The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1890-09-10


fore, was all the more imperative. These
were the days that had well nigh broken
Amy's heart. He thought often of her
anxiety, but he could not help her.
There was nothing to be done; he could
only hope for the best.
There was something revivifying in
the air of the higher levels and in hav-
ing to use his powers Of strategy, and he
began to improve at once. He reached
the vicinity Of Las Delicias, concealed
himself part of the day in the Pedre-
gal, or lava field, and went at night to
look for his letter. He was right in sup
posing Amy would go often to the trys-
ting place under such unusual circum-
stances. He found a letter from her,
full of alarm at the prolonged rupture of
communications. For the rest, besides
the collected news from New Y DIRK, she
gave him some Of the uneventful gossip
of the hacienda.
II told you all Of it before" she said,
"in the letter left for you a long time,
and then had to take back, because you
did not come. Now | tell you again;
perhaps | shall have to take this back
also. There is little to say about our
quiet life; you could almost invent it all
for yourself. Bat it may interest you to
hear that our exemplary friend the Jefe
Politico, Senior Don Tomas Corcovedo,
has formally proposed for the hand Of
Luz, and has been rejected. You would
have learned it from my former letter,
for it happened u good while ago. Senior
Corcovedo has shown himself very in
dignant in consequence, and has tried to
be disagreeable in various ways. | hear
that he has let fall to the general grum-
bling, half threatening expressions about
people who are lukeWarm in their de-
votion to hegoyernment. But this surely
could not have been intended for our
dear general; for nobody is more truly
patriotic than he.
But why do talk Of other things?
Where are you? what has happened? l
come to look, SO often, and find nothing.
Am wrong to be SO oppressed and anx-
ious?"
Walter replaced it with his own, as on
former occasion, adding a few words to
the effect that he would not go at once,
but would try to wait about to receive
some little further communication from
her. He found the ancient corral, that
had been Trinidad Jose's, deserted, and
took refuge there for the night. There
would have been an excellent view of
the memorial cross, in the morning, from
behind it's low rambling walls, except
that number Of yellow straw stacks
were scattered over the space between,
the faces of some Of them rudely sculpt-
ured, after not unusual custom, into
bas-reliefs of saints.
He saw Amy go by from a distance,
however, with a group Of the family
about her. The children sported in ad-
vance, and with the elders among others
was Sister Beatriz. How his heart beat
as Amy went by! He fancied, from his
remoteness, she looked pale. She leaned
on the arm Of Sonora del Prado too, as
if she we're not very strong.
''Can it be in any degree on my &C
count" he wondered. eff so. she is soon
to be reassured.'
The company remained an hour or
more-it was pleasant rural spot where
they might we'll enough pass a little
time, though it in no way compared
with the garden-and then he watched
them on their return. AS soon as the
coast was entirely clear he slipped out,
and, shielding himself behind one straw
stack after the other. daringlv risking