Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-09-26

we for moment thought that Cuban duel was at
all serious, anything but farce the authorities
didn't even bother to wink at
Then the Write-up
pURLEIGH wrote up the affair in his best style.
u The cause of the duel was as follows: In the
Spanish countries young men are seldom permitted
to call on young women In most OF these countries
calling is not allowed at all. The parents arrange
marriages, perhaps begin negotiations before the
proposed contracting parties have ever seen each
other.
In Cuba since the first coming of the Americans,
of the old social restrictions have been relaxed
which means very little. however. A few families
allow young to call, a battery of chaperons
trained on them from all Sides But, somewhat
compensation, they may take certain liberties I'M
known among On the curb, in stores, one may
breathe passonatey into the of passing girl,
How beautiful Genteel ,n enchan ,hsr 81
other things The girl looks straight ahead and pre-
tends not to hear. The mother and father may be
along and they also pretend not to hear:
mentary word Everything is sympathetic. The
papers call clubs sympathetic bull fighters and ai
aai players, members of Congress, debutantes res
taurants negro political associations, almost every
thing except Chinese laundries and mules.
One evening in the presence of circle of friends
of the participants in the duel had been dllat1ng
upon the hackneved character of the compliments
they accustomed to utter or mutter on the curb
as previously noted.
1t is always the old thing. Now why not
say something new, something original. There IS
sympathetic and there is pearl. Why not JOIN
them in combination novel and chastely charming
and say, Sympathetic pearl?
vention, this happy coming of new phrase OF com
plment and his comrades chorused in admiration
i How grand, how delicate, how sympathetc! All
but one of them did, and it recalled afterward
that he maintained silence, glower1ng. He and the
innovator in love with the same girl.
1t reported that on the very next afternoon ne
stood in front of the TELEGRAPH Cafe when the girl and
her mother going in to refresh themselves with
icecream and said in voice of poignant tenderness
"Svmpathetc PEARL" OF course the ingenious in
ventor of this romantic encomium regarded this as
base treachery.
Burlegh in his article deposed that the borrower,
the purloiner of the verbal jewel claimed that he
had not spoken as reported that he had been talking
chemistry to friend and that the senorita passed
he happened, by pure if unfortunate chance to give
vent to the words. sympathetic ink" The occur
renee had been garbled and misrepresented he sald
but the offender refused to apologize.
Burleigh described the duel with dash and vivid
ness drawing upon his imagination tor all but the
locality, time, and those in attendance. he repre-
sented it as desperate affair where the principals
carved for hours" and finally ceased from exhaus-
ton and because they dying for smoke.
A Call on the Reporter
0NE afternoon ten days after the article had
~ appeared as l sat visiting Bureigh we heard
the sound of many wheels in the street below a
large and grave company OF slim young men was de-
barking from an array of cabs. The office was only
stones throw from the hotel arcade, cafe or club on
Central Park where they must have collected to
at cost of eight centavos each. They filed IN and
stood about Burleigh, silent and solemn company,
as about bier
1t was the dueling party, part of it. We felt a
little queer when the spokesman with delicate lack
of reproach let gather that because OF Burelgh
article the police had been compelled to take cog
nzance of the duel and they had all been fined one
hundred and twenty-five dollars each We felt still
oueerer when we learned that the slinmest young
man who had participated in this roaring farce had
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