The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1912-07-07
The Worth of the Canisa
{ Continued from page o)

prettily. Then. her mind made up, she
smiled mischievously and tiptoed for
ward.
"A woman who understands the
dress of the islands would have noticed
her eamisssid. of costly Pima cloth, as
thin as gauze, becomingly red and en-
broidered in little flowers. From her
slender hips fell the skirt OF some
white material. and around her waist
was wrapped idbis of black silk. Her
feet bare, as is the custom of the
islands, moved back and forth in the
beaded velvet slippers she wore. Her
face-but one cannot describe vision.
You've all seen Mason's eyes, big and
brown and dreamy. Well, hers we're
like that, only black and brighter. So
with her hair--a shimmering black
aureole around an enchantment of love-
illness. No wonder her beauty had
spread through the islands
Mason bird just over his head burst
for his Princess, and, turning, Mason
saw her. Never mind what he num-
bled when he begged her pardon for
having startled her. II you think I'm
going to tell about that mans con-
fusion you are mistaken. Only | shall
tell you that Marthe, laughing to her
self, replied in pure Spanish:
But. Senior, you have trespassed,
and to do that is wrong
Then, unable to restrain her feel
ings, she laughed merrily. So did
Mason-only he laughed longer, SO
as to give his scattered wits time to
collect. Meanwhile she stood watch
ing him, puzzled smile lowering at
the corners of her lips. And, seeing
he was making a fool of himself,
Mason replied:
"'But did trespass. ! am a stran-
ger. have lost my way in the woods.
How shall ] find my way back to San
Fernandez
"'Walk fifteen feet to the road she
were laughing at him. Turn to the
right and walk. In an hour YOU viii
reach San Fernando
Never mind whether Mason fol-
lowed her directions or not. Remem-
Der it was in mid Pacific, in the soft
tropics, with the lands Of the conven-
tions thousands of miles away. Re-
member, too, that Mason, like some
troubadour of old, had come seeking
his Lady of Dreams. No galley had
borne him, but he had come by the
Dagupan Railroad, which I know to
be infinitely worse.
"And so began the courtship of
Marthe of San Fernando and Mason,
the sergeant of Manila. OF course,
they arranged things so they both at
tended concert, and, acting as IL they
had never before seen each other, were
introduced by the old PyeSdsnte. her
father. Subsequently Mason, being
very wise young person, talked with
him about the future of the islands,
always ending with some unblushing
lie as to how conditions in San Fer
nando were better than anywhere else.
So it was not long before the Presi-
denfe began inviting Mason to his
home, great stone hacienda set back
from the road in a grove of banana
trees. And, as Marthe always found
an excuse to remain in the room.
Mason was happy.
But one day Marthe wasn't in the
room. She had remained in the
garden. Before her book lay opened.
The pages of it. though. she was not
reading. Instead, she was watching
the sunset. Over the hacienda wall the
sky was turning-over toward the blue
hills Of Lndntgia. their crests slowly
changing from scarlet to gold. Off in
the forests the birds were cheeping
drowsily: From the stables sounded
thA tsW1lrv IL -f