CASTLES IN SPAIN

NZ Truth, Issue 817, 9 July 1921, Page 7

CASTLES IN SPAIN

And Doubting Thomases In Maoriland ROMANCE AND CHIVALRY APPEAL IN VAIN. Christchurch Citizen Refuses a L Fortune. Burku, \in his gloomy reflections on the Fitench Revolution, paid sadly, "The a&e of chivalry is dead!" The times give him the proof. Even m Christchurch, which was wont to be. a hospitable home for founders of new religions and needy adventurers exploiting the old, Romance hastens to her lodging m the- cold, cold- ground. It is true that Dr. Thacker abides with us, but he provides merely comic relief to the serious business 1 of municipal politics. The ordinary Christ--church citizen is becoming a slave to Hard Facts ! and the Real. As a case In point comes the news of the refusal of a resident of the Holy City to participate m a fortune offered to him m most romantic circumstances. He is offered a long- lost niece, a handsome senorita of Sunny Spain, whose portrait is sent to him as a guarantee of good faith. Instead of embracing the fortune and the niece, he becomes an arrant agnostic, and unfolds the story of the castle m Spain ,to a ribald reporter, who makes picturesque copy of It, full of distant color. Arid yet the story of the Spanish prisoner would move a heart of stone. His castle, it is true, is m the air, so to s,peak, he himself being m prison, as the-.res.ult of a political plot. Don Edouarde, as ..the unfortunate calls himself, was a captain of engineers m ; the -army :-of Spain, but was given -a Job as Gommandante m the British Army at the. instance of ."General •Lord Fred Roberts." His father was made, "Major Generallislmo of the Indian; Army," and soon after died. This is qtiite credible, and even the news, that he left a bank note (English) for £1060\to serve as a dowry for his daughter, is not impossible. But the Christchurch man has his doots, for his Spanish relation goes on to say ♦that' after resigning his "dimission" m the army (his English is original) he put into his credit m a sure English bank no less a sum than £75.900, and got ."a- warranty, of it payable to the bea.rer." -This valuable document Don Edouarde lost somehow, having got mixed up- in a scrape' with the police, m which he got "A VERT GRAVE WOUND IN THE BREAST," and the Spanish Courts got the warranty for tha gold; The incarcerated Don seemed to lose all hope for himself m this world; his dream was shattered, but his heart bled to think of what was- in store for his daughter wrtieii her dad "is died-." Hence the appeal to' the Christchurch man, who has survived the age of chivalry and Is, to this pathetic plaint, as cold as the stones of Don Edouarde's cell. This breaks up the Don entirely and he departs this present evil world, leaving a -will and a daughter to thetender mercies of Fate. This daughter gets ' irito touch with her relative m Maoriland by means of a letter writ m choice Spanish-English on blackbordered, notepaper, forwarding a copy of the will, of which one Enrique Varnier, a chaplain, is the' executor. Don Eddie leaves the Christchurch agnostic a third of his testamentary wealth, and the whole of his daughter, for a Blight, consideration m |the way of ready "money, help and protection, etc, etc. The daughter is charged to be loving and obedient to her guardian, the Doubting Thomas who refuses to make any advances either m cash or kindness to his kindred of Spain.

The niece's letter would wring tears from the eyes of a marble statue, or melt the heart of a stuffed gorilla, but only made the Maorilandev grin. Here it is: My dear uncle and guardian, with deep sentiment I inform you that ■my dear father has been died after this painful illness, consequence of the wounds received. lam left with any support but your and that from the honorable chaplain our protector, who tell me I will be with you ■ as soon as you will sent him. the money -wanted. Trusting I hope to leave, happy with you, since nobody m the world but you. I enti - eat you .;'.. not abandon me for I trust m our good Gocfc who will protect us. 1 I have suffered very much and only want consolation, is very sorrowful, for me, and not powered to , resist much time. I keep m my . breast a letter that my father, moments before died, delivered one, for which I delivery you m person. I ask to Mr. Varnier if he receive any letter from you addressed to . any death father to deliver me ; for I can assure you I have the please to and you my photo, that you may. know me before start to your house m company of Mr. Varnier. I send you my everlasting affection and remain your desolated niece. The chaplain protector of the charming daughter ofj Valencia also has a gift for the writing of quaint and curious epistles, but even this that follows failed to touch any romantic spot m the prosaic breast of the addressee, who has interests m Spain, but no belief at all m castles m Spain. The chaplain chap gives specific instructions hereunder: » Mr. Edward charged me his daughter interim she start for your house near you telling me that the future • residence o^ the orphan must be completely secrecy. As soons as . possible to " obtain the secuestration of the effects I will start for your house m union of it and the orphan, it is if you send me the sum of money to pay these expenses at the •.tribunal and m order to^abrievate as far as possible' andresoTve promptly what is important regarding this affair. It is convenient at. the same time you send the amount to pay to lawsuit's costs, also travelling expenses of both. The only way of to send' me the money without to call the attention of anybody I beg you to send it m . a draft to be cashed on the place of London "England," to the name and address of my brother-in-law who is m a commercial house as follows: Europe — Spain Pee. Castellon Don J. Ferrer Fortajador Pi y Margall 54 Vinaroz. ■ ■•:' : I -beg you once more of follow all my instructions which are those I received- from the deceased and all will end with great felicity. All to no purpose. The Christchurch citizen is not investing m Spanish insecurities, even with the, seductive senorita thrown m as a blooming bonus. • Far far away m old Madrid or verdant Valencia sigh the shade of Don Edouarde Fidel,, the unhappy prisoner, his daughter dear and debonair, Marie B. Sanchez (who wants her fare to the Holy City) and Enrique Varnier f clerk. in Holy Orders, lament- , ing the unhappy faithlessness of the [ times, the infidelity of the unfaithful, and wondering if, after doing all they can to keep the spirit of romance alive for a quarter of a century, they have survived their relatives and friends. «' •