Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1910-01-29
CHAPTER II.
In Which I Meet His Lordship.

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CAVean officers, largely naval, to
judge from their rather respondent
uniforms, occupied this second table,
and it was evident that they had been
drinking to excess. 1t was their loud
voices and boisterous laughter which
first attracted my attention, and l
soon caught sufficient of their incau-
tious speech to discover they were
bantering one among their number TO
carry into execution tipsy boast he
had Just made over the wine. The
special officer thus singled out as butt
for y boisterous wit of his reckless
compM .ons was a naval lieutenant,
n rather tall, cadaverous fellow, salloW
faced, his short black hair standing
erect and bristling, his mustaches
dropping so as to shade the corners OF
his mouth. His cheeks were flushed
with temper from the rough sallies at
his expense. and his lips uttered
burning Castilian curse, as he arose
somewhat unsteady to his feet, and
glared about into the eXpectant faces
of his laughing tormentors.
"Sacro Cristo! you will see, camar-
adas you will see!" he declared, bra
cling himself for the effort. "Caramba!
what sailor fears in presence of beau
ty?-puf! not l."
He turned short about, his sword
chains rafting, and strobe directly
across toward the unconscious Briton,
who stared up at him over his roast
beef in petrified establishment. Fun
DC hnlt hn In
truding officer finally brought forth
card, and placed it ostentatiously upon
the table, bowling low as he did so.
II would myself to introduce to the
senor," he announced with drunken
gravity, and in amazingly broken Eng
lish. a Teniente Lootenant Sanchez,
Chilean lavy; one of the first family
in this Country. Maybe you know me,
hey? l was with dc Almirante Coch-
rane, when the capitano call on you
In the leetle ship. Now | would the
bettar-r acquaintance make with the
great Ingles, an the ladies', the most
boot'ful ladies'" and his sunken eyes
rested gloatingly on the surprised face
IF the girl. who had half turned, the
better to observe him.
1t was all so swiftly, so impudently
done that the astounded Briton could
only stare. his lean face reddening
with annoyance. This hesitancy, as
we'll as something in the constrained
attitude of the younger woman,
seemed to encourage Sanchez; his ex-
preston changed to a satisfied smile,
while his lank figure bent in another
aeremonious bow. this time directed
toward her.
"Ah, knew 1t would so be-" he said.
1nsinuatingly. 1T vas so told 1t to
my bravas camaradas. 81, 81, 1t vas SO
ever-the uniform make us welcome
With the ladies'. They lofe the brav';
is 1t not so. senorita?"
BY this time the outraged pater-
familiar had stiffened into rock. his
eyes coll and hard behind their glass
es. In frigid contempt he deliberately
turned his back upon the fellow. say
ing Jelly:
"You impertinent scoundrel! am
accustomed to selecting my own
guests, and you are certainly not one
of them"
The Chilean laughed, perhaps not
wholly ,comprehending the words. and
remRinNd twisting his mustache be-
tweeTong white fingers. He was far
too drunk for fear besides being up
held by military contempt for civil
ians.
"Pah! It's pig of a papa" he sput-
tered, half turning to witness the ap-
proval OF his laughing companions be-
hind. But the smile of beauty still
invites, and Juan Sanchez fears not
before man or devil"
He strobe around the table, his scab-
bard clanzing on the stone floor, drew
out the single vacant chair and planted
himself In 1t. his back toward me, his
t.4npudent face leering across the
white cloth toward the startled, indig-
nant wohan seated opposite. watched
her graz eyes widen from astonish-
iment, only TO darken with indignation.
She pushed back her chair, half rose
ito her feet, and sank down again, her
cheeks flushed. her bosom rising and
falling unanimously. Her evident con-
tempt for the fellow would have utter
ly crushed any one less befuddled into
embarrassed silence. But Sanchez
merely grinned, his hands still toying
with his mustaches.
"Sangre de Cristo, was 1t not so,
mees? he questioned, insinuatingly,
utterly ignoring the helpless man sput-
tering at the head of the table, who
could only glare at him with open
mouth. THE uniform of valor is tire
best introduction to the favor of the