The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1914-07-15

the parents Of romantic damsels des.
tined for some p~rearranged marriage
of state, but very exciting for the dam.
sells and most provocative to the Amer
leans.
After the promenade in the plaza
the mothers by common consent pre-,
empted the upstairs reception-room,
gathering their precious charges In
close; while the Americans, after their
custom, foregathered in the lobby,
convenient to the bar. Hot argu-
ments about the revolution, and pre-,
dictions Of events to come served to
pass the early evening, with many
scornful chances at the Mexican dan
dies who went so insolently up the
stairs And then, as the refugees re
tired to their apartments and the spirit
of adventure rose uppermost, Phil De
Lancey made a dash out into the
darkness and came back with a Mext,
can string band.
"A serenade, boys!" he announced,
as the musicians filed sheepishly into
the hotel. Our guests, the fair seno
r1tas, you know! Well make those
Young Mexican dudes look like two
spots before the war Is over. Who's
game now for q song beneath the win
dows? You know the old stand-bys-
I La Paloma' and 'Teresita Mia'--and
you want to listen to me sing Me Gus
tan Todas' to Gracia, the fairest of the
fair! Come on, fellows, out in the
plaza, and then listen to the old folks
cuss!" -
They adjourned then, after a drink
for courage, to the moonlight and the
plaza; and there, beneath the shut
ter ID windows and vacant balconies,
the ,uitars and violins took up4"La
Paloma," while Phil and a few brave
spirits sang.
A silence followed their first at.
tempt, as we'll as their second and
third, and the comisario of police, q
mild creature owned and paid by the
company, came around and made a
few Intellectual protests. :,
But inside the company's conces.
sion, where by common consent the
militant rurales kept their hands of,
the Americans knew they we're safe.
and they soon jollied the eomisario
into taking a drink and departing.
Then De Lancey took up the burden,
and the string band, hired by the hour,
strummed On as If for eternity.
One by one the windows opened;
fretful fathers stepped out on the bal.
cony and, bound by the custom and
convention of the country, thanked
them and babe them good night. But
the two windows behind which the
Senior Aragon and his family reposed
did not open and, though the dwin'
ding band stood directly under their
balcony, and all knew that his daugh'
ter was the fairest Of the fair. Don
Cipriano did not wish them good night
Perhaps he recognized the leading
tenor-and the big voice OF Bud
Hooker, trying to still the riot-but
however it was, he would not speak
to them, and De Lancey would not
quit. .'
TRY 'em on American music!" he
cried, as everyone but Bud went away
In disgust, "the latest rag from Broad
wa-ay, New York. Here, gimme that
guitar, hombre. and listen to this
now!" f.
He picked out a clever bit Of gym
~copation and pitched his voice to q
heady twang: .,...
Down in the garden where the red roses
Oh my, / long to gol
Pluck me like a flower. cuddle me an hour
Lowe let me learn the Red Rose Ra-ag!'
There was some swing to that. and
It seemed to make an impression, fol-
Just as he was well started on the
chorus the Stats Of one Of the shut
tiers parted and a patch Of white shone
through the spaces. 1t was the ladies
then, who were getting interested!
Phil walled on:
"Swee-eet honey-bee. be sweet to mel 90
My heart Is free. but here's the keyr"
: And then, positively, he could see
that patch Of white beat time. He
took heart of grace at that and sang
on to the end, and at a suggestion OF
clapping in dumb-show he gave an en-
core and ragged it over again.
"Ev'rybody's. dom it, doin' it, dom
it," he began, as the shadow dance
ceased.
Honey. I declare, it's a bear. It's q
bear, it's q bear!'"' he continued
temptingly, and was we'll on his way
to further extravagancies when the
figure in white swiftly vanished and g
door slammed hard inside the house.
Several minutes later the form oil
Don Juan appeared at the lower door
and in no uncertain tones he requested
them to cease.
1.-THE Senior Aragon informs me-" he
said, that your music annoys him."
well, let him come to the balcony
and say his 'buenas noches,'" an
swered Phil resentfully.
1.-THE gentleman refuses to do that!'
responded Don Juan briefly.
Then let him go to bed" replied
De Lancey, stunning a few synco
pated chords; I'm singing to his