The Washington times., 1911-04-08

PRECISELY II O'Clock in the
~ morning Guayana shuts up shop
~ literally. for not only are the
shops closed and shuttered. but
the business houses and government
offices also. The lazy hour of the siesta
approaches. The capital of Anahuac
has risen with the sun. has been at its
desks since the uEearthly hour of seven,
90 provide time for the indispensa BILE
of rest it will return to its affairs and
take them up once more, reluctantly,
perhaps, but refreshed.
The stranger within the cIty's gates
soon becomes acclimated to this siesta.
Thereafter, he is no more willing to do
without II, to have its sacred minutes
enCroached upon, than is the native.
And to this rule the case of the Sonora
Adele de Casada proved no exception.
She had adopted the custom with eX-
ceeding grace-in keeping with the
manner in which she did all things-al-
though but for three short days a resi-
dent of the capital. The adorable sonora
knew well the value of sleep. She was
not of the age, confessedly, when one is
apt to trife with ones physical we'll
being. Moreover, rest is a marvellous
retuvenator, resisting well the sly en-
croachments of crows feet-thoSe ve-
dettes of years and experience.
Her duenna, therefore, the Dona Inez,
coming to awake her mistress at the
hour Of two, found that lady fast asleep
and smiling slightly, sweetly~ in her
dreams. She seemed to Dona IneZ to be
singularly youthful in appearance, dow
cred with the compelling magnetism of
health and beauty. The bare arm upon
which the sonora pillowed her cheek was
round and finely Chiseled, as were the
limbs whose outlines were scarcely con-
Cealed by the light negligee demanded by
the heat, and permitted by the seclusion
or her chamber. The figure was matured
but not undUly so. Ii was hardly con-
ceivable that the firm, warm breast
which rose and fell with the regular
Composure that comes Of a quiet con-
science, or the lack of any conscience,
could harbor thoughts, desires ambi-
tions other than the most womanly.
The duenna admired her mistress. To
be sure, she knew little of the sonora
On the seventh day back the Senor
Rojas-he who was reputed to be a NOV
ing spirit in the councils of the revo-
lutionary partY-had come to her in her
seclusion in San Diego. That seclu-
sion, by the way, had been marked by
the distress of poverty: for since the
days when she be1 served Gazman
Blanco in C-.acas, making a comfort
able little fortune as police spy, Dona
Inez had been little occupied. Her for
tune had dwindled until she had been re-
duced to the necessity Of making her
home with the family of her young
nephew, a clerk in the custom-house at
lne port. therefore eIlplONIle was
quite welcome prospect; and when the
Senor Rojas had named a sum of mag
nitude as her consideration for becom-
ing the companion of a certain sonora
soon TO take up her residence in Gusy-
ana. she lost no time in jumping at the
proposal.
Life had not yet lost its SAVIOR to the
old woman. She thought that in Quay
ana, where II was always comfortable
even upon the hottest days, existence
would be very pleasant indeed-the more
so that II promised TO be seasoned with
spice of intrigue. Promised? More;
II was an assurance, since Senior Rojas
had let fall the name of the General Jose
Maria Lazard: and where that buzzard
hung poised there was the certainty of |
carrion politics. Dona Inez and the
general were known to each other of old. |
Following upon the visit of Rojas |
there had been days of great doings |
The house in Guayana, : Paseo de la |
lndependencia, close upon the great |
Plaza de la Reforma-center of the |
city's life and gayety-had been rented |
and furnished with magnificence which |
was as startling as was the celerity with |
which it was accomplished under this /
indolence-inspiring southern sun. Dona |
lnez bad been busy with the selection Of