Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-02-23
The Argus Daily Short Story
The Old Man of Oragua-By Mary D. Parke
Copyrighted. 1910. Associates Literary Press

and shipped by mule team to the near
est port where the fruit stea
touched His one story office building
was q tiny affair, and one hour day
was ample to keep his business cor
respondence and accounts IN perfect
order His field hands lived IN scat
tered huts somewhere about, and IN
this isolated region he was often call
ed upon to act as physician to the suf-
fering bodies Of his childiike neigh
bOrs when the voOdOo doctors failed
to work q cure.
Suddenly he was seized with a de-
sire for hOme-to see cities full Of
white men, to feel the hard pavement
under his feet to be hemmed in by
cliffs Of brick and stone. to hear the
din of traffic and TO participate in the
light and gavety of scenes of pleasure.
BY travelling all night he could catch
the fruit steamer that in passing nSght
drop him ut San Juan. From there he
could take a steamer for HOME. Now
he thought of home in capital letters.
Rodriguez. his Portuguese foreman,
might harvest the next crop. He would
see to things later. Now he must go
home.
He rushed into his bedroom, locked
up his books and few personal belong
ings and tossed some clothing into a
bag. Servants rushed hither and thith-
er at his commands. Rodriguez has
tened from his abode and received his
orders in stolid acquiescence. A mule
team clattered before the door in the
moonlight, and his traps were bundled
into the wagon, and he took his seat
beside the driver.
The long whitewashed building
cleaned white in the moonlight; the
sea was an expanse of molten gold;
the sky showed stars dimmed by the
full moon riding high in the heavens.
There was the heavy scent Of luscious
fruits and flowers, the rank smell OF
vegetation, the peace Of the land or
the palm, but the cold cities Of the
north were calling to him, and he was
going-going home!
Exhilarated. he turned and waved a
farewell to his servants. 'Adios!
Adiosr he called, throwing silver
among them. Then there broke from
among the palms fringing the planta-
ton a running dark form, a man
speeding in haste, and Freeman's heart
sank a little. because he knew the
signs. This messenger was from one
in trouble. Some one sick or dying
needed him.
II will not CO." he told himself fierce
~, but when the native had thrown
himself at his feet and begged him to
come to his father Freeman found
himself relenting.
"Wbo IS your father?" he asked TO
gain time, not that 1t mattered, for
there was no caste among his people
The old man OF Oragua" cried the
man. III the master comes not he
will dier'
why. he is the yoodoo mani Well,
no physician can cure himself. I'll
go. Drive on. Dominique, TO Oragua"
They plunged into the forest road,
the messenger running beside the cart,
one hand resting on the shaft. Free
man sank into moody reflection. He
regarded this interruption as an au-
gury that he had best remain behind.
Among these superstitioB people he
was growing TO believe in all sorts OF
signs and presentim ents, hardly aware
OF II. 1t did not occur 10 him now to
turn away from the sick man. Go he
must. IL only 10 Use his scanty but
practical knowledge Of medicine 10
soothe pain or perhaps effect a cure. I
His remedies were mostly the simple
old fashioned ones lie had learned
from hts mother
Oragua lag over to the south. a tiny
scattering OF huts near the beach .
few miles away from his plantation. 4
In going there he could not catch the
fruit steamer. Missing that. II would be .
days before he might get another. IN
less he trayerss many miles Of rough