The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-06-21
ed. He's beauty. What are you going

ed He's a beauty. What are you going to do?'
 There's the dinner bellr Gilson an | swered. Come out afterwad with me and you'll see.
 During the meal Bender saw also. In | the quiet of her own room Mabel had | striven to abate the colors that flowed at | the memory of the kiss, and, failing, she
 came to the table just spelling for the | fight that ensued when Fleming made 1 inquiry of a sick woman. | q should imagine she said, glancing | at Gilson, "that they would all be sick. | At o'clock this morning I heard them go
 by my window, panting as they carried water up to the cook house. I wonder, l Jack, that you stand for such inhuman- i ity"
 It was the tocsin of war and, we'll used
 to its alarm by this time, Fleming turned
 a twinkling eye on Gilson. What about | 1t, Gill?'
 l Panting%" Without looking up from | his dinner, Gilson answered, "Shouldn' | wonder. They are getting too lazy and | fat to do anything but eat.' l Applied to the gaunt enganchadas, fat | ness was so eminently ridiculous that l, Fleming roared, his wife Uttered, Bender I choked, and even Jaclxson's yellow mus l tache drew up to his nose. Ignoring I them, the girl wrathfully eyed Gilson. You are shameless" she said, after a l long pause.
 Later, walking out through the moon- | light, Gilson led Bender in among the 1 plantation buildings, a double row Of | ralm- m-thatched huts that rose on either 1 hand, looming sere and black in the ! tender light. Passing the galera-a huger | hut wound and fenced with barb wire 1 ill it resembled bird cage-the night ] wind brought them the sleep breathing Of tba cIa rjs- oned within.
 Sounds like huge sigh" Gilson com-
 ncnted as they walked on. Do you know, I never quite get used to it-tae squalor misery, hell of it all." "Its surely hell" Bender agreed "But if we don't make the best of the system some one else will make the worst.' Stopping at a hut that stood by itself, , Cllson called out the mandador, a huge Indian of the Isthmus tribes. Tomor-
 row he said, you will set two men to carry water for the women in the cook-house, two to chop wood for their fires, and a third to grind corn for tor tllla paste"
 As they walked away Bender patted his friend delightedly upon the back. Now you are doing things. That ought to take the wind out of MT. Jackson's sails. But say'' he added quickly. With his mama for sitting on expense, don't you suppose that he will object to your weakening the field force?"
 Gilson shrugged. That's just what I
 do expect; the very reason for my pass ing it up to him."
 You think that he will-'' "@report me to headquarters I don't think-Pm sure"
 Suddenly enlightened, Bender grinned You old fox I see your game. You will call his sympathetic bluff. But take care that he doesn't deal you out from cold deck. Anyway, this play is bound to serve you with Miss Ma . bel"
 The concession to her opinion did serve Gison with Mabel, though obedient to the law of feminie contrari- ness, she was at pains to conceal the
 fact. For this he was largely responsi- ble. Having sized her up as a girl of mettle, one of the kind that are not to be coaxed with sugar, he bore himself toward her with a superlative indif-
 ference that sharply piqued her sense of power. Apparently, she was no more
 in his eyes than the dirtiest engan- chada; an appearance that was the more maddening because long ago she had divined the love that lay behind | Her inability to draw him from his en . trenchments, strange to say, both piqued and pleased her; paradox that is explainable only on the hypothesis that she could have no further use for conquered foe. She would have loved vet feared to defeat him. So, for an- other month, they played at cross pur : poses, Mabel riding or walking in the cool of the evening with Jackson car rying on a desperate irritation under the indifferent eyes of Gilson who, on his part, went quietly about his bus- ness. One morning the rising sun caught
 Mabel and Mrs. Fleming sewing upon
 the veranda. Fleming was away; had
 gone to Chicago to report personally
 at a stockholders meeting, and thus
 the heavy work of breaking in a new
 draft of enganchadores had fallen upon
 Gilson. Today, however, he was also
 away; down the river purchasing corn
 for the work folks tortillas. Jackson
 was the only white man on the planta-
 tion.
 The latter was in her mind when, look
 ing over her sewing, Mrs Fleming asked,
 "Well-did he--last night"
 "No, he dldn't,''' Mabel bluntly inter-
 rupted. Wa
 Flushing little, Mrs. Fleming yet
 brazened it out. He has been so-well,
 can't think of any other word than
 'spoony'-''
 ''Don't apologize" Mabel cut in again.
 It has--exactly."
 "-lately." Mrs. Fleming continued.
 And when you sat out so late I felt sure that he would--'
 q didn't let him."
 "Why, Mab?" Like a good sister-in- law, Mrs. Fleming wished to see Mabel
 Comforta bly, settled. q should have i'm agined-' Dropping her sewing, shs jumped up. Good gracious What's
 that?"
 
 ing over from the galera, and as the
 two stood staring at each other Jack
 son turned the corner. Flushed. breath
 jess, an uneasy smile accentuated the
 nervousness it was intended to conceal.
 "Mutiny! he exclaimed. Its the new
 batch that Fleming sent down from Vera
 Cruz! Cabos and mandador have takan