The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-12-23
CASTLES IN SPAIN
BY lola FORESTER.

And what will you do with Barty?''
asked Mrs. Avery.
He could stay where he is. Idon't !
want to marry fireman"
There's widows pension goes |
with it, Jess, mind" her mother said |
soothingly. And Bartys a fine lad
altogether. It's a sight better than
watching from that window for Mr..
Delguardo to show up again"
Jess flushed, slowly leaning her
chin on her hand. 1t was a pretty
chin and it was a pretty hand She
had not lived her life out down in
the basement by long shot From
six to fifteen she had been in con-
vent up the Hudson, and when she
gave the girls her address she always
said she lived down in the old Wash
ington Square studio district, which
was quite true; but she did not add
that her father was a janit>7
Always they had accused her of
building castles in Spain and longing
for the things she could never have.
1t had been joke for years-Jess
and her high flying notions-and then
out of the blue sky almost there had
dropped a real live gentleman from
Spain. Antonio Delguardo, an artist
who took the third flood studio. paid
his rent in advance and acted like a
grandee.
, Before his coming. Jess had gone
out for an evening walk with Barry
now and then when he was off duty,
and had even taken in the theaters
! with him, or an occasional trip to the
beach, but one day when she was
sweeping the basement steps Mr. Del
gardo had stopped at the little iron
grill gate to ask if the mail had
come. and Jess had told him she
would take it up to the studio for
J him.
/ All, no, senorta. not at ALL he
for it. 1t is not for you to come so
far, thank YOU
The whole world turned somer-
sault for Jess right there and then.
Here was one human being who rec
ognized at a glance that she did not
belong to the basement stratum. When
the postman whistled, Mr. Delguardo
came leisurely down and received his
mail, and he bowed to her and smiled.
One day she was directing the vac.
uum-cleaner man around the house.
and came to the studio. She opened its
| AL ALL, ~
the grandee be doing light housekeep
ing? There was what seemed to be
an alcohol stove. but Of strange pat
tern. also some peculiar bowls OF
dark metal, much burned, and other
things, including bottles full of liquids
like Photographic chemicals. All were
rather mysterious. And while she stood
irresolute the gentleman from Spair
walked In. His eyebrows lifted slight
ly at the sight of her. He seemed sur
prised-more, grieved. Jess was al
bushes and anxiety, as she explained
His tone was soothing
1T is nothing, senorita It was thu
dazzle Of sunlight in my poor studio
that bewildered me for the instant
thank you. l kiss your hand IL
token"
Now Jess had never had her hant
kissed before, and she went out {
queen. When he brought her a gar
denia that evening 1t seemed all par
of the new wonder of life, single
gardenia given with such a bow ant
| cto I'M
, front steps listening to the band owe
|, in the square. and she lifted the flOwel
to her nostrils, inhaling it's perfume
luxuriously after he had gone up.
MY, it's hot, amt it, JESSE" sal,
Mrs. Avery, coming heavily up out o
the basement for a breath OF air
But Just at this moment two strang
gentlemen paused at the steps and In
quired for Mr. Delguardo.
Hes not had visitors BEFORE" Mr.
8 Avery specialized.
8 Jess was silent. Vaguely her castl
n in Spain was taking shape, and sh
glided through its black and whit
marble corridors and watched from 1t
:, terraces for Senior Delguardo. o
Q would they call him Don, she wor
8 dered dreamily.
s 1t was about three minutes afte
e there came a smothered explosio
O from the third floor studio. Some
o body turned in fire alarm at tn
t corner, and ii was Barty's compan
l. from over on Greenwich street tina
o responded Jess stood down in tn
8 hall when he passed by and he stoppe
u Just long enough to say The bull
got Delguardo."
s She had seen it herself-her graz
dee with handcuff on one wrist, pass
i ing out of the house in custody. He
y father was busy telling the police
man about IL ard she heard. De
guardo was receiver Of stolen golt
u lie melted it up neatly into ingots j
his tidy little ighthousckeepin
utensils, and his name was not De
guardo 1t was Quincy Jack"
Somewhere at her feet lay the ga
. enia. Unconsciously, Jess arms wer
y like her mothers when Mrs Aver
vas on the offensive akimbo a |
y County Limerick.
Smoky and dripping. Barty was tn
last to leave, after the firemen ha
L .Xtinguished the blaze Mr.. Delguard
ad started by trying to ignite tn
,ioGhol and escape in the excitement
. How about TIE movies tomorrow
light. giriie?" he asked.
The castle in Spain became mil
age. It seemed good to strike cart