The Washington herald., 1920-12-03
ANO. HENRY STORY
The Enchanted Kiss

Suess III move down the other way.
Wonder what she meant by saying
they were going to eat herr
Tansey began to feel sleepy. but
after a while he decided to move
along again. This time he ventured
into the street to his left. 1t ran
level for distance. and then dipped
gently downward. ouening into a
vast, dim. barren space-the old NIL
itary Plaza. To his left, some hun
dred yards distant he saw : cluster
Of hickering lights along the Plaxa's
once.
Huddled within narrow confines
were tee remnants of the once-fa-
nous ptrveyors of the celebrated
Mexican national cookery. A few
years before, their nightly encamp-
ments upon the historic Alamo Plaza
IN the heart of the city had been a
carnival, saturalia that was re
nowned throughout the land. Then
.he caterers numbered hundreds
the patrons thousands.
! Drawn by the coquettish senori-
les, the music Of the weird Spanish
,nInstreis, and the strange piquant
Mexican dishes served at a hundred
e.pphpeting tables. crowds thronged
e alamo Plaza all night. Travel
rancheros. family parties, gay
gasconading FOUNDERS. sipbt.eer.
ana prowlers of polyglot. oxIisb
san Antoine mingled there at the
center Of the city's fun and frolic,
me popping of corks, pistols. and
questions. the glitter of eyes, Jewels
ana daggers; the ring of laughter
the night. oef Vi
| but now no longer. To some half
uozen tents. fires. and tables had
owindled the picturesque festivaI
ana these had been releeated 10 an
arcient disused plaza,
| oIten had Tansey strolled down
| 70 tnese stands at night to partake
oi 'he delectable chili-con-carne- a
alsh evolved by the genius of Mex
ico, composed of delicate meats
minced with aromatic herbs and the
poIsnant chill colorado "a COM
pound full of singular savor IN
fiery zest delightful to tbs sorth
ron's palate.
The titillating odor of this CON
coction came now. on the breeze 10
tne nostrils of Tansey. awakeninS
IN MIN hunger for 1t. As he turned
that direction he saw a carriage
oash Up to the Mexicans' tents ont
VI the gloom of the Plaza. Som.
nsures moved back and forward in
Ihe uncertain light of the lanterns
ana then the carriage was driven
swiftly away.
Tansey approached. and sat NJ ona
OF the tables covered with gaudv
ohcIoth. Traffic was dull at the
moment. A few half-grown bows
noisiiy Jared at another table: tie
heHicans hung listless and phlep-
inatic ABOUT their wares. And IL
was sui. The night hum of the
y crowoed to the wall of dark
oui,olngs surrounding the Plaza,
ana subsided to an indefinite buzz
through which sharply perforated
tne crackle of the languid fires and
the rattle of fork and spoon. A
sedatlve wind blew from the south
east. The starless armament pressed
| down upon the earth like a Ieaden
cover.
In all that quiet Tansey turned
MS head suddenly, and saw. with
out disquietude, a. troop of spectral
horsemen deploy into the Plaza and
charge a luminous line of infantry
mat advanced to sustain the shock.
He saw the fierce flame of can
non and small arms. but heard no
sound. The careless victuaIlers
lounged vacantly. not deignine to
view the conflict Tansey mildly
wondered TO what nations these
mute combatants might belong;
turned his back to them and or
dered his chilli and coffee from the
Mexican woman who advanced to
serve him. This woman was old
and careworn; her face was lined
IKE the rfnd of cantaloupe. She
fetched the viands from a vessel
set by the smouldering fire. and then
retired to a tent. dark within, that
stood near by.
| Resently Tansey heard a turmoil
In Nhe tent. a wailing. broken
4 hearted pleading in the harmonious
Spanish tongue, and then two fig-
ures tumbed out into the light of
the lanterns. One was the old wom-
an; the other was\a man clothed
with sumptuous and flashing
splendor. The woman seemed to
clutch and beseech from him some
thing against his will. The man
broke from her struck her brutally
back into the tent, where she lay,
whimpering and invisible. Observ-
Ing Tansev. he walked rapidly to
the table where he sat Tansey
recognized him to be Ramon Torres,
Mexican, the proprietor of the
stand he was patronizing.
Torres was a handsome. nearly
lfull-blooded descendant of the Span
ish. seemingly about 80 years of
age, and of a naughty. but extreme
ly courteous demeanor. Tonight he
| was dressed with signal magniti-
| cence. His costume was that of a
| triumphant matador. made of pur-
pie velvet almost hidden by jeweled
embroidery. Diamonds of enormous
size flashed upon his garb and his
hands. He reached for a chair, and.
seating himself at the opposite side
of the table, began to roll a finical
cigarette.
(To BE Continued Tomorrowo