Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1906-09-08
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!! %OMANCE OF SEVILLE:
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BY ALPHONSE MURlz.

INV AAAOA AAAAAto SNl ~ III AdJ AdoA
two pretty girls, Paquita Vasquez ant
Rosina Ortiz, called upon him. "W,
are laundry girls" said Paquita
land knowing you to be rich an(
charitable, we have como to ask you
to do something for one of our fel
low Workers. poor widow with sil
children, who lives in a wretched gar
ret"
II shall send her 200 pesetas (S4OI
to-day" said Don Alsina, but why
did not the poor widow come hersel
to get help from me? 1t is wei
known that am always accessible t.
any deserving poor person who is IL
need of assistance"
"Our poor friend" answered Pa
quita, "is old and-and she has lost
all her good looks, senor"
But l never withhold my aims
from people because the inflmities o.
age have robbed them of their goot
looks" said Don Alsina. There
must be some other reason why she
did not call herself"
The girls giggled and exchanged
giances. THE truth is" said Roslta
"our poor friend thought she would
get more from you if we told you her
story, because we, so our friends say,
are-are rather pretty, senor."
Don Alsina laughed and the girls
blushed. THE widow shows" he
said, that if age has deprived her of
beauty, it has increased her wisdom.
l shall send her 800 pesetas. Now
what can l do for her charming
representatives in whose selection
Sho has shown such excellent judg-
ment?"
1--WE leave that to your own gen.
ecosity, seno?," said PaQuita 1--WE
laundress girls are all very poor and
we work very hard"
And are there among these laun-
dresses who work so hard for such
small pay more girls who are as pref
ty as you two are?"
Eyes, senor," answered Rosita;
"there are some who are much pref
tier-at least, so their sweethearts
think"
81 fear I should hardly agree with
their sweethearts, said Don Alsina,
CALAMITY, "but will tell you what
will do. Yesterday l bought ticket
in the national lottery, the drawing
for which takes place next week.
The number of my ticket is 1907. l
am Teputed to be very lucky man.
Send me the names OF the five pref
test laundresses in our quarter, and
If my ticket wins the grand prize,
$4,000 pesetas ($5000), promise
to divide it among them. Whatever
prize ! win - if / win any - the
money shall be given to them"
The l~e girls elected were Manu-
ella Pinedo, Rosita Ortiz, Paquita Vaz-
quez, Encarnacian Garcia and Lola
Fernandez, and every night until the
drawing took place these five girls
prayed "evoutly that the ticket bear
ing the number 1907 might win the
grand prize.
Ticket No. 1907 won the grand
prize, and Don Alsina at once sent
for the happy laundresses and re-
ceived the in his finest apartments,
where he made a pretty speech, de-
claring that no event in his life had
ever afforded him so much pleasure
and that he was fully prepared to
abide by his promise and divide the
100000 pesetas among the five FRET
ty girls.
"Oh, you angel" exclaimed the
buxpm Lola, and, greatly daring
threw her arms around him and
kissed him. Don Alsina said some
thing that is the Spanish equivalent
of next" and each of the other four
pretty girls in turn followed suit.
such delightful experienced
makes me wonder how it has hap
pened that I have so long remained
a bachelor" said Don Alsina when
the last of them had finished. But,
alas! as l am not a Moh0mmedan,
and furthermore as the laws OF
Spain forbid polygamy, l cannot
marry all five of you. / can only
marry one of you. To make choice
of that one myself is a task far be.
yond me. With your consent pro-
pose to have recourse to a lottery
again to settle the matter. Does
each one of you agree that she will
accept me as husband for better OF
worse, If she draws me?"
Eyes, senor," answered the five
girls in chorus.
Don Alsina inscribed his name or
slip of paper and folded 1t up He
took four similar slips that were
blank and folded them up. Then hi
deposited all five papers in hat.
Now" he said, 1.-The one of the
five best and most beautiful girls IL
Seville who draws from this nat the
slip of paper on which my name Il
written wins me for a husband.
Encarnacian stepped forward first
thrust her hand into the hat held b!
Don Alsina, drew forth a slip o
paper and unrolled it. 1t was blank
She did her best to look as If she die
not care much, but it was a poo
make-believe.
81 comes next" said Don Alsina
unmoved. Its your turn, Lola"
Lola drew another blank and coult
hardly repress her tears.
I'M follows a. said Don AL
sina. Now, Manuela, try you
luck"
Luck declared for Manuela. Sh
drew the slip OF paper on which Dol
Alsina had written his name. Al
present congratulated Manuela an,
felicitated the bridegroom-elect. VIII
had SO expeditiously and adroitl