The New York herald., 1922-10-01

sole leather to make connection with
Jose's hours of business as they really
were, even with the services of a bat
TALON of boy scouts familiar with his
habits who were now regularly enrolled
by us to search him out
In a fortnight we had got together two
chairs and a half, the other half repre-
senting the share of another member of
the old furniture combine who did not
believe in cutting prices without a SUBJ
stantial commission. The third week the
sofa began to be spoken of casually, while
in the fourth week Jose accidentally men,
toned that there was a table that he
knew of that he believed might be had at
some future time
When we could spare the time from our
efforts at keeping up with Joe's office
hours we rarnbled over in Pancho's direc-
ton; he, in the same two weeks, had pol
ished as much as half of the back of one
chair. We found him. a red sash wound
around his waist, a gaudy handkerchief
rolled around his head, braided jacket, knee
breeches and white stockings, in a shady
corner Of his own sunny little patio. which
he shared with flock of brown goats, un-
der an orange tree, with a pet tortoise be-
side him and big green parrot swearing
in seven languages over his head. "Mddre
de DiOz; las Senoras 4n1ericands de neu-
col" he screamed cynically as we entered.
With Pancho we were no more produc-
tive of kinetic results than with Jose, but
our visits were more restful. for here we
got few moments repose and learned how
to sit in Adelaides chairs, listening as
Pancho, expert furniture renovator, joy
fully took the opportunity to stop alto
gether his intermittent labors to tell how
the big antique emporiums of London and
Paris had offered him contracts for life
and fabulous sums in louis and sovereigns
if he would but come to them. But leave
Spain, his Manila cigars, his Cafe de Puerto
Rico and his manzsnilla? Never. Besides,
two pesetas a day were enough for his
needs what should he do with more?" he
would ask as he breathed on the old ma
hogany, square inch at a time stroxing
it tenderly with his bare hand until it
cleaned with the sheen of a senorita's
silken hair.
The indignant San Sebastian friends had
now turned Parisward, we learned Ade-
laide, desperate, in a Rue de la Paix cos
tune herself. climbed up into Jose's many
attics and found the sofa on the day on
which Jose was presiding as referee at a
pelota match in the neighborhood fronton,
losing his hard earned douros betting on
the wrong player.
Pancho then took pity on us and discov-
cred the secret hiding place of table. and
on the strength of this kindly deed took a
protracted holiday himself The patient
mozos still standing by, made swinging
seats of their ropes and straps, which they
attached to the ratings and slept TRANQUILITY
through it all.
We finally brought Pancho to work at
the polishing of Adelaide's mahogany in
our own patio under our own eyes He
came all smiles, being very socable.
bringing his parrot and his tortoise with
him, the latter ito bring him good luck"
he said Certainly an appropriate mascot.
The chief results of this displacement
were musical afternoons when Pancho
brought out his mandolina and gave us
Spanish folk songs, trilling out "Strolling
Through Madrid" and weird, plaintive
Andalusian, Malaguenan and Castilian airs
with a curious Arab lit to them while we
sat enthralled, with only two thirds of one
of Adelaide's tables actually polished
At the end of the fifth week Adelaide
and the 60 h. p. basely deserted the trail of
antiques to catch up with that of her still
importunate friends. She left me to finish