From Ramon Wxyz Poem by Morgan Michaels

- besides, he looked quite handsome. But, he was mortified when, sitting down opposite his host's daughter, he discovered his oversight. The astute young woman was thrilled.

'I'm so sorry', he exclaimed. 'I've forgotten my jacket'!

'Relax! It's too late to be sorry', she smiled, pleased by his fix. 'So, why fret'?

She didn't admit he looked well in shirtsleeves, but thought he did.

'Fetch your jacket after the sopa', she directed. 'I, for one, don't mind'.

Opening her fan, she plied the air with such vigor that he felt the breeze across the table.

His upper lip moist, Ramon remained in shirtsleeves till well after the entree.

When he rose, recovered the jacket and sat down again, she leaned across the table:

'Feeling better, now'?

Stubbornly, he said he felt equally at home, with jacket or without.

'Yet', she laughed, teasingly, 'you donned it, finally'.

He found her charming- so much so that at the end of dinner, when the men went up to smoke, he stayed behind- not because he didn't indulge but because he wanted a moment alone with Julia. She was lively and daring. Once, she made him laugh.

In the weeks that followed the two saw each other often under the distant eye of Julia's governess, a good-natured mulatta from Cienfuegos. Julia professed a love for Cuba which didn't preclude a wish to view the world. She longed to see Paris, where she heard the shopping was first-rate. When he told her of his coming trip to the Spanish capital, she was thrilled. When he described the vexations of preparation, her attention waned. When he listed with whom he would stay, who he would visit, and of his introductory letter to the aged Duchess of Alba, who'd sat for Goya- it returned, somewhat. When he told her of his plans to meet with the heads of certain top law firms, it revived fully. Her eyes grew wide, then thoughtful.Her mouth formed a perfect 'O'. She nodded sadly and said she guessed it was a good thing, overall. The next day he swore to write daily, if not more. She was eager to learn about Madrid fashions and advised him to keep a log. Illustrations wouldn't hurt, she added, 'if possible'. She never doubted his safe passage or the temperate weather that would attend it. That was foregone. It wasn't worth mentioning, so she didn't.

One day, after a walk in the garden, he proposed, if she could wait to be wed till his return. Her clear, grey eyes studied him thoughtfully. He was bright, well-favored, rich, hard-working and naive. Obviously, he adored her. As she saw nothing the matter with this, she accepted, reasoning a few months not too long to delay. She expected his return to bring them some new coup, social or fiscal. 'Yes', she said, on condition that her papa approved- (she knew he would) . The young man had a future she was ready to share.