Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1914-01-30
AUTHOR Of THE CITY that WAS, ETC.
ILLUSTRATED By T1drryR GrisSin6eI
coPYRloEtT leIa eoRes-MERRILL 60

DO you happen to know any of our
Spanish songsT pursued Estrilla.
only Juanita. think-and La Pa
Iona"
Estri1la looked as though he might
have laughed but for Spanish polite
ness.
Those are Spanish for outside con-
sumption, as when the English call
your cheap oil-cloth is 1t not-'Ameri-
can cloth Let me sing to you--but
a Spanish song does not go well with
the piano"
There's a guitar over in the al
cove" announced Betsy Barbara.
"Far-seeing maiden!" exclaimed Es-
trilla with such delicious Spanish
roll on the vowels that Betsy-Barbara
laughed a little; and he, as though un-
Outstanding, laughed with her.
So he tuned the guitar, Betsy-Bar-
bara finding the key for him ON the
piano. And while he tweaked the
strings. he made comment on them,
as:
"This-you hearts the angel-string.
It Ii for celestial harmonies. One can
not 60 wrong on this string; but 1t is
too f1ne and high to make all our mu-
sic. This is the man-string. You can
go very right or very wrong on this
one" "Thees one" he pronounced It;
and he drew out the vowels as though
lingering on the thought. This is the
woman-string. Listen-how discord-
ant now! tune 1t to the man-string.
for / am God Of this little world-and
now how beautiful"
you are talking poetry!" said Bet
sy-Barbara; and thought Of the phrase
ar somewhat awkward.
"Ah, but am inspired" replied Es-
trilla.
Gle surely doesn't mean me-"
thought Betsy Barbara, that would be
too delicious!" However, he was look
ing not at her but at the guitar.)
He strummed little shimmering
chords as he spoke. He fell to silence,
but still the languorous music Quivered
from the guitar. Betsy-Barbara turned
about on the plano stool, her hands
folded lightly in her lap. her eyes cast
down.
1t was many years before Betsy-Bar-
bara, looking back over everything,
could analyze the feeling of that mo-
ment, could put it in its true relation
to herself and her life. At the time,
she knew only that she sat there I'M
passive. embarrassed, but inert, that
she felt shame yet also furtive pleas
ure at the steady look of those caress-
ing eyes. 1t lasted only moment
The outer door slammed violently.
Betsy-Barbara started as though
caught in something guilty. She heei-
tated a moment for fear of showing
her feelings to Estrilla. Then she
walked out into the hall. There Yves
no one In sight. That seemed curl
Gus. since the hall stairs were not car
peted, and one could hear footsteps.
1t was as though some one had opened
the front door and then quickly closed
1t again without entering. When she
turned back, puzzled. she felt the me-
cessity for explanation.
IT thought 1t might be Miss Hard
Ing" she said, falsely-T wanted to
see her"
He only smiled the same caressing
smile. But the spell was cracked; and
Betsy-Barbara herself completed the
break Half an hour later she winged
a hint, which he caught mid-course, as
he seemed to catch every delicate
shaft of meaning. He rose and babe
her formal good night. Il hope | may
sing with you again." he said at part
ing.
Betsy-Barbara went to her own
room. She dwadled over her prepare
lions for undressing, making a dozen
starts and stops. She was not sleepy;