I scrawled my name on the register, adding “y Sra” (2) . On the next line I wrote out my wife’s maiden name in full.

The proprietor leaned over the register & looked at the two entries closely.

“The senorita?” he inquired, looking at us.

“There are only two of us,” I said, indicating my wife & myself.

He bent over the register, this time taking out his glasses & putting them on his nose. After several moments he straightened up & removed the glasses, shaking his head emphatically.

“No, senor,” he said unsmilingly.

“Here is how it is, senor”, I spoke up. “I signed my name, & added “y Sra”, for my wife. Then on this next line I wrote out my wife’s name in full, her professional name. That was to make everything plain.”

“But where is the senorita?” he asked, unshaken (3). “I did not see her arrive here at the hotel with you.” He looked at my wife & me, counting us on two fingers of his hand. “Where is the senorita ?”

“There is no senorita”, I said quickly. “My wife & the senorita are the one & same person”.

A broad smile lightened the proprietor’s face.

“That is wonderful !” he said, bowing to my wife.

“What is?”

“You & the senorita are to be married ! It is wonderful !”

My wife & I leaned wearily against the desk. It was almost eleven o’clock by then & we had been up since four that morning. We were envious of all the other guests in the Reforma who had long since retired.

“Senor, let me explain,” I began. “It is a custom of us crazy Norteamericanos. When a man’s wife has a professional name, we sometimes sign both her married name & her professional name at a time like this. She may be receiving telegrams under both names.”

“No, senor”, he spoke up. “That is impossible”.

“Why?” I asked.

“The telegraph office is closed.”

“Never mind, then”, I said, glancing at my wife. She has dropped her head wearily on the desk. “We don’t want to receive any telegrams tonight, anyway. Just give us a room & let us go to sleep.”

The proprietor nodded his head gravely.

“It is all right now,” he said, “I misunderstood. I offer my apologies. I am very sorry. I will now give you two rooms where you may retire to sleep immediately.”

My wife raised her head from the desk.

“One room,” she said sleepily.

“That is impossible,” he said sternly.

My wife held up her hand, showing him her wedding ring. He looked at it uncertainly.

“We have been married for only seven long, long years, senor”, she said wearily.

“My apologies, senora”, he said gravely. “I offer you my apologies time & time again.”

My wife & I walked away, relieved. After we had gone half way to the stairs we turned & discovered that the proprietor was still behind the desk. He was bent over the register with his glasses on his nose again, reading the entries I had made.

“ There has been made a serious mistake,” the proprietor said, looking at us accusingly. “Senora, your husband has not yet arrived at the hotel. When do you expect him?”

My wife & I looked at each other confusedly.

“What are talking about ?” she said, going back to the desk.

“This is my husband here, senor !”

He looked at the name written on the register once more. Then he straightened up, shaking his head sternly.

“It is impossible”, he said.

“What in the world are we going to do ?” my wife asked, turning to me.

“I don’t know”, I told her. “I don’t know what we can do”.

While we stood there, the proprietor took two keys from the rack behind the desk & led the way to the stairs. We followed in silence, fearing to utter a word even in whisper.

When we reached the hall on the second floor, the proprietor unlocked the door & bowed my wife into the room. Before I could follow her inside he stepped into the doorway, blocking my entrance.

“No, senor,” he said, shaking his head at time.