Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1903-11-18

much In love with the elder Miss Es-
wrinkled and shrewd old father. Miss
Espirez looked with some favor on
his suit, but she was more than fiat
tered by the secret attentions of the
great, white-haired American who
could say such sweet things in broken
1agalog to her as they walked be-
tween the fields of green rice grass.
Ruiz did not risk his life every time
he called on her, as did Diamond Jack,
who might have been killed by half
Il dozen men who were known to the
girl as ladrones at night and peaCeable
peasants during the daylight. She
liked the open contempt the big Amer
lean displayed toward all her native
friends, and was pleased to think that
he had singled her out ever since that
day when Windy Bates and his escort,
to which Jack was attached, first pass
ed the house stringing wires. Bates
belonged to the signal corps, and the
brief halt made at the Espirez home
had been the beginning OF the court
ship between the Interpreter and the
native girl. The visits of the soldier
gave the house a certain protection,
and therefore the mother and father
did not display any open hostility TO
the coming of the soldier. But he
did not know about Felipe Ruiz and
the girl did not enlighten him. So
things ran along to the scandal of the
troopers, who discussed with vigor over
their vino the probable ending of the
strange romance.
Jack was not in love- but the excite
ment of passing the OutpOsts and get
ting into the danger zone acted as a
tonic that even vino could not supply.
Several times Jack saw Ruiz skulling
around the Espifez house. but lie made
Eo comment at the time. When he re-
turned to the garrison one day he told
Captain Garston that he believed he
knew one Of the ladrone leaders, and
really the soldier thought he was on
the right track. The result was that
smoky Miller and ten men were sent
out next day with the interpreter to
see II they could round up this sus-
plCious individual, for information was
badly wanted, both about Barillo and
Irias. They found their man.. Ruiz
was frantic at his arrest, because he
I'D not know what ugly charge might
be dug up against him, but, although
he was sweated, nothing of importance
was learned, and after about a week
OF Imprisonment in the guard house he
was released. AS he went the native
vowed vengeance on the man who had
been responsible for his temporary
misfortune, and that was Diamond
Jack. The day after he set Ruiz free
the interpreter made one Of his peri
odical trips around the outposts, and
went straight out the Maragondon road
as far as the path through the rice
paddles to the house of the Espirez
girl. He was little astonished TO find
Ruiz there, evidently on good terms
with both the mother and daughter.
The native grinned feebly when they
met. He noticed, however, that the
big cavalryman had seryiceable So
Caliber revolver on his hip, and he was
lLlSDOSeu 10 De lTleHuly.
Then Old man Espirez was found
dead one morning and there was woe
on the house on the MaragondOn road.
II was evidently the work of robbers,
land when Diamond Jack heard of il
he suspected Ruiz, although he said
nothing. The widow, too, seemed to
think that the smiling native knew
more about the tragedy than he was
willing to tell. but she waited until
she could get some tangible proof.
The girl seemed 10 drOOp under the
blow, Tor she had loved her father
Ruiz redOubled his lOvemaking at this
most inOpportune time, while Diamond
Jack was not making as many trips
as he had been. One day, however,
he went out to the little bamboo house,
and TO his amazement was met by
the widow, while the girl was nowhere
in sight. There was plenty of clar-
DlanChel, rather heady wine on the
table and the woman pushing the cigars
toward him. Jack was Just as willing
10 llirt with the mother us the daugh-
ter, when the other was not in sight,
and soon he was more beiuddled than
a man in an enemy's country and be-
yound the outposts should be. The
widow was playing her own game.
She wanted TO know If the interpreter
suspected anything against Ruiz, and
especially If he had any Information
Us to the assassination of her husband.
She suspected Ruiz aud believed that
the American would know. She had
warned Ruiz that Jack had promised
to shoot him on sight, which was a
lie, and now she told Jack that Ruiz
was Jealous and had threatened to
lkill him. Both statements were lies,
but the willy Oriental wished to get
rid of Ruiz and thought she could
force the American to kill him.
The girl was outside at the time in
the grove Of trees back of the house
and Ruiz was with her sent by the
mother to leave her clear field with
the American JaCk Wng we'll along