The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-04-19
THE EVENING STORY
Senior Peldano'S Daughter.
By Ella NJ. Bangs.)


| hacienda of Senior Peldano. can tell
| you" Ned Oliver paused : moment
| before he continued This hacienda
| is one of the most extensive IN all
| in medieval times visiting feudal
baron, for these estates are really
relics of the feudal system. The
senior too, to give him his full title
/ is no less a parsonage than senior
! Don Enrique Jose de Gonzales Pei
dano. And when all the rest has been
said there is still his beautiful daugh-
ter, famed as the most charming
senorita for miles around"
Phillip Worth smiled indulgently.
He and his friend were young Amer
leans visiting Mexico in the interest
he f1ecked the ash from his cigar he
remarked ut would seem from your
remarks that our prospective host
| has rather more than his share of the
good things of this world"
so others think, and not few
stand ready to partake OF his pos
sessions, for it is said that the senior
puts in all his spare time framing
| prifuse regrets that he cannot &C
cept the many proffers for the hand
of his beautiful daughter, Aurora"
rs she so very beautiful"
Her beauty is unusual. You know
that a pure Castilian is a blonde.
Such is Donna Isabel, the senor's
| wife. and their daughter, while in
heriting the delicate coloring and
| blonde hair of her mothers family.
has at the same time the lustrous
dark eyes of her fathers race. But
you will see
The two young men found them
selves enjoying the hospitality of Senior
Peldano. who, with the profuse Gus
tom of the country, assured his guests
that the house and everything they saw
was theirs. They did not meet the
daughter at dinner that first night;
but while Phil was dressing on the
following morning, Ned knocked on his
door, and, upon entering the room,
drew his friend over to the window.
"Beholdr' he exclaimed; Aurora,
goddess of the morning!"
Phil looked, and standing at the
entrance to a terraced garden was
a young girl. Her fair hair was I'M
bound. and fell ripping over her
shoulders. She Wore a loose gown of
rose color confined by a silver girdle,
and as they looked, she moved down
among the flowers gathering one here
and there.
Phillip drew a long breath. almost
too picturesque to be real.'' he declared.
When they met the senorita at break
fast, she was entirely conventional both
in dress and manner, and some of her
flowers adorned the table. She spoke
English and Phillip was surprised to
find her well educated.
The remaining members of the house
hold were the Donna Isabel, and a sis
ter of Senior Enrique, the Senorita Re
fugia. The guests met the women of
the family in a manner quite unex-
pected in Mexican household, and
from the first Phillip seemed to be re-
garded with favor from the senior him
self to his daughter, and Ned looking
on, thought with a smile that if Sen
Orita Aurora felt what her dark eyes
expressed. hers was by no means the
first girIish heart that had been caused
to f1utter by glance from his friends
blue eyes.
AS for Phillip himself he admired his
hosts beautiful daughter as one could
not help doing, While al the same time
he puzzled over the attitude of the girl
Was this coquetry-this seeming inno-
cence? Whatever she meant, this re
puted queen of a, hundred hearts he
was content to let matters go on as
they were for the present. She accom-
panied her father as he showed his
guests about the home with it's pictur-
esque courtyard and immediate
grounds. Yes, Aurora PeIdano was
about her was that she did not seem
the spoiled beauty he had expected to
find, but showed 2 disposition as per-
feet as her outward charm.
After dinner came the daily family
siesta. and later Aurora sang to her
fathers guests. On the following morn
ing Senior Peldano would take his
guests about his estate. A fine auto
waited before the courtyard entrance
and a chauffeur glanced about with
bright dark eyes. How he kept his
head covering in place was a mystery.
AS the four men whirled away, Phillip
turned to his host with the remark:
"An this will make it hard to go back
to work, I'm afraid
Whereupon the senior declared that
he could wish his guests to remain for
ever. An hour later one of those unac-
cOuntable accidents occurred. The four
men were thrown out and Phillip was
picked up unconscious. Great was the
excitement and lamertation when at
length he was taken to his room. Ser
wants ran hither and thither. while
Senior Peldano strobe about in a fine
rage, swearing that he would behead
poor Lopez. the chauffeur, with every
other breath. Sonora Peldano called 70
see Phillip, Senorita Aurora sent flow
ers, and as for the senior, what did he
not do in the way of attention? At
length Phillip was allowed to go out to
the veranda surrounding the courtyard
and here Aurora, accompanied by her
mother or aunt, called upon him daily
Tell me about the young ladies of
your states" she said one morning. IT
have been in Spain and France, but
never beyond the Rio Grande to your
country
Phillip told of his sister and her
friends, and the girl listened atten-
lively.
"And which, senior. is the one-the
particular one?" she asked.
The young man glanced at her, then,
comprehending, returned: There is no
particular one"
is the senior quite truthful?"
quite truthful, senorita.''
One day Philip suddenly awoke to
the disturbing fact that he, too, had