about the disturbing it would be done
for them. So, rather than summon the police, the hotel management
summoned its guest, and the first, and only, interview between the
father and lover of Jane Snow took place.

It was not a long interview, but it was spirited. Captain Zelotes began
by being what he considered diplomatic. Having assured his wife before
leaving home, and the alarmed Miss Donaldson subsequently, that there
was to be no trouble whatever--everything would be settled as smooth
and easy as slidin' downhill; "that feller won't make any fuss, you'll
see"--having thus prophesied, the captain felt it incumbent upon himself
to see to the fulfillment. So he began by condescendingly explaining
that of course he was kind of sorry for the young man before him, young
folks were young folks and of course he presumed likely 'twas natural
enough, and the like of that, you understand. But of course also Mr.
Speranza must realize that the thing could not go on any further. Jane
was his daughter and her people were nice people, and naturally, that
being the case, her mother and he would be pretty particular as to who
she kept company with, to say nothing of marrying, which event was
not to be thought of for ten years, anyway. Now he didn't want to
be--er--personal or anything like that, and of course he wouldn't think
of saying that Mr. Speranza wasn't a nice enough man for--well, for--for
. . . You see, everybody wasn't as particular as he and Mrs. Snow were.
But--

Here Senor Speranza interrupted. He politely desired to know if the
person speaking was endeavoring to convey the idea that he, Miguel
Carlos Speranza, was not of sufficient poseetion, goodness, standing,
what it is? to be considered as suitor for that person's daughter's
hand. Did Meester Snow comprehend to whom he addressed himself?

The interview terminated not long after. The captain's parting remark
was in the nature of an ultimatum. It was to the effect that if
Speranza, or any other condemned undesirable like him, dared to so
much as look in the direction of Jane Olivia Snow, his daughter, he
personally would see that the return for that look was a charge of
buckshot. Speranza, white-faced and furiously gesticulative, commanded
the astonished bellboy to put that "Bah! pig-idiot!" out into the hall
and air the room immediately afterward.

Having, as he considered, satisfactorily attended to the presumptuous
lover, Captain Zelotes returned to the scho