The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-04-03
CHAPTER Iv.-Continued.

CHAPTER lN-COntlnued.
He lost none of his romantic charm
in my eyes. The fact that he was sail
ing in uncomfortable circumstances
detracted little; nor did his best
clothes, which, at the worst, were bet
ter than any l had ever had. And he
wore them with an air and a grace.
imagined him an aristocratic scape-
grace, a corsair-it was the Byrontc
period then-sailing out to marry
sort of shimmering princess, with hair
like Feronica's. bright golden. Carlos.
however, knew nothing about his cous-
IN; he cared little more, as far as
could tell. What can she be to me
since your ?" he said once.
and then stopped, looking at me with
a certain tender irony. He insisted,
though that his aged uncle was in need
of him.
There was certainly some mystery
about that town of his uncle's One
night I overheard him say to Castro:
Tell me. o my Tomas, would it be
safe to take this caballero, my cousin,
to Rio Medio?"
Castro paused, and then murmured
gruffly:
'SenOr, unless that Irishman is con-
suited beforehand, or the English lord
would undertake to join with the plea
rooms, it is very assuredly not safe"
Carlos. made little exclamation of
mild establishment.
''Pero? Is it so bad as that in my
uncle's own town o.
Tomas muttered something that I
did not catch. and then:
If the English caballero committed
ind1scretiOns, or quarreled-and all
these people quarrel, why, God knows
that Irish devil could hang many
persons, even myself, or take venge-
ance on your worship"
Carlos was silent, as if in a reverie.
At last he said:
But If affairs are like this it would
be well to have one more with US.
The CabalIero, my cousin is very
strong and of great courage"
Castro grunted, ooh, of a courage!
But, as the prOverb says, If you set an
Engiishman by a hornets nest they
shall not remain long Within"
After that 1 avoided any allusion to
Cuba, because the thing, think as I
would about it, would not grow clear.
1t was plain that something illegal was
going on there. or how could that
Irish devil" whoever he was, have
power to hang Tomas and be revenged
on Carlos? 1t did not affect my love
for Carlos, though.
l had noticed an intimacy spring UP
between the ships second mate and
Tomas, who was, it seemed to me. for
ever engaged in long cOnfabulation in
the mans cabin, and, as much to make
talk as for any other reason, I asked
Carlos if he had noticed his depend
ents familiarity. 1T was noticeable
because Castro held aloof from every
other soul on board. Carlos answered
me with one of his nervous and angry
smiles.
"Ah. Juan mine, do not ask too many
wis + h
me all the way, but 1 cannot tell you
all 1 know. I do not even myself know
all. 1t seems that the man is going
to leave the ship in Jamaica, and has
letters for that Senior Ramon, the
merchant, even as have. Vaya; more
cannot tell you"
This struck me as curious, and a lit
tie of the whole mystery seemed from
that time to attach to the second mate,
who before had been no more to me
than long, SallOW Nova Scotian, with
diSagTeeable information and rather
offensive manners. 1 began to watch
him, desultorily, and was rather start
led by something more than a suspicion
that ne himself was watching me- On
one occasion in particular [ seemed to
observe this. The second mate was
lazily stalking the deck, his hands in
his pockets. AS he paused in his walk
to spit into the sea beside me, Carlos
said:
And you, my Juan, what will you
do in this Jamaica? ?"
1 said I was going to the Horton Es-
tates, Rooksby's, to learn planting I'M
Ger 2 Mr.. Macdonald. the agent. Car
los shrugged his shoulders.
All" he said, with his air of great
wisdom and varied experience, sit will
be much the same as it has been at
your home-after the first days. Hard
work and a great sameness." He began
to cough violently.
l said bitterly enough, Eyes. 1t will
be always the same with me. / shall
never see life. You've seen all that
there is to see, so l suppose you do not
mind settling down with an old uncle
in a palace"
He answered suddenly, with a sud-
den darkness of manner, THAT is as
God wills. Who knows? Perhaps life,
even in my uncle's palace, will not be
so safe"
The second mate was bearing down
on US again.
I said jocularly, "Why, when 1 get
very tired of life at Horton Pen, shall
come to see you in your uncle's town
Carlos looked at me with an express
sion of affection that a little shamed
my lghtness of tone.
L love you much more than a kins-
man, JUAN he said. Il wish you
could come with me. I try to arrange
it. Later, perhaps, L may be dead. l
am very ill.,
He was undoubtedly ILL., Campaign
ing in Spain, exposure in England in a
rainy time, and then the ducking when
We came on board, had done him no
good. He looked moodily at the sea.
i wish you could come. I will
try"
The mate had paused, and was lis
tening, quite unaffectedIy, behind
Carlos back
A moment after Carlos half turned