Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-08-15
| O.
s,zza6zeligghtning

BY
C.N.& A.M'WlILlAMSON

black velvet with stars shining through
eyes that princesses would give fortunes
for.
/ couldn't help humming "In Old Madrid
under my breath, and l fancied that the
salt-smelling breeze brought the swapping
of castanets. The sun was hot; but cool
ness, and rich, tawny shadows swallowed
us up in silent street, crowded with fam
tastic beautifully carved, bright-colored
houses, all having balconies, each one more
overhanging than the other. Not a soul was
TO be seen; our footsteps rang on the mar
row sidewalk. and it seemed rude of our
voices when we talked to wake the sleepy
silence out of its afternoon nap. But sud-
denly handsome young man appeared
from side street, and stopping in the
middle of the road vigorously tinkled
musical bell. Immediately the street be-
came alive. Each house door showed
man; women hung over the gaily-draped
balconies; children ran out and clustered
round the bell-ringer. He began to speak
very fast in cultural Spanish, and we
couldn't understand a word he said, though
Brown has a smattering of the language
enough to get on with In shops and hotels.
When he had finished every one laughed.
All up and down the street came the sound
of laughter; deep. bass laughter from the
men; contralto laughter from the women.
The handsome bell-ringer laughed too, and
then vanished as suddenly as he had come.
All the life of the quaint street seemed to
fade away with him. Slowly the people
took themselves indoors; the balconies were
empty; the street silent as in a city of the
dead. 1t was like something on the stage;
but | suppose it's just bit of everyday
life in Fuenterrabia and old, old Spain.
We went on up to the castle we had seen
from the beach, and turned my eyes away
from the big. ugly round building, like a
country panorama place, for that was the
bull ring, and the one thing that makes
Spain hateful to me. / didn't want even to
think of it. The gateway of the
palace.for it had been a palace-was
on the other side l burst out laughing at
a sign. in what was meant to be English,
advertising the castle for sale. Capitals
were sprinkled about everywhere; the
painter had thought they would look pretty.
and evidently it was held out as lure to
Britishers and Americans that Charles the
Fifth had built it and lived in it. 1 know
Mrs. Washington Potts would love to
ton in an absent minded manner that she'd
acquired a royal palace in Spain as a
winter residence" Can't you hear her?
But oh, poor palace! It's as airy mansion
what's left of its walls is about fifteen feet
thick. Still, the glorious view of the sea
and mountains from the roof would be
worth paying for, and wouldn't need thou
sands of dollars worth of restoration, like
the house.
While we fingered in Fuenterrabia alb
sorbing the atmosphere of old Spain, the
time nconsderate enough to run away
ana ledNe US WIN only twisted CildLHel
among sandbanks to remember 1t by. So
we took oddly shaped carriage with
white tasseled awning on 1t and drove back
to Hendaye and our motor car. But the
day was great success, and l congratu-
lated Brown, which Aunt Mary said it was
silly to do, as it is his business to think OF
everything for us.
Now, as you see by the date of my letter,
we're at Pau, to which we came from Biar-
ritz in delicious mornings run through
pearl-colored landscape trimmed with blue
mountains. AS we got into the town the
Lightning Conductor, who was driving,
whisked US through few streets swoop-
ed round large square, and suddenly stop
ped the on broad terrace with an air
as though he said, There! what do you
think of that?" 1 think l gasped. l know
l wanted to by way OF saluting what must
be one of the most wonderful views in the
whole world.
We had stopped on a terrace not the least
like street. AT one end was an old gray
then long line of imposing build
ings, almost too graceful to be hotels. which
they really We're; church sending white,
soaring spire into the blue sky: an open,
shady place, with 4 statue of Henri Quatre;
villas hotels hotels villas in a sparkling line,
with great trees to cut it and throw a
blue haze of shadow. That Is one side OF
the terrace. The other is an iron railing,
a sudden drop into space, and-the view.
Your eyes travel across park where even
in this mid-winter season roses are bloom
ing and date palms are f1ourishing. linen
comes a hurrying river, giving life and
music to the landscape; beyond that wide
sweep of hills, with punches of pOplarS, and
valleys where white villages lie half con-
cealed; and further still, leaping into the
sky, the immense line of the Pyrenees,
looking today SO near and sharply outlined
that they seemed to be cut out of card
board. When l was able to speak l told
Brown that the very first thing should do
would be to walk to those delectable noun
tains. II don't think you could quite man
age it, miss he said, with his quiet smile
for they are nearly forty miles away.
Then we turned round and drove into the
courtyard of the hotel, which faces the
great view.
1t looked tremendously swell, and Aunt
Mary and tried to live up to 1t by sweep
ing haughtily in as If we hadn't collected
any of the historic dust of France on our
motoring coats and hats. Just as we were
acqutting ourselves quite creditably who
should step out from a group of the
very people we were hoping to impress with
our superiority but Jimmy Payne! Oh, you
wicked old man, l believe you must have
wired or written him hint. You know
you have a weakness for Jimmy or rather
for his family. But l can't go about mar
rying the sons of all the pretty ladies you
were In love with in your vanished youth.
Probably there were dozens, for you're as
soft-hearted as you are hard-headed, and
you can't deny It,
Still, don't mind confessing that l was
rather pleased to see Jimmy, not a bit be-
cause ne Is JlHllHS, put DcCduSc He sccHiSo
to bring a breath of homeyness with him,
and ii is nice to have an old friend turn
up in a FAR countree" when you've got
dust on your hat and the other women who
are staring at you haven't. If only the
friend doesn't proceed to bore you by In
sisting on being something more than a
friend. which | hope Jimmy is by this time
tired of doing / think l shall rather enjoy
the encounter than otherwise. AS for any.
thing else. ii doesn't appeal to me that
he's his mothers son. or that he's clever ir
| stocks. or that he's got much money as
| you have. So now you know, and l hope
he does.
l Well we talked little, and then | fount
| that Aunt Mary was chattering like mad
| with the Garrisons Zone talks oneself
| other people chatter foreigners lab
| ber'o: so We were all glad to see each other
| or said so. which comes to the same thing
| "How's your automoble?' was almos
! the first thing | asked Jimmy. for the las
j, time I'd seen him II was the pride of hi.
! heart. II suppose" l said. that. like us
| you're making a tour around Europe OF
| it?"
| / thought his face changed a little. though
| don't know why II should. oh SAID
| he. i've lent it to my friend, Lord Lane
| charming fellow / met last year in Paris
| He'll meet me with 1t a little later. Wher,
| are you going after this?"
We're working slowly on to the Riviera.
said l.
"Oh. isn't that funny" said Jimmy
| that's where Lord Lane and I are going t
meet! At Cannes. or Nice. or Monte Carlo
IL isn't uuite settled vet which I SupDOS