The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-12-15
The Romance of a Nose,

my little masquerader, is it possible
that am not to see your face2
ut cannot be- The desire of gratifying
you counseIs me to keep the mask on
Your conversation charms me, and ev-
cry word Increases my impatience TO
know you.''
did you not call me the sweet object
of your inspiration2 While 1 remain con-
eealed 1 am sure of hearing fiattering ex-
pressions from your mouth, TO which
am not accustomed. perhaps. If ! remove
this protecting Grape from my face, then
farewell 10 Illusion
"Will you oblige me 10 go upon my
knees? VIII you expose me as the laugh
ing stock Of the company
Enough AS you will. You are about
to see me with the hask off. But let =
not be my hand that shall open Pando-
ra's box. Receive through your own the
punishment for your foolish inlpatience-
'Perdition take the knott l can't unite
it. All, my knife; that is il. Beauti-
/ could not finish the word, such was
my surprise, amazement. terror. What
a nose, What a nosei Oh. what a nose.
1 would not have believed that nature
was capable of arriving at such degree
of pleonasm. l1yperbole, application The
sonnet of Quevedo:
Erase I'm hombre a una nariz pegado
(There was a man attached TO nose)-
would be poor and colorless TO paint Ii.
This was no human nose; it w;S beet
root, a corner stone, an Egyptian pyra-
mid. If it is just to condemn everything
unreasonable, everything exaggerated,
why is 1t that a law is not given against
the exaggeration Of noses?
In the midst of the horror which this
mournful discovery caused me. 1 want
ad IN with he
nosed mountain girl without mourning
a rude remark from her I made incresi-
BILE efforts toward some expression of
gallantry. Impossible. If 1 could have
had a mirror before me l am sure l
must have seen foolish face.
Fortunately for me, the mountain gir,--
who doubtless had learned 10 resign her
self 10 her deformity, likewise to all its
effects-laughed quite spontaneously.
whether at my conflict or at herself did
not know. This gave me courage to rise.
under the pretext of going 10 meet a
friend. And. without daring to look at her
again [ took my leave with formal
Farewell, senorita."
Shame gave wings to my feet; wrath
blined me; the ground failed me in my
flight. L stumbled over furniture, against
persons, over myself, and would have
walked home without waiting for the
coach or to get my overcoat. l few then
to the refreshment room, took pos
session of a table, snatched up the bin
of fare, asked what they could bring me
the quickest. / ate now, not with appe
tite but furiously, from four different
plates. and they were about TO bring ME
the fifth when 1 beheld seated in front
of me-divine justicel-the same mountain
girl, or rather 1 should say the same
a..
fore. My first impulse was to rise and
run, but the merry girl petrified me by
saying with Internal sweetness:
What! are you not going to invite me
to supper"
felt troubled, and looked sheepish. The
rose laughed and so, to my discomfort.
did the gallant who accompanied her.
would have liked to wreak my rage upon
him.
''Senorita-'
at shall not cost you much-a glass OF
wine; nothing more"
Such impudence stung me keenly, and
I resolved on being avenged by hooking
her.
II shall have the greatest pleasure in
complying with your demand. senorita,
though 1 far that your nos will prvut
you from putting a glass to your lips. If
mask, do not know how
You are rude, sir, but I shall be gra
cious. 1 will remove it,
How? What do you say? Then"
At this instant her hand darted up 10
her nose, and-she tore 1t off.
Alasl 1t was false. 1t was pasteboard,
and it left her real nose revealed. no less
graceful and perfect than the other fea-
lures of her face.
How shall l depict my shame, my des-
peration, on beholding such an exquisite
creature. and the remembrance o. the
levity, the discourtesy. the iniQuity Of
my conduct. l was going to beg a thous
sand pardons, to lament my e-ror, and.
Frustrated, kiss the dust at her feet. but
the cruel one took the arm of her escort,
disconnected me with a severe look, and,
initiating my cold manner of a short time
before, said: Farewell, senior" And she
burst into a peal of hooking laughter
L never saw her more-CTranslated for
the Argonaut from the Spanish of Breton
de los Herreros.