The Colfax chronicle., 1903-05-23


friends and loved each other as few
brothers do. He was older by five
years, and Will would listen to his
ripper wisdom and larger experience.
He should go forthwith to Cuba on
some pretext or other and find means
to break up the proposed marriage.
1t was a delicate mission. Even the
general admitted its difficulty. He
knew full well the iron determination
of the Lawrences, and it had always
been his boast that a Lawrence has
never been driven, sir-not a single
step; You can kill them, but you can't
drive them. No, siree."
So it happened one soft, languor-
Gus day that Charles Lawrence disem-
barked at Havana, presumably upon
mission to secure some transporta-
tion franchises for an American syndi-
cate, and hunted up his brother, the
captain.
He was received with open arms,
and the brothers reveled for several
days in their reunion. The elder
never limited at his mission, and when
he talked shop" at all, dwelt enthusi.
astically upon his franchise quest. Ii
the younger suspected the Interior de-
sign of his visitor he did not betray it.
1t was several days after Charles ap-
peared on the scene before he found
any sort of opening for the further
ance of his real mission. Singularly
enough Will did not mention his love
affair or give him any sort of open
ing, and he hesitated to broach the
subject himself. One soft evening,
however, after dinner the captain re.
marked:
Charley, want you to make a cal
with me this evening. / will show
you the two most beautiful women il
Cuba--in the world"
Acquiescing readily, the two strolled
through the better part of the town
and brought up at rather preten.
tiously built Cuban home of the older
type-somewhat run down, but bear
ing marks of respectability, even aris.
tocracy.
"This is the home of Don Carlos An
tonic Silvera," remarked Will. He is
of very old and very proud Spanish
family-of the purest blood, mind
you, and for heavens sake don't for.
get that point, as he is extremely proud
of IL. He was formerly away up in
financially, but the revolution and
other misfortunes have largely
stripped him of his estates. But he
keeps up appearances as best he can
and is the finest kind of type of an
old aristocrat. And his two daughters
are the very flower of the Antilles
especially Julia"
With this preface Charles was ush.
cred into the house and presently was
formally presented to the Senorita
Julia. He was compelled to admit
to himself that his brother certainly
had an eye for beauty, for seldom in
all his travels had he laid eyes on SO
striking girl, so perfect type of
the Latin beauty. Still more was he
surprised and taken aback at the high
breeding and culture of the fair
hostess and her chaperone, the old
aunt who guarded her with lynx-eyed
fidelity. He was presented also to the
master of the house, and was fairly
overawed by the dignity and grace of
his manner. AS he was regarding the
senorita with profound admiration
and rejecting upon the mammoth pro-
portions his task had suddenly as.
sumed, curtain was swept aside and
vision appeared before him which
drove all other thoughts from his
mind and all other objects from his
sight. 1t was another woman very like
the Senorita Julia, but very different
more ripened and matured in charm
and manner-one of those lustrous.
eyed, olive-skinned, voluptuously
formed creatures only to be found
among the women descended from the
pure Castillian blood, and also with a
face so alive with intelligence and
head so perfectly formed that he al. |
most forgot the perfection of physical
beauty in admiration of the suggestion
of intellectually.
'Ah, this is the Senorita Rosa
exclaimed the captain. "Senorita, my
brother, Charles"
The evening sped for both brothers,
the younger being engrossed with his
fiancee and the elder finding keen in
terest in the strange, ardent nature
of the sister-absolutely new type
to him.
On the way to the captains lodgings |
Charles became conscious of feeling |
of distinct annoyance in the thought |
that he was not pursuing his mission
with the ngle-heartedness that he
should, and that he had enjoyed the
evening altogether too much and did |
not regard the Silvera family with
that aversion which was expected of
him. Also he fancied that he detected |
, note of suppressed glee in the cap.
tain's demeanor.
There followed many visits to the
Silvera home, and Charles put in many
sleepless nights in trying to figure out
A plan to break up the affair, but with
4 growing certainty that he was max.
ing poor job of it and that he cared
much more to bask in the sunlight of |
the Senorita Rosa's lustrous ewes than
Tor expostulating with VIII.
OF course the result was foreor
iained, and that was why old Gen.
avvrepee ono nvopff,,I H.. /