Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1910-06-21
CHAPTER XVI.
SHOWING HOW BRAZIL CHOSE HER pREsl
nrET

SHOWING HOW BRAZIL CHOSE HER PRESl
| DENT.
|"WO thousand FIVE hundred years
ago the prophet Jeremiah ex.
pressed incredulity us to the
| power Of an Ethiopian to
change his skin or leopard his spots.
The march of the centuries has fully
justified the seer's historic doubt, so it
makes but slight demand on the crit
ical faculties to assume that two years
residence in Europe had not cooled the
hot southern blood flowing In Car
mela's veins.
She had hated Iris before she set
eyes Oh her. She hated her now that
she had seen her rare beauty. She
gloated on the suffering inflicted by
the presence Of the faded old man
who claimed her as his bride. Though
1t was of the utmost Importance that
she should hasten to her father, she
returned to Las Flores In her rivals
company, their arms linked In seem
ing friendship and the Brazilian girls
ears alert to treasure every word that
told Of Bulmers wOoing.
So Dickey contented himself by lis
tening to Coke's Homeric account of
the Andromeda's wrecklng. and If he
interposed an occasional question and
thus drew the girls sweet voice into
the talk it was invariably germane to
the strange history Of the ship and her
human freight.
Coke's narrative was picturesque and
lurid. Every incident centered In the
striking personality Of Philip Hozier.
From the instant the second shell
struck the winch and laid him appar.
emily dead on the forecastle to the
very hour Of this coming together at
Las Flores, Hozier held the stage. 1t
was he who took Iris on his shoulders
and brought her to safety through the
spume Of the wrathful sea. he who
carried her to the hut, he who crossed
her
Coke was impartial. He would have
minimized his own singular bravery
In running up the ships signals had
not Iris given him a breathing space
while she enthralled the others with
her description. Otherwise Coke skip
ped no line of his epic.
you'll rec'lect." he wheezed in a
voice that rasped like file, you'll
rec'lect, Mr. Verify. as said to you
| 4l,I rYootor xro, r,ooH anouoh IN tokp
charge of the bridge Of battleship.
By-well. any'ow If I'd said the chan
mel feet I shouldn't ave bin talkin'
through me at. Look at i'm now.
'E's the on'y reel live map Dom Wots-
'is-name as got Sink me, If 1t wasn't
for the folks Mt 'ome an the fac that
the Andromeeda's skipper ought to
keep clear of politics In this crimson
country I'd ave a cut In at the game
meself."
It might be hoped that Carmela's
mood would soften when she discov-
cred her rivals hapless love. but that
would be expecting something which
her bursting southern heart could not
give. A volcano pours forth lava. not
water. It scorches, not heals. Iris,
willing or not, had sapped her Saliva
doris allegiance. Carmela wanted to
see those curved lips writhing In pain,
those brown eyes dimmed. that smooth
brow wrung with the grief that knows
no remedy.
A fierce Joy leaped up in her when
Verify spoke of an early departure.
"You see, iris" he explained, "these
Brazilian bucks may be months In set
tim their differences. Dickey an me,
'elped a lot by our consul, squeezed q
pass out Of the president-beg pardon!