more money, went direct to Ribas and Il
the latter individual felt so inclined he
read them 10 the general. Miss Taber is
positive that she never in tercepted any OF
LiIlan's Ietters-never even thought of
such thing. How could she, when she
d not even Know the girl who had fallen
victim to the Guatemalan's dazzling
Monte Cristo splend or nor know that he
even had an acquaintance with such
girl2 And, furthermore, she could not
have Influenced Rlbas to withhold Lilllan's
affecuonate requests from The general, be-
cause she and Ribas were at swords
points throughout the tour.
Maye Taber is as charming and beaut1-
full a girl as one could find in years
Journey even if he we're on a special ex-
pedition in search of damsels upon whom
nature had been extraordinarily generous
in the lavishment of charms. Her pink
and-white complexion, great, deep blue
eyes, and graceful form, are enough to in
spire all the poets OF the land. Not only
this but she is highly accomplished,
speaking several langua ges fuently, is
vivacious. and altogether charming IN
manner. Now Mayes friends assert that
it was she who occupied the place of
honor in the generals heart, and that no
Lillian Blair ever stood a ghost of a
chance TO usurp the envIed sconce.
They snicker at the very idea that
the airy, fairy Lillian should
have presumed so much, even
if she did receive a few diamonds and
other presents from the ex-President OF
Guatemala He had habit of scattering
presents like these everywhere, and, they
say, for girl to imagine that because she
happened to be one of the many thus
favored the general had fallen desperately
in love with her was idiotic. No. no; he
thought of none but Maye. Why, didn't t
he insist upon her accompanying him to
Europe? Didn't she ride in state with
him through the bouleVards OF gay PaTee,
and didn't he strut and swell with pride
when he heard all of Europe raving over
her beauty? How could he help adoring
herr There was no chance for Lillian
there.
Miss Taber is herself rather disinclined
to permit herself to be mixed up in the
malodorous scandal stirred up by Attor-
ney Dimond's demand that Miss Blair
pay him for drawing up the papers in a
breach of-promise suit intended to be
launched al the head of the Guatemalan
CToesus. She parted company with the
general in New York some little time ago
ana returned to this City, while he Jour
neyed to Central America. When seen
yesterday in her apartments at the
Colonial Miss Taber was quite prostrated
over the fact that her name had been
dragged into the mess, and that Lillian
Blair had accused her of interce ptlng her
letters.
Dear me. but this is really dreadful, -
said she. why, do you know / never
knew that such a girl as Lillian Blair
ever existed until l read this awful scan
dal, and was never cognizant that the
general was acquainted with her. I do
not say that he was not, for he became
acquainted with hundreds of people while
here. But as for his having been desper-
ately in love with her. why that is arrant
nonsense. Surely some of our party
would have known something about it.
"Now, as to her assertion that l ever in
tercepted her letters to him, / wish to
brand that as being absolutely untrue l