The Aberdeen Democrat. (Aberdeen, South Dakota) 1???-1909, 1903-12-11

were selfish, and
So Simplicia returned the s%alutation.
and stood leaning over the bulwarl
tasting the delirious delight of her first
Irritation. The mamie was a college
boy until the United States govern
ment gave him a suit of khaki and
the right to bear the former designa-
tion-thrilled with joy at the delicious
novelty of the situation. He was in a
city that was at once the tropics and
the orient, and over which hung the
glamour Of departed medieval days.
For several hundred years guitars had
tinkled on that river, and voices had
been lifted to latticed windows. The
air was laden with ghosts of every
thing but common sense and %scruples.
A bugle eros the river caused tho
man to recOllect hat he was under
certain restraint. 81 must go" he
said, but he did not release his hold
on the casco.
Simplicia's eyes were big and bright
in the moonlight. He stretched out
one arm and drew her face toward
him. She tore herself away and stood
breathing hurriedly through parted
lips.
"Manana por la noche," said the SOL
der. He piled the paddle vigorously
and the canoe glided away. But he
looked back, longingly, for Simplicia's
lips were very soft and warm.
She stood gazing after him till the
canoe vanished into the shadow of the
Quartet Infanteria. The unseen bugle
softly walled taps" the call that bids
the soldier to rest. 1t is also sounded
over graves.
The sun heat down fiercely on the
Pasig. Canoes toiled up and skinned
down the river. numbering cascos,
heir crews naked to their waists, were
poled painfully along. The Quiapo
market was astir with a babble Of
tongues, the barking Of dogs, and the
incessant challenge of hundreds Of
game-cocks. The little brown people
bought, sold and bargained with the
full strength of their lungs.
Simplicia, as purser of the casco.
was in the market purchasing provi-
sions, but she spent most of her tim,
near the stall of a Chinese vender of
fabrics. After much haggling she be-
came the possessor of a dainty bodice
of silk and pima cloth.
Most of the girls who visited the
market-place seemed to be drawn to
that spot, for there Simplicia met a
friend who had left the lake %countrT'
a little later than herself.
Ramon will come down the river
| tn-piuhf - cold Tho f,;o~J lroo1I1orc1,-
delighted to carry a message of that
sort. He has written something that
he thinks they may print in La Liber-
tad. Isn't that wonderful? You must
feel so proud of him. For a man to
be able to write at all is wonderful
but for the papers!"
Apparently there were no words in
the Tagalo dialect strong enough to
express the girls admiration. Sim
plicia tossed her head, loosening the
hair, a frequent happening. She
caught the heavy tresses quickly, and
almost forgot for an instant everything
but the last time they had fallen.
"Are you not pleased?" asked the
other girl, in establishment. She was
dark, and not pretty from any point Of
view.
ooh, yes" drawled Simplisia, ''but
Ramon is very tedious sometimes, and
the lake country is very dreary. We
will go into the city this afternoon and
see the Americanos."
They saw many Americanos-state
volunteers clad in blue shirts and
khaki trousers. The city was full of
them. They occupied all the barracks
formerly the quarters of the Spanish
soldiers, and they crowded the drink
ing-resorts. Along the Gale Real they
came upon companies drilling, and on
3nent on dress-parade.
Simplicia, though she scanned every
soldiers face, did not see the stranger
of the previous night, nor did she see
a face that seemed nearly as hand
some.
"They say" unused the other girl,
that the men of Aguinaldo will drive
these Americanos out of Manila if
they do not go of their own accord
soon
Simplicia laughed scornfully and
pointed toward the troops. The men
were in battalion front, standing at
present" and the sun glistened on
1000 bayonets.
But there are only a few Ameri-
canos and there are many thousands
OF Filipinos," said the girl.
"The Americanos will take what they
want and nothing can stop them an
nounced Simplieia, decisively. "Let us
go to our cascos."
The twilight gathered on the river.
In the north the sky was lit by con-
tinuous flashes of lightning. Myriads
of stars We're overhead, and the south
ern cross was yiceroy of the heavens,
for the had not yet come iatoi
her Kingdom. The water MOSTLY
gurgled by and psimplicia waited.
Which would come first, the tedious
Filipino schoolmaster lover or the
stranger? Would the Americana come
again? 4
She watched every canoe that
passed, but they were all goiIg up or
4 Antxyn TIM - IA alnn