The daily Alaskan., 1906-03-15
THE PRICE ef A NIGHTS
 ENTERTAINMENT
LorIglnalI

ing. A young girl opened the door and bade him enter. The stranger was so struck with ner beauty that he scarcely heard her say:
 Such as we have to ofrer, senor, we will give cheerfully, but 1t Is very lit tie"
 With his eyes still fixed on the girl the stranger entered the living room, where sat an old woman, her mother, who brought to bear on him a pair of cunning eyes, as If to learn whether Ee had means to pay for his entertain ment The stranger was well dressed, and the old woman, judging that he had money, said:
 "We are very poor, senor, but judg- ing that you will not let us suffer for the nights entertainment we will take you in. Teresa, go and prepare the room for guests"
 Teresa went out looking very much mortified. She had understood the stranger to ask for the treatment of guest and had wished so to grant his request. The stranger understood the old woinan's avarice, but said nothing Re did not even promise to pay for his entertainment. Teresa got up a good supper, of which the stranger partOok heartily, and after 1t was over and she was washing the dishes he sat with the mother.
 Your daughter has rare beauty" he said.
 Do you think so? We all consider her beautiful. She should make fine match with such beauty. Yet all the money she Is to get is 2,OO0 philips, She is engaged to a merchant of Sc vile, and that Is all he will give. He should give twice as much, especially since he Is fifty years old, while she is but seventeen"
 During the evening, while the stran- ger was sitting with the mother and daughter, there was timid knock at the door, and young man but q few years older than Teresa came in. The stranger noted the expressions on all three faces and read a story in them. The old woman scowled furiously. The daughter cast pathetic glances at the newcomer and appealing gIances al her mother The young man was the picture of despair The story told was that the young people loved, but the man having no money to give the mother would not grant her consent, The rest had been given by the moth. CT when she said that Teresa had been sold for 2,O0O philips.
 The stranger sat quietly watching all this. The mother vainly tried to freeze out the young man, but he hung on in spite of her scowls for an hour, when he arose and took his leave. J Teresa went to the door with him, and the stranger, who had sharp ears, heard their parting words:
 Carlos, we must be resigned. Moth CT will never consent to my marrying without money"
 'I cannot be resigned to such a fate. shall seek death either in the bull ring or as a soldier"
 Then there was a long silence, and the stranger knew that Teresa was in Carlos arms. The next heard was Teresa's footstep on the stairs going to her room.
 In the morning before rising from the breakfast table the stranger said:
 "Senora, am sorry to say that l have not sufficient funds with me to discharge my indebtedness, but l think that I can suggest way by which you can be paid. am an artist of Seville. If your daughter will sit for me for Ter portrait I will pay a philip for each sitting"
 And how many sittings will you re- qulre?" asked the old woman greedily.
 Twenty to thirty"
 The old woman's features that had taken on a severe expression when the stranger said he could not pay relaxed. Even 20 philips would be far in ex- cess of his indebtedness. So 1t was agreed that Teresa should go into the city every day when bidden till the picture should be finished. Before the stranger departed he said that If Tere- sa should choose the portrait instead of her pay as a model 1t should be hers. This threw the old woman into a pas sion, and she accused the stranger of intending to pay nothing in the end.
 Teresa was punCtual at the sittings, and quite often the artist summoned Carlos as well. saying that he desired to call out her best expression. When the work was finished Teresa, advised by the artist without consulting her mother, chose it instead of her pay as model. The artist put the portrait up for her at auction.
 It happened that DoR Miguel de Re bera, to whom Teresa was to be sold, saw the picture on exhibition. On the day of the sale he went to the auction, where a thrOug of bidders were col lected, and when the sale commenced he bid as high as a thousand philips. But the bidding went far above this, and the picture was at last knocked down for 10000 philips.
 The lovers, who had nc idea that the painting would bring much more than was due Teresa as model, could not understand what all this furOre meant Indeed, Teresa was so confused that she did not know at what price the DOT 4,.,f+ bo1 bnn,, cold Torlos l-Dayy and