Graham guardian., 1903-09-04
Hccordlng to
Custom
BY A. M. DAVIES OGDEN
copmtont, laos, b. Meclre. Paallp. 4 q.

COPYRIGHT, 1905, bv Mcclure, Phillips & Co.
The night was perfect. Over pic
turesque Havana yellow moon pour
ed flood of glory, throwing strange
shadows on the old MORO, where the
O'Donnell tower light revolved with
steady flashes, and sleeping all the
world In a subtle, elusive spell.
On the Malecon the band was play
ing. Light hearted laughter floated
from the thickly clustered benches and
carriages. 1t was not night TO be
alone.
Jerry Benedict, standing on the edge
of it all, felt the beauty and knew the
loneliness. He had come to Havana at
Toms suggestion. There is a good
opening down here which might suit
you" his brother had written. And
now, on arriving, he found Tom gone
to Cienfuegos, not to return for several
days. Jerry, wandering about by HIM
self, had promptly fallen in love with
the quaint little city, its gayly painted
houses, dusky white clad men and
pretty senoritas. Havana was not a
bad place, he decided. But tonight he
was restless. The moon was almost
too powerful in its splendor and charm.
Turning away from the merry crowd
that made him feel an alien and an
outcast, he decided to walk to his
brothers house in Yedado. There was
a fresh coolness in the air. A walk
would do him good. He struck accord
ingly into one of the nearby streets.
On his side the pavement was quite
dark, but across the way the moon, re-
flecting with dazzling brilliancy upon
the pink and white houses, showed ev-
cry detail of window and facade and
revealed plainly any one within who
leaned out to breathe the air.
Suddenly Benedict stopped short. In
an upper window, alone, stood a girl,
certainly the most exquisite girl Bene-
dict ever had seen. Against the black
ness OF the room behind, her face, turn
ed full toward the street, stood out as
purely pale as moon flower, Heavy
masses OF dark hair crowned the state
ly little head, and just back of the tiny
ear lay one splendid crimson blossom.
Benedict caught his breath. The girl
could not see him there In the dark
ness, he thought, and he remained mo-
tionless, staring with eager eyes. Who
could she be?
The sound Of a football reused him.
and he turned abruptly just at the mo-
ment to collide with q slender, careful
ly dressed man. Benedict, his eyes still
full Of moonlight, mumbled some word
of apology, but the other, after quick
glance at the window, looked back at
the young American, and slow smile
began to dawn on his lips.
"But you are quite excusable, senor,"
he said in pretty English. Again his
eyes sought the window "It is for mo
to apologize" he laughed. "The sight
of the Senorita Carmela is reason
enough"
"You know her then?" burst out Ben
edict. Then he started and recollected.
I'll beg your pardon" he stammered
distressfully. "But-but''-
The man nodded more gravely. II
Judge you are stranger here" he re-
marked. Young Benedict flushed.
"Yes," he said. I'll suppose it is
awfully rude to stand in the street and
stare that way. But 1 never had seen
any one so beautiful before" he ended
up quite simply, the color deepening
under his tan. "And 1 thought per
haps-my brother might know" fioun-
dering again. "Mr. Thomas Benedict"
he added as the other seemed to wait
The Cuban looked at him more close
ly.
rs Tom Benedict your brother?" he
asked, and in some way his voice had
altered. "Tom! Ah!' Then he lifted
his hat
Good night" he said politely. "And
let me give you piece Of advice. 1t
is not unusual to stand under win
dow. to watch from point Of van
tage, or even to speak," And again he
laughed. "But you, senor"-and his
tone held a warning tone-''for you,
senor, 1t would be best not to try it.
You are but stranger here, and our
customs are not yours"
And before the somewhat indignant
Benedict could recover speech the
stranger had bowed, replaced his Gig
arctic between his lips and was gone.
The girl at the window, too, had van
ished, and Benedict, accepting perforce
the others advice, walked on. But the
sight here and there in the dusky
street of a man leaning against the
iron bars which guard the lower win
dows, exchanging low remarks to some
inmate, evoked strange longings.
In the morning, however Jerry could
laugh at the whole episode. A girls
face at wfndow-surely he had seen
plenty such. And IL not quite so won
derful as this one-well, the Cuban's
had been well meant and were
worth remembering. SO he idled away
an hour or two in the 0alle Obispo,
with its gay shop windows and bright
awnings stretched the width of the
e4, hn do,