Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1901-06-04
field to Che walls and church towers
nf Old Manila

field to Che walls and church towers
OF Old Manila.
1t was almost sunset. There was
the usual throng of carriages along
the Luneta and great regiment of
volunteers, formed in line of platoon
columns, was drawn up on the
Campo" directly in front of the
house. Sandy had spent his allotted
half hour by his sisters side, and, re-
mounting, had cantered out to see
the parade. Miss Perkins had de-
clared on the occasion Of her third
fruitless call that not until Miss Raw
sent for her would she again submit
herself to be snubbed. So there
seemed no immediate danger of her
temperance, and yet Mrs. Brent
had given Ignacio orders to open only
the panel door when the gate bell
Changed, and to refuse admission,
even to the driveway, to q certain
importunate caller besides Miss Per-
kins.
Three days previous there had pre-
scented himself young man in the
white dress of the tropics and hat
of fine Manila straw, young man
who would not send up his card, but
in very Mexican Spanish asked for
Miss Ray. Ignacio sent boy for Mrs.
Brent, who came down to recon-
hotter, and the youth reiterated his
request.
IAN old friend" was all he would
say In response to her demand for
his name and purpose. She put him
OF, saying Miss Ray was still too far
from we'll to see anybody. babe him
call next day when DR.. Frank and her
husband, she knew, would probably
be there, duly notified them, and
Frank met and received the caller
when he came and sent him away in
short order.
'The man 10 a crank" said he, "and
I shall have him watched"
The colonel asked that one or two
OF the soldier police guard should
be sent to the house to look after the
stranger. A corporal came from the
company barrack around on the
Gale Real, and it was after nightfall
when next the "old friend" rang the
bell and was permitted by Ignacio to
enter.
But the instant the corporal start
ed forward to look at him the caller
bounded back into outer darkness.
He was tall, sinewy, speedy and had
q 20-yard start before the little
guardsman, stout and burly, could
squeeze into the street. Then the
latter's shouts up the San Luis only
served to startle the sentries, to spur
the runner, and to excite and agitate
Maidie.
DR.. Frank was Disguised when he
tried her pulse and temperature half
an hour later and said things to the
corporal not strictly authorized by
the regulations. The episode was
unfortunate, yet might soon have
been forgotten but for one hapless
circumstance. Despite her announce
ment. something had overcome Miss
Perkins sense of injury, for she had
stepped from carriage directly in
front of the house at the moment of
the occurrence, was a witness to all
that took place, and the first one to
extract from the corporal his version
OF the affair and his theory as to
what lay behind it. In another mo-
ment she was driving away towards
the Nozaleda, the direction taken by
the fugitive, fast as her coachman
could whip his ponies, the original
purpose Of her call abandoned.
As in duty bound. both Mrs. Brent
and DR.. Frank had told Sandy of this
odd affair. Mrs. Brent described the
stranger as tall, slender, sallow, with
big cavernous dark eyes that had a
wild look to them, and a scraggly.
fuzzy beard all over his face. az
though he hadn't shaved for long
weeks. His hands-of course, she had
particularly noticed his hands; what
woman doesn't notice such things?-
were slim and white. He had the
look of man who had been long in
hospital; was probably a recently
discharged patient, perhaps one Of
the many men just now getting their
home orders from Washington.
Z Somebody who served under your
father, perhaps" said Mrs. Brent,
soothingly TO Marion. land thought
he ought to see YOU"
Somebody who had not been a SOL
dier at ALL" said she to Sandy. "He
had neither the look nor the manner
of one." And Sandy marveled bit
and decided to be on guard.
"Maidie," he had said that after
noon, before riding away, when you
get out next week we must take up
pistol practice again. You beat me
at Leavenworth, but you can't do it
now. Got your gun-anywhere?-
the one Dad gave your" And Dad
OF Daddy in the Ray household was
the "lovingest" of titles.
Maidie turned languid head on
her pillow. I'm the upper drawer
of the cabinet in my room, think"
said she. II remember Mrs. Brent's
examining it."
Sandy went in search, and present.
ly returned with the prize, short,
big-barreled, powerful little weapon
of the bulldog type, sending bullet