The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-06-10
A SOCIAL EXPLOSION.

tressed: "Oh, be not SO unb1otherly.
Oh, pray, pray, let us be kindlier the one
to the other"
This scene was passed through without
actual war. Wiley laughed, sarcastic,
about Jones, on wnom the dispersion thus
cast was unwarTartabIe. Jones was en-
bittered and detested the Americans; and
they all. save Bard, looked askance at
him and Mrs Jones.
Old Joshua Bradford, rheumatic, who
owned something of immense value on
the Isthnus of Tehuantepcc, bought a
large house, larger than that of any other
American. The governor OF the state of
! Vera Cruz lived next door; and ponderous
| Joshua and mis- stylish daughter knew the
governor Plainly, all the other members
| Of the American colony were outcla=sed.
Miss Della Bradford spoke to them DIS
family, and graSped her skirts Geli-3t ~
as she passed them, and was seen 10
visit the governors.
Mrs. Wiley's corroding eye perceived al
| this 81 dare say they're common
| enough" said she, eff you could only 81
at the bottom of it, Jealous? Not she.
But the word governor is puissart. To
know the governor!
THAT Della thing is a snob,'' pro
nounced Jones.
Whif1e smiled on her, and was cut for
his pains. 1t was at length plain to the
whole colony that the Della thing was a
| snob.
YOnder, before this strangely beautiful
! city, spread the billy fields of banana and
coffee, waving and glstening with en-
chanted green in the bright sun. And
| sometimes up oyer the tree-ferns and into
the steep streets rolled the white mists,
wrapping all things in sea-made shroud
great silent mists, ignorant Of snobs and
correcting eyes.
It would seem that the Americans were
now ready for social functions, for which
Mrs. Wiley had been SO long locking out.
Nobody had ever invited anybody. All
the ladies and some of the men wished
that things might be going on" But
| the several unfortunate Occurrences
| which have been limited at were pre-
| vCntive. Mrs. Wiley was the pioneer and
felt certain of her position as leader-in-
germ. She, unhappy and brooding,
watching Mrs. Bards ard Mrs. Jones'
doors, longed to bloom with sudden
rosy tea party, and from then on to
! march in defiant silk at the head of the
social procession. Everybody felt that
| the colony was trembling with PAIN on
the verge of a season.
But could Mrs. Wiley soil her home
with the presence of Mrs. Jones and
Mrs Fustgart? Could she, even with
| the gracious stoop of a social leader,
bend down to Mrs. Bard; further still,
to Mrs. Whime? Would she be caught
deigning to smile at the Della thing?
Alas! the ball could not be set rolling
by Mrs. J. darlington Wiley. 1t was
glued.
Mrs. Jones had tentative impulses rela-
tive to a little dance Mr.. Jones had once
limited at this in the hearing of Wiley.
| Wiley laughed smothered at Jones, and
said to Whif1e that a rubbery hop ought
! to be a lively one, sure. Blackboard
ed Jones ground his teeth Mrs Jones'
tentative impulses propelled her no
! further. Associate with the Wiley wom-
and the Haunting Fustgart? 1t was too
bad one had to be thrown with PEOPLE
so far out of ones class.
Mrs. Fustgart wouldn't give anybody
anything, not she. But she felt sure
| that nobody would give anything with
out inviting her
Bard thought of Thanksgiving din
ner Whereat all should be kind and unit
ing. But the Whites stayed, and stay
ed, taking up all the places at the ia
| BILE "
Della walked in dram
From this false calm resulted the fol-
lowing conditions: Mrs Wiley said Mrs
Mrs. Jones was too proud to associate
| with the colony and give her dance. at
is laughable, yes laughable," said Mrs
| Wiley, bitterly, ito see in what crannies
pride will grow"
] Mrs. Fustgart is supposed to have let
| Mrs. Jones know about this; and that
Mrs. Jones was the Granny: Mrs. Jones
| laughed a hard laugh Mrs Wiley
thinks she can hold the social life of
the colony frozen, does she? Frozen by
her cold, divorced eye" Mrs Bard said
the Fustgart woman had ruined every
thing
1t was at last the sad state of affairs
that Mrs. Jones and Mrs. Wiley never
dared be in one another's company that
Mr.. Jones had sworn to smash Wiley;
that Mrs. Fustgart shifted at Mrs. Bard,
and Mrs. Bard went into Mysteries at
! each approach of Mrs Fustgart that
! Whiffle grinned at all with insult, and
! Mrs. Whiff1e pined away; and that
! Joshua Bradford and his daughter bow
ed from still more glacial distances.
The soil being now prepared, there ap-
| peared Mr.. Ross Wilkinson, painter The
| Mexican Herald spoke of him, while he
was yet in Mexico. 1t card he was an
artist of note and that his pictures had
won him fame in California. Mrs Fust-
CART hurried to Mrs Jones with clip
ping from the social notes, which men,
toned Mr.. Ross Wilkinson as having
! been at box party with the family of
Ambassador Clayton and Baron Mon
cheur, the Belgian minister Wilkinson
came to Jalapa to paint, rented a queer
little house. and lived in picturesque
Bohemian style with a goods boxes, tin
cans and abandon
The new born American colony was
profoundly stirred. Ambassador Clayton's
family is the pyramids summit or, diff
ferently considered, the keystone
Now Ross had fatal and good fellow
ship about him. He was tall, bigA Young.
ford, handsome, and jolly. The first
thing that happened was that ne walked
up the street with Della in the eyesight
! of all Then, before anybody knew how.
he was acquainted with everybody. He
called Jones "old JONES' which pleased
Mr.. Jones. He cracked coffee jokes with
the stimulated Wiley. He gave the latest
song to Mrs Fustgart. He told Mr.. Bard
that he had no real sympathy with mis-
sions, but respected mems ideas. This
frankness charmed Bard and Mrs. Bard
Fle called Whijfie a jolly dog, by JOYS
which ticlled Whif1ie and fattered his
vanity. He sketched with Della. re-
grettable thing, too, is that he mixed a
new cocktail for rheumatic Joshua Be
fore a week was gone by, Mrs. Wiley was
calculating: THAT dear old Wilkinsonri
Wen have to liven things UP, by
JoveP' cried Ross. 81 live in Bonemia
AT Redlands had my den, and the whole
place dropped in every Saturday to have
tea with me off goods-boxes. Come
around, everybody, and see my Old china
my Palenque IDOL and my daubs."
This revolutionary invitation went rush
ing about Jaiapa, the social ball was ia
De unglucd. Doubts arose. Mental
pictures annoyed Mrs Wiley and Mrs.
Jones, likewise Jones and Wiley. Mrs.
Fustgart was agitated. Mrs, Bard went
! through T,at Orv