The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-06-21

ulI HDt uItdu DflIlE Ndllfu ~ IAut Will
him. Yet he would dismount at the
end OF n long day in the saddle with
as much calm grace as though he were
returning from a canter round the town.
For he was always calm and dlgni-
fled and silent. as only a gentleman OF
CASTLE can be. Not insolent or taciturn
or overbearlng. but simply closed in
himself He treated all men-all white
men at least. for natives do not count
with quiet courtesy, and had neither
enemies nor friends. Even the guests
who shared the almost princely hos
pitality OF the great house at Echague
knew very little OF their host.
II was a house, that place at Echague.
built four square and heavy as a fort,
Of great blocks OF sandstone. and back
Of 1t was a huge walled garden. OF
course Don Enrique had other houses.
three of them, in Ilagan and APART and
Manila. But he was as much man OF
the open as any Of his world searching
forebears, and loved far off Echaguc
better than all the rest.
Here. when the shipping was over,
and the last barangayan lay loaded To
the waters edge above the rapids at
Alcala. waiting for the first gentle lift
~ the rains to carry her safe down TO
APART. Don Enrique would retire with
"A band of chosen companions to hunt
and game hard and long. Few men
were invited a second time or wished
to he. for with all his courtesy Don En-
rluue was an cxacting host in the hunt
ing season.
Long before dawn the hounds would
lie belling in the patio. the great tiled
courtyard. and the sleepy guest, turn
ing on his pillow for another nap. would
hear a mighty splashing from the room
Of his host, and the vicious squeals OF
the fiery little stations In the stables.
and the clink Of stirrups and bits and
spears. And before the unhappy sports
man could quite fall asleep there would
come "A peal Of trumpets in the haunt
ing reveille. and boys pounding at each
door: Ready. senores. ready. Your
coffee Is ready" And so they were up
and away In a mad rush over hill and
valley through the gloom, anything but
attractive to a man who had "A decent
regard for his neck
And when they returned Don En-
rlque would come riding at the head OF
the long line. grave and composed as
| ever. while the huntsmen were loaded
down with a beautiful great buck or a
the greatest matador in Madrid would
not have been ashamed Then after
the huge hunt breakfast would come
the welcome rest Of the siesta, and in
the evening a mighty game mallilla or
monte or billiards. for Don Enrique
PLAYED as he worked or rode, with a
| carelessness OF consequences not at all
| pleasant to a man with decent re-
gard for his purse.
SO one by one the guests sailed away
down the mysterious river and left Don
| Enrique alone in the great house at
| Echague Ia be master OF all he sur
veyed. And there he moved about his
lost world and was capped and bowed
| down TO and had his courteous. imperi-
Gus way until I think he really began
to feel that he was very great man
indeed. And perhaps he was as great
| as any other.
But solitary grandeur has its draw
backs, even to as grave and great man
as Don Enrique. and as the summers
came treadng on each others heels
with their burden OF endless days Don
Enrique. slipping his Rioja In solitary
state in the great dining room, where
the sweetness OF orange blossoms stole
In through the wide windows, began to
dream dreams OF companion who
should sit always with him OF an eve
ming across the big cleaning table or
come close beside him and share his
thoughts.
No. Don Enrique was not thinking or
a wife; Don Enrique had had a wife
and "lost" her, as he told the world.
But there was his little girl Mercedes
| -. H.. al. L.,
drld. His little girl he called her In the
letters he sent back each month, for she
always lived in his memory as the shy
little maid he had given to sweet
voiced mother superior so many years
before.
1t was for her that he had been work
ing all these years and plling up these
princely possessions, and over his grave
proud face would come a look OF almost
womanish tenderness when he thought
Of her. This thought OF her had sus-
talned him In all the loneliness and he
had always dreamed OF her coming as
the final browning touch to his life.
Some time" said Don Enrique often
to the lizards darting about the table
~ an evening, as lizards will. "somt
time she shall, come to US" And some,
how some time Always fingered In tn,
future.
. But at last one evening when tn,
odor Of the blossoms hung very heav,
In the damp, still air and the thunder
, was muttering In the pass far back o
, Santa Lucia Don Enrique stopped hi
/ slipping and looked very hard at tn
9 great-grandfaiher of all the lizards.
Il tremendous old fellow. almost nv
inches long. And the lizard returne
Q the stare with his bright, t-ady eyes.
: "Por Dios, my big friend" said Do
o Enrique to the lizard at last, "she sha