The Washington times., 1903-02-01
THE BOOM AT LOS ALNENDROS AND WHAT IT Al

{ ~ u4SJuTD- Inen ne stepped Ddch Aud
/ tapped lightly on the door.
Al dinner he had looked forward TO this
visit with no small degree of uneasiness;
but be was received in a manner where
in even his fastidfousness could find
nothing to deplore. There was none OF
that exuberant outpouring Of gratitude
which he had dreaded. The young girl
thanked him, her hand again, for an in
slant. rested on his own with warm
clasp. then her eyelids dropped, and she
resumed her seat on the sofa. The old
lady added her appreciation with a soft,
hesitaung, Spanish accent, and it was
ended
With matters Of financial import ever
first in his mind. Stanley at once entered
upon the subject of their difficulties.
once more he was compelled to listen to
the whole tale from Mrs. ATguello her
self This he did with an air deepest
| interest. albeit his eyes occasionally
strayed toward the young girl on the
! sofa Then he presented what to him,
as he explained. seemed the only solution
Of the matter. and that was an agree
ment by which, If finally forced to make
sale, they should sell to him, and for
a price considerably greater than that Of
| fered by Danton.
I haven't the least desire to dispossess
you, he vouehs afed pleasantly. II hope
you will be able to meet the payments;
but should you not. why, in this way you
are certain of obtaining the value of your
place In doing this I am actuated'-
and he lowered his eyes purely BY
business motives. and deserve no thanks
whatever If you need the money for
your Iand-which I hope you won't-it is
ready for you; if not, I simply spend it
elsewhere"
! Possibly it occurred to Stanley that.
I from his surplus, he might have loaned
them the necessary. amount. It certain
/ ~ did not to his hearers-Derhaps be-
cause such a course would have oeca-
stoned that through which. in earlier
days. they had lost everything mort
gage. And there was a sort Of iTTesist-
/ fbIe fascination about his words. buoy
/ ant. off-hand and convincing, and when
/ he spread out the document before them
! 1t was signed without even reading
/ Then, with it safely slowed away in his
pocket, the subject was dropped
/ Mrs. ArgueIIo rose presently and left
/ the room. and to Stanley the remainder
/ Of the evening slipped away most agree
ably AS might have been expected,
/ after the occurrence OF the preceding
/ day, Marie appeared animated by 3
/ vague reserve. but this once broken, she
e
/ Reclining on the old sofa. mandolin in
hand, her loose house gown revealing
a softly rounded throat Of dazzling pur-
ity, and falling about her slender figure
in little caressiag folds, she presented
picture in perfect harmony with the low,
weirdly rhythmic music that ncated
from beneath her fingers And yet, with
al. StanIey's hand occasionally wandered
toward the pocket in which he had
placed the recently signed contract. and
and with it the whole scene appeared
TO dissolve before his eyes.
Not until he had arisen to go was any
reference made to her arrest. Standing
on the veranda. in the dim light that
shone from the hallway within, she sud
denly asked:
DO you think I shall be taken into
court soon2"
Never. I hope, he returned. fervent-
ly-and yet with a slight blush Then,
lingering for an instant over the hard
which she again extended, he turned
awav
The next day was for Mr. Flint q busy
one. Scarcely had the sun taken rs
first peep above the horizon when it be-
came known that he had virtually Sc
cured that for which they had all striv-
en-: and with this knowledge the boom
might have been said TO acquire its first
actual and solid impetus Stanley. with
an ingenious freedom which men some
times pitied. permitted all 10 bask IN
the light of his diamonds and watch
their little city develop on paper be
meath his facile hand. a petition was
drawn up. asking that the franchise be
considered at a special and earlier meet
ing-thcugh the mayor was present. and
would later be found IN tae directorate
OF the road. Architects were consulted,
contractors were summoned. and grades
discussed; and through it all there float
ed q financial sincerity in which even 4
skeptic would have found it difficult To
pick flaw
In like manner, also, passed the
ensuing day. and each of the next six.
During that week there was never a day
in which Stanley did not ind some pre-
tense for visiting the lake. and he. sell
dom went there without Willing away =
few moments on the veranda or within
the stability furnished parlor Of the old
adobe house on its shores.
At special meeting, which was at
last called to consider-and to grant
the franchise. he was not present. Pre-
sumably he was occupied elsewhere. and
with matters of greater Importance. This
presumption, however. like many others.
was erroneous. He was comfortably en-
sconced in his room. and his occupation
of the moment was the consumption of
a cigar and the suppression of an IN
wOnted irritation occasioned by short
note which he had received from Miss
AngueIIo.
Why this should have disturbed him.
perhaps even he could not have told Il
merely stated that her mother. through