3I2
THE GREEN BAG
by the plaintiff's counsel and by the plaintiff himself, and also by the Court in its final decree. The law of procedure of the islands allowed ten days for an appeal. Within a very few days after the decree aforesaid, it began to be noised abroad in the village of Bacolod and throughout the surrounding country, that the successful litigant was pre paring to give a fiesta, which being inter preted literally means a feast, but which in this instance specifically meant a dinner dance to be given at his palatial country house, in celebration of his victory, and incidentally to taunt his defeated opponent. The second largest city of the Philippine Archipelago is called Iloilo. One of the causes contributing to its abounding pros perity is that the sugar crop of Negros reaches the markets of the world via Iloilo, which is a splendid seaport, and also a port of entry from which the sugar of Negros may be shipped directly to China, Australia, or India without stopping at Manila. The plaintiff, Don Aniceto Lacson, had a wide circle of acquaintances in Iloilo, as a wealthy planter naturally would have in the city nearest his estates and this acquaintance was the more intimate because he had several highly accomplished and handsome daughters. The Lacson girls had been edu cated in the French Convent at Hong kong; they spoke French fluently and were extremely good musicians. The Lacson mansion was provided with a fine piano upon which the daughters often performed to the delight of visiting friends. Their home being five miles "from town" — i.e., from Bacolod, and Iloilo being just across the straits about 20 miles from Bacolod, the Lacson girls often visited the larger" city, where they were always feted and enter tained during their stay. Young caballeros always danced attendance upon them with enthusiasm. As the time drew near for the Lacson baile (ball) all social Iloilo was on the qui vive. Don Aniceto was not a man to do things by halves. He chartered a
steamer when the time came, and brought over a whole ship load of guests from Iloilo, to attend his entertainment. Naturally the defeated defendant chafed under the noise of his adversary's preparations for signalizing his victon-. On the tenth day after the decree was rendered, which was also the last day remaining for appeal, the counsel for the defendant came to the courthouse and "had the honor to announce," in very courtly fashion, that the defendant was not going to appeal. This was of course ex tremely gratifying to me, because it was an implied admission that the judgment was a just one. I expressed my gratification, and told him with earnest cordiality that in asmuch as a house divided against itself cannot stand, it was most devoutly to be wished that his client, the uncle, should be reconciled to the plaintiff, his nephew, forget the family feud, and live hereafter upon terms of amity and concord. Counsel replied with true Castillian elegance of man ner, and said he would convey this message of peace and good will to his client. Whether he conveyed the message or not, I do not know, but certainly he succeeded in soothing the wounded feelings of the vanquished. It seems, as •was afterwards learned, that he pointed out to his client that while the plaintiff's prayer for injunction had been granted, yet his prayer for damages had ndt been granted, and therefore he, the defendant, had been as victorious as his adversary. The defendant at once adopted this cheery view, and diligently circulated this theory of the case among his disappointed friehds and partisans, who likewise accepted it and reiterated it with enthusiasm, whenever the partisans of the plaintiff were heard boasting that he had won the case. A day or two after the counsel for the defendant made to the court the announcement above men tioned that there would be no appeal, the presiding Judge received an invitation from the defendant to a dinner-dance, which invitation recited that it was to be given by the defendant in compliment to his counsel.
