The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1898-12-13
CHAPTER TX.

had determined to lose no time in
attempting to see the document in
Fray Ignacio's box, and, as it proved,
the dinner party helped me materially
Bartolomeo and the other priests
dropped in upon us before the close of
the meal, and were prevailed upon to
spend the evening. Whether my liking
for the senorita had at that time awak
ened reciprocal feeling, 1 didn't
know; but She seemed aware of my de-
sire to get the padres in happy frame
OF mind, and aided me in every way she
could, ordering Pepe to bring Bottles,
and more BOTTLES, for the delectation
Of the company. Palm brandy, or
aguardiente, is the only brand known
in the Ladrones, and that seldom ap.
pears upon gentleman's table. But
light wines, and, for stronger heads,
rum and water, are freely INDUCED in.
The result is rarely drunkenness; the
stuff doesn't act that way in warm eli
mates. But for early-drooping eyelids
and dreamless sleep that works like
anaesthetics, give me two bottles of
Spanish wine that have made the voy-
age to Manila or Guajan. The padres
were built upon the cistern principle,
all Of them; but they were practically
asleep before ii, at which time they
accepted the colonel's hospitality and
fell to snoring peacefully upon the
floor or the rattan sofas, wherever
they happened to drop.
1t was such perfect night that the
semorita strolled down to the beach
with me before retiring, and have a
hazy recollection of kissing her.
Something of the sort, anyway, for
she left her cool fingers in mine for
half a minute before she disappeared.
This and her personal loneliness in
the moonlight, came near to interfer-
ing with my progress; for upon reach
ing my room took an easy chair out
upon the balcony and smoked for over
an hour, thinking of her. The windows
Of her room were diagonally opposite
my own. across the patio; and fancied
once or twice that could detect her
figure among the shadows. After
I awhile, however, it struck me that if
were really going to do anything it was
about time to get att So opened the
sea chest and took out the electric safe
ty lantern, then silently made my way
along the corridors and down to the
room where the padres were snoring.
have been told by doctors that fat
men usually sleep more soundly than
their skinny brethren, and my expert
ence that night seemed to clinch the as
sertion; for, though had to feel over
several square feet of Bartolomeo's an
atomy in my search for his bunch of
keys, he never even wiggled. 1t would
have been possible, of course, to force
the locks; but that was too risky an
operation when simpler methods were
available.
Stepping across the little square, the
air was so still that could hear the
tapping of the ripples on the beach, a
quarter of mile away; and seemed
to be the only living creature awake
had no difficulty in finding the key
which opened the postern' door at the
rear Of the church, and easily stole
through the cloisters as far as the pas
sage leading into the chamber of hor-
res. This was so pitchy dark that
tuned on the current in my lamp and
was startled at the brilliancy of the
light which shot from its lens. When ii
fell upon the CHASTITY figure with the
diseased wish-bone, cold chill started
the goose-fesh all over me; the con.
trast between the senorita's warm
breathing loveliness, of which 1 had
been dreaming, and this semblance Of
/ rotting carrion, was something horri
BILE. had to take good pull at my
flask before I could unlock the iron
trap and descend into the vaults
There. also. the foul dampness, and the
company of real bodies, made my sca!E