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I Leave it to You?

I had this story told me in the smoking-room of that most palatial of palatial liners, the "Empress of Antarctica," the day before we reached the Spanish coast, and the man who told it vouched absolutely tor its truth. He was a big man, with a red face, and a perfectly vile cigar, but withal [sic] a friendly soul, and a rich man, too, I had heard.

Someone had said, I know not who, that the age of romance was dead, and that dollars, francs and the pound sterling ruled in its stead This the big man indignantly denied, and told this story in support of his view, which I give in his very words:—

The morals of Donna Luelita would probably not have passed in your more intolerant island, but in Ei Torero, which slumbers amidst the Spanish hills, they went without comment or censure.

For Donna Luelita had been mistress of too many men. Following the call of her warm and changeable heart, she had played fast and loose with anyone sufficiently young and desirous, at the time keeping a weather eye open to see if any rich senor would stray into her gossamer web.

Until one day the well-known Senor Dalvarez. fat, old and ugly, it is true, but the only banker El Torero knew, chanced to meet her. Immediately Luelita began to beguile this tempting catch, and to paint to him the very numerous virtues of marriage with such a charming senorita as—well. Donna Luelita herself.

That she was bound to succeed seemed obvious. Unfortunate Senor Dalvarez. who had hoarded up his money all these years, was almost assuredly lost. That charming spider. Donna Luelita. had him caught hard and fast.

But there was a dashing young Toreador for whom Donna Luelita had much admiration. He was her constant attendant and her devoted slave. Poor young Escamildo saw in her the idol of his dreams, his dream woman who would mother his children and make for him a home. Ho had read Donna Luelita very wrong indeed.

And one day, when he was at her apartments, she told him very gently, as she lay in his arms, that she was going to marry Senor Dalvarez.

"But he is old and fat," said young Escamildo.

"He has much money," said Donna Luelita. "Now kiss me, my Escamildo."

Escamildo kissed her. and for the moment forgot, everything else.

But he did not forget it for long, since Donna Luelita began to be seen increasingly in public with fat old Dalvarez.

And as old Dalvarez had so much money that it would be foolish to risk losing so big a catch by playing with so insignificant a being as Escamldo, she dropped him altogether.

Donna Luelita was very sorry to do that, for Escamildo was a dear, but fat old Dalvarez was a very rich man, which was more than being just a dear.

Escamildo was more persistent than Donna Luelita would have liked. He still paid her very em-barassing visits at her rooms at nights; not em-barassing in so far as reflecting on her morals, but because it might cause a calamity.

Should old Senor Dalvarez meet young Escamildo at her rooms, that would be enough to break the fine and carefully set web she spun for him.

It was here that Fate took a hand in the affairs of Donna Luelita.

Young Escamildo rushed into her rooms one night. "Dearest, apple of my heart," said he, "I cannot stay away any longer. Give up that fat and stupid old Dalvarez and be my own dearest. You need not marry me unless you like/' he finished, showing, I am afraid, that young Escamildo's morals were also not of the strictest.

But Donna Luelita liked Dalvarez's money-bags better than Escamildo's caresses.

"Ah! Escamildo," she said, "would that I could, but my hands are tied; I need Dalvarez's money very badly. If I do not get it my creditors will put me out of my lovely apartments, and that I could not stand Escamildo" which was an awful falsehood. for Donna Luelita had quite sufficient money to keep her in plenty for a long time—many men had helped to fill Donna Luelita's coffers.

"Well, said Escamildo, bitterly, "if you will discard me thus T will leave you forever. I will let the bull kill me in the bull-ring to-morrow. It would be a fitting end for poor Escamildo.

He laughed and left the room, and as he went down the stairs never saw the portly gentleman he half bumped into as he descended. That portly gentleman had seen him, however, and also where he had come from, and was just doing some hard thinking. Which was all to the detriment of Donna Luelita.

Donna Luelita was very surprised next day when fat old Senor Dalvarez told her that he was going to marry a widow as fat and ugly as himself, as he was in dire financial distress, that only her fortune could relieve, which was a he but he had to make some excuse; and the sight of young Escamildo descending the stairs was enough to scare him off—he was known as a very moral man.

It was not the only surprise that day for Donna Luelita, for that afternoon, soon after siesta hour, they brought in to her rooms—Escamildo, and he was dead. Very dead, for the bull had made no mistake with poor Escamildo, and he had not wanted it to. Dying, he had said, "Take my body to Donna Luelita. the cold-hearted, and tell her that Escamildo died because he loved her."

They did as he asked, and when they came to examine his small estate they found that he had left all his small fortune to Donna Luelita, so that she should never be turned out her attractive apartments. As if Donna Luelita ever should have been?

* * * *

By chance I visited this very town of El Torero, not more than three weeks later, and I was somewhat surprised.

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In the first place, El Torero is one of the most modern and noisy towns I have seen. Amidst the roar of buses, the scurry of cars, the thunder of heavily-laden lorries, my taxi conveyed me to my hotel. It was evening, and I saw the gaudily lit theatres, each with its crowd in the foyer. The bills announcing a current attraction at one of the theatres bore a, name strangely familiar to me, and I recollected that it was the name of the big man on the boat who had told me the story, and remembered that he was President of the Eclat Films Inc., a very influential combine.

As I was ruminating, my taxi drew up at the kerb, and I entered my hotel. It was quite a modern hotel, run on American lines.

Out of curiosity I asked the bell-hop if he went to the bull-ring much, but he said he thought the sport too professional, and that he preferred football. This rather deterred me, but nevertheless I looked up the telephone directory to see if any Donna Luelita happened to dwell in El Torero. I found, unfortunately, that many probably quite respectable matrons rejoiced in that Christian name, for there was quite a half-column of them.

So I left it at that, and wended my way to the bar.

J. A. C.