The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1922-08-09

more sinister as II the effect Of night
life was making itself felt The
rambling torrent flowed on. into tho
Rsmblas from Callc Carmen and the
Callc San Pablo. out OF the Ramblo
into the side streets in return flow.
Something bloody must have been
going on. for We saw a bcelike swarm
OF couple of hundred people being
charged by the mounted police, be-
fore which the crowd scattered like
chaff borne by the wind: or again 1t
may only have been two peasants
from out Tarrasa way trying to make
their local dialect understood. The
point OF honor with the Barcelona
police IL not to let a crowd collect for
any reason.
Cafes, restaurants and not few
shops were still doing business. bar
bei shops were AT the height of their
activity. For diversion my friends
took me for shoe shine at finely
appointed corner bootblack place that
would have done credit to Times
Square or the Loop.
BY this time we were supposed to
be In need of refreshment again and
were piloted to an upstairs eating
house which made a speciality only
of Catalan dishes. We ate heavily.
for We had grown hungry, choosing
our combinations, from chicken, lob
sters. shrimps, veal. plmentos' stuffed
olives, rice and garbanzo peas In
salad, all served in a terra Gotta
platter as big as table top.
Four o'clock and no suggestion OF
bed. Instead mdnsdnilld in back
street wine shop, haunted by bull
fighters and guitarists. | had the
honor Of shaking hands with the
torero who had won the congratula-
tions for his prowess that day in the
Plaza from the Civil Governor.
Five o'clock and the idea Of sleep
was still hooted. There was still
morning sleeping cap to be taken in
cinnamon chocolate soaked up in
couple of ensemddds, a hot, heavy
doughnut, originating in the Balearic
Islands, a night out from Barcelona.
On the Ramblas the night birds
had by this time rambled away, but
the morning gangs were already
coming to take their places and were
rambling as hard as ever.
One Rambla institution was al
ready doing business; perhaps like
the bootblacks and the hairdressers
1t had been doing so all night. A
little battery Of sentrylike boxes held
crouched and cioaked male and fe-
male figures debating letters to the
public letter writer. Love letters or
business letters, it is all the same to
the cscribicnte and his scratchy pen,
but I was told that the love variety
predominated in the days and nights
work, when it wasn't that they
threatened murder to the recipient.
Six o'clock actually did find us
drawing up on our hotel, where the
blind musicians were still twanglng
joyously away before its door, They
greeted US like old friends, evidently
recognizing our footballs, but with
dignity and condescension.
We paid them for the privilege OF
listening for the thousandth time to
the popular song of the moment.
which they sang in French, by the
way, which seemed curious. but
which was explained as being for our
special benefit. not knowing the Ian
guage of the "Yanqui." The refrain
was never out OF hearing during our
stay in Barcelona:
"Avec ton occur
Faites mon bonheur."
Upstairs the supple green lath
jalousies hung over my flower be-
decked balcony and through their in
terstices. as l looked down on the
Rambla below and saw the indus
trious ramblers still at lit. | knew
that the hearts of the Barcelonese
must be located In their feet.