The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1900-12-25


Another day Randolph made his way
to the adobe house of the Espendolas,
telling himself too much was at stake
to be deferred by an old woman and a
silly girl. This time he was more for
tunate. The madre was away from
home, and the soft eyed Rosa had lost
her first indignation at his offer of
500 She explained that her mother
had often been besought by visitors
to sell the chest. There had been
some artist people and some writer
people who had come to Monterey and
! had given her no peace about it. but
no one, she assured him. could get it.
1t was to be hers. He was welcome to
come again to see it If it gave him
SO much pleasure, especially on
Wednesdays, when she would be alone,
but he must not anger her mother
again by asking her to sell it.
The Transformation wrought by Ro-
sa's cleaning was such a revelation
that Randolph was even more enamor-
ed by the second sight of it. He would
have embraced it, grappled 1t to his
soul, could he have done so. He saw
it in fancy in his own apartments in
tapestried corner where the dusky
tones of the mahogany and brass cary
ings would suggest a nook in the Al
hambra.
That evening Randolph related his
adventure to Miss Smythe- Browne as
they strolled down by the tennis courts.
Miss Smythe- Browne was very sympa-
thetic with his mood, for she appreciat-
ed his fondness for collecting. In the
moonlight she was very beautiful. and
Randolph was beginning to wonder if,
after all, she was not about as near
what Mrs. T. Courtney Randolph
should be as any one he could find.
With what queenly grace she would
preside over his cushioned homei But
the idea of his apartments without this
chest was now impossible.
Again and again he went to look at
it. The little girl was always there.
and now there were two yertebre be-
fore the chest, so she could sit beside
him and chat while he looked and Gov
eted her one possession. They might
have got almost any sum from him
now However. all his antagonlsm
was aroused by the obstinate indiffer
ence of these two simple. ignorant wo-
men. He was not to be baffied. He
vowed he would have it at any cost.
ga stubborn woman he unused. can
not be driven and unfortunately, can
not, like her prototype, be beaten. But
everybody has some cloud in his sky"
he went on philosophically as he start
ed off one day toward the beach re-
calling the woeful tale his boatman
had told him of an adorable senorita
and an unrelenting mother.
"Why don't you elope with the girl.
DiegoT he asked his gloomy boatman
when they were well out from the
shore.
"Oh, the senior does not know her
motherp' he answered. "She's the pc
luquera at the big hotel, and"-
Eyes, but do know her, then, to my
SORROW" interrupted Randolph, laugh
ing, for a sudden CLEAN of hope had
leaped into his mind at the discovery
of their common cause. Cheer up,
he continued. "a woman is very much
like one Of these fish, Diego-she can
always be caught if only you have the
right bait" And he smiled superior
smile at the things Diego did not know
about women. Then he fell to wonder
ing how he might manage to help Die
go make his fortune sufficient to marry
the girl and get the chest out of the old
woman's hands.
Before he had reached the shore
again he had evolved a scheme. he
would play the good angel. Diego, he
argued, If he married Rosa, would be
too shrewd to let the sentiment about
an heirloom stand between him and
the 1fngling double eagles, and, as he
was not an American, he would have
no other idea than of being Caesar in
his own household. However, he re-
allied that Diego must not suspect an
Interior object In his interest.
Rosa was very much surprised and
only half pleased when the next time
she saw Randolph his whole converse
ton was about Diego's many virtues.
"And Diego is getting so prosperous
too. He is now half owner of brand
new fishing smack" he explained,
wisely concealing the fact that he him.
self was the other owner. He even
arranged day, during the absence OF
the peluquera, when the three of them
should take a sail as far as Lovers
point.
Everything went off exactly as it had
been ordered, and Randolph's COM
placencY knew no bounds. 1t was
very comfortable to be so good. 1t
was also very sweet to watch the hap
DIV lovers in the prov, for Diego's suit
had prospered under the influence OF
the beautiful new boat Randolph's
mind reverted to Miss Smythe-Browne.
feeling that, after all. there's nothing
half SO sweet in life as loves young
dream" To be surs, he had not seen
her quite so frequently the past few
days, but when the business in hand
was satisfactorily settled he would fol-
low Diego's example and make himself
the happiest of men. If he had looked
to leeward just then, he might have
seen the object of his reverie in pass
ing yacht, shifting her parasol before
her astonished, resentful eyes, al
though she was bound to admit the
little Spanish girl was very pretty.
When, later, Randolph asked Miss
Smythe- Browne to go out with him to
try the new boat, she sent him word
she was indisposed and could not think
of going. But Randolph's serenity was
not disturbed. How she will rejoice
with me when the chest is really
miner he thought at is such a
satisfaction that she has a fondness
for these things too" And he lapsed
into his chronic complacency.
The role of good angel suited him
admirably. and he wondered why he
had never essayed to play it before.
He accepted Diego's gratitude magnan-
imously, adding: "Never mind, my
good fellow, the wheel spins round
| may be asking favor OF you some
day."
And Diego's prompt Anything, any
thing, senior, within my poor powers
you may command" made Randolph
feel that virtue really ought to be Its
own reward.
A week after the wedding, at which
he had been guest Of honor. toastmas-