The Argosy, Vol. XXIV, No. 1 — page 114: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

SETA A CUBAN HOLD UP. without so much as a salutation by the way, as we all climbed into our volantes for the homeward journey. Thus comes to a close the prefactory portion of my narrative, and leaves the way open for a line of introduction. Imprimis: We, that is, Tom Golding and I, had taken a voyage to Cuba for the improvement of our health, which wasn’t suffering much, and for the extension of a Spanish vocabulary, which was suffering a great deal. We arrived at Havana but poorly equipped for contact with a foreign people and their language, relying chiefly upon two strong letters of introduction from the head of a prominent business house in New York, to his commercial correspondent in the interior. of Cuba. Asa rule, letters of introduction to Cubans and Spaniards are not worth the paper they are written on; but ours proved the exception. We ‘received a warm welcome from the Havana representative of the planter to whom the letters were addressed, who assured us that, while Don Antonio was not then in town, he did not doubt what our reception would be. He would forward our credentials at once, and, as it would take several days for a reply to reach us, we had better “‘do the town,’’ and see the sights of the Cuban capital. We had faithfully followed the agent’s advice ; had seen all the available lions, and then taken a run over to Matanzas, whither the ex- pected invitations were to be forwarded. On our return from the cave, we found at our hotel a most cordial invita- tion from the planter inclosed from his Havana agent, and also a passport from General Campos, permitting us to cross the trocha. Next day at noon we were on board the train for Colon, which, if it made schedule time, would drop us at a side station early in the evening. ‘There we were to stop at a fonda over night, and next morning take coach for the remainder of our journey. : There was only one passenger coach on the train, and that was hitched behind a long line of trucks and cattle cars, making travel anything but agreeable, despite tlhe beauty of the scenery by the way. ' There were few passengers, for at that time Cuba was indulging in a general scare, and travel was likely to be interrupted by insurgent raids; but to our great astonish- ment we observed, right in front of us, the haughty Cuban and his distract- ingly beautiful daughters. They were his daughters (this much we had learned) for they called him “‘ papa,’’ and devoted themselves most assidu- ously to his comfort and entertainment. : We were much depressed by this discovery, and did not recover our wonted equanimity until some distance on the journey ; then, feeling tolerably sure that none of the passengers understood English, we chatted unreservedly of our various impressions. But wander as we would afield, our conversation constantly reverted to the most interesting incidents of our trip. ‘* Strange coincidence, or rather, a series of coincidences,’’ I remarked. ‘Which was the one who fainted, Tom—can you tell?’’ ‘*FBaith, not I. ‘They are enough alike to be twins. But if there is a wore beautiful girl anywhere in the world than the one at the outside of the seat, it is the one on the inside. One of them has made an indelible impres- sion on my heart; but hanged if I know which.”’ (E(0) micboo KS (E(0)