Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-12-12

insists that he must apologize. 1t Is here,
in cablegram from Washington"
The factotum threw up his hands in de-
spair.
1T Is impossible, senior. You cannot
| talk with the president. He does no bust
week"
But my cablegram-"
Here are fifty unopened cablegrams. I
cannot show them to the president. AS
you perceive"-pointing to the merry
equivalent of the cakewalk-"he dances"
And when will no stop dancingT'
The factotum shrugged his shoulders.
"Quien sabe, senor!'
respondent with the agonized expression on
his face and the open cablegram in his
hand. Ever curious. he walked over, with
mis- pretty partner on his arm, and asked
what II was all about He was told that
Europe wanted him to apologize.
Immediately he struck Napoleonic atti-
tide. waved his arms excitedly in the air,
end exclaimed:
mot while life remainsI Gen. Castro
never apologies. He demands an apology
from Europe
The girl hanging on his arm clapped him
on the back and shouted. .Braytssima,
Cipriano! The dancers took up the cry,
Whirling their partners around in an ex-
cited fandango and beating the empty bot
ties on the iron tables.
Affairs of state having been thus strenu-
cusly settled. his excellency the citizen
president was at liberty to devote himself
to pleasure for the rest Of the day, and he
very kindly volunteered to show the Ameri-
can around the town.
The day being fiesta" the streets were
fun of merrymakers, enjoying themselves
to the top of their bent in the light-hearted
Latin way. In one Of the streets the presi-
Dental party encountered an immense
crowd-immense. at least, for La Victoria
and strolled up to see what was doing.
1t was simply gang Of boys playing one
or the favorite Juvenile games of Vene-
Zrela. A triumphal arch had been erected
across the street. and a big basket was
swinging from 1t about ten feet above the
ground. This basket was filled with cakes,
| candies. fruit. nuts. small nickel coins and
ether things dear to the boyish heart all
the world over. The boys were Jumping
up to the basket ard trying. to knock out
the contents with sticks When they sue
ceeded. of course there was an exciting
scramble, compared with which a college
foot ball scrmmage seemed mere circum-
stance.
"Bueno" said Castro. in high glee That
sort of fun appealed to him strongly
Juan he ordered, turning to one Of his
aids-de-camp. run and fetch the band
Luis, get me some boxes of cigars and a
few bottles of agtardtente. We must treat
the crowd. Rolando, buy some more
! oranges and candies for the boys, and be
| quick"
The band arrived and the game went
| ahead with mus cal accompaniment. The
| CisdIS anu uriIkS were nanQeQ around, the
basket was filled again. and everybody
voted Castro the best ruler Venezuela had
| ever possessed. Meanwhile he stood on
the sidewalk. laughing as If he were boy
| himself, and making bets with his Ameri-
can guest as to which of the youngsters
| would hit the basket first.
| In the evening. after dinner, his excel
| lency honored his faithful subjects by join
! ing them In the plaza. where everybody
| had collected to hear the band play. He
| strolled around the square, talking affably
| to peasant. priest and general alike, and
| stopping now and then to chaff the prettiest
| or the girls In a town where nearly every
| woman is pretty.
But this grew tiresome after awhile
Hearing the band play was not exciting
| enough for man Of his temperament
| Stop he suddenly shouted to the band
master, and lifted his cane Enough of
this! We will go to the palace and dance.
! Everybody is invited. There is room for
| all. and hope everybody will come"
| In Venezuela Cipriano Castro's wish Is
| equivalent to command and the conse-
| quences Of disobedience are not usually
| pleasant. So everybody trooped after h m
| to the palace, from the Indian peon in his
osnaburg smock and canvas sandals to the
! governor of the province in his gold-laced
| uniform.
Castro made no distinctions. All of his
| guests had the freedom of the palace for
| the night, and he did his level best to see
that everybody had good time. He hand
| ed around the drinks. found the garls part
ners. chatted amiably with the dowagers
| talked politics with the old men, showed
| the bandmaster how to put more spirit into
| the music, and. incidentally found time to
dance more than anybody else He was as
| ready to waltz with the pretty peasant
| girls as with the blue blooded senoritas of
| Castilian ancestry but it was noticeable
| that he only chose short women for his
partners. He is very short himself and
rather touchy on the subject. He does not
care to be in the company of a tall woman
Many of the women did not seem partic-
| ularly glad when he asked them for the
| pleasure OF the next number. Although
constantly tripping the light. fantastic toe
| he is one Of the worst of dancers In a
bali room he is not unlike the proverpiai bull
| IN china shop. More than one poor girl
| that night paid with a torn frock for the
| honor of dancing with the president And
some of the men against whose partners he
bumped in the whirl of the waltz looked as
| II they would have liked to express their
| feelings had he not been at once their
| host and the man who could order them to
be hanged before breakfast If he chose
| For couple of hours the ball proceeded
| IN stately, dignified way as most Vene-
zuelan functions do; but as the drinks cir
culated and the hosts magnetic enthu-
SIN warmed up the guests, the fun be-
| came fast and furious.
| After midnight Castro developed a new
| line of activity. Every quarter of an hour
1 or 30 he insisted on stopping the music
| and making a speech. OF course he wa a
| dpPiduOCu ~ tiS cCHO ny t0o dancers. In
Venezuela it Is healthy to appreciate Cas-
| tro's oratory.
But there was one speech which evidently
| hit the merry crowd hard The cheers were
so hearty and so spontaneous that the
| American asked what 1t was about He
| didn't understand Spanish.
| is It," he inquired eagerly IAN impor-
tant political pronouncement? Has his ex-
| cellency declared his policy toward the
| powers? Pray translate his words to mo I"
| Well. SIR" replied a European mer-
| chant who traded in La Victoria. st isn't
| exactly what you would call a political
pronouncement. but 1t Is a weighty deliver
ance on great soc.al question
i ..Indeed >, sraid ha cor ,dox>