The Owosso times., 1914-08-21
ont tnefr meetings being known 20 ,n.


Rurch than an American girl OF her
'Se would be. While she possessed
,he native Innocence or youth, she had
Tor several years been given to under
stand that she was not trusted, and II
Is not easy for such persons to con-
slider themselves on their honor. Be
this as II may. Burch met Rosa fire.
quently. and she laid all the plans for
their meetings.
Burch went to Mexico City just after
the revolution that landed victoriano
Huerta In the presidency. When Car
rama. governor of the state Of Goa
hula. determined to revolt and avenge
the death Of Madero the conditions
rapidly changed. The governor first
got all the arms there were in SaltillO.
then proceeded to take all the money.
Burch was not pleased with this condi-
ton OF things and decided that. after
all, he would not care to invest his
money In Mexico. Such being the case.
there was but one thing for him to do.
go somewhere else. This was a very
easy mental process for him, there be-
ing nothing to regret In leaving Mexi-
co. not even Rosa Puente. for three
or four months association with girl
who lived In mud edifice Is usually
quite enough for a man born with
silver spoon in his mouth. Somehow
It did not occur to Burch that there
would be any objection on Rosa's part
to part with him. He had never seen
any member Of her family. though she
had told him she had father. a moth
er and some small brothers and sisters.
She said that her father was away
from home a good deal Of the time.
When he returned he had plenty Of
money. a part Of which he spent In
buying what the family needed and
When It was all gone he returned to
follow the same course as before.
But Burch was not interested in the
Puente family. Tor he had not followed
the ordinary process OF counting In
vogue In the country and had made
no application for Rosa's hand. He
looked upon his affair with the little
Mexican girl as very pleasant one
At first he had wished that she was
lady that he might marry her. but
time had cured him Of that What
concerned him now was how to get
out of Mexico with $4,000 that he had
brought there to invest in a coffee
plantation as soon as he had learned
how to manage one.
He turned his money into American
banknotes and distributed them In diff
ferent parts Of his clothing. Then when
he was ready to start for Vera Cruz.
proposing to make the journey on
horseback, he sent Rosa word by
messenger he had used before to meet
him at their usual trysting place.
When they met Burch was on horse
back ready for his departure for Texas.
Dismounting. be took Rosa In his
arms. kissed her and told her that be
must 20 to the United States. 1t was
not safe for him TO keep money any
longer in q country where levies OF
cash were made on the citizens by one
side or the other. He was going to get
his money in the bank in Galveston:
then he would come back to her-that
is. II II were possible to get through
Rosa received the announcement with
her head on Burch's breast. 20 that he
could not see her, expression. He fear
ed she might object to his going. but
was surprised after prolonged silence
to see her look up and say:
"You are right Put your money in q
safe place. II you will wait till can
get a horse ! will 60 part way With
you."
There was a peculiar expression on
her face when she said this that he did
not quite like. However. he expressed
pleasure at having her with him. and
she went to get horse. She came back
presently with one she had borrowed
from a neighbor. and the two started
northward.
Rosa said very little. which Burch
naturally attributed to her reluctance
to part with him. He thought 1t best to
talk about what he would do when he
returned. but this DID not move her to
more pleasurable feeling When they
came to where the road forked she In
sisted that the one on the left was the
shortest route to Burch's destination.
Laredo. He knew better. but allowed
himself TO be persuaded to go her way.
When they had been on the road cou-
pie Of hours he suggested that she turn
back. since she had far to go and would
be tired. But she said she would go
little farther.
In passing over declivity they look
ed down on small cump OF trees,
and he saw group Of horsemen.
Burch paled. He knew that he had
met with q force of rebels or bandits;
he suspected the latter. A man sang
out from below for them to advance.
They did so. and the men In the camp
spoke TO Rosa familiarly. as if they
knew her. A man approached. and she
called him Padre" Then she told him
something in Spanish which Burch did
not understand.
Turning to Burch. he said, Money"
which was the only English word he
knew. Burch saw at once that he had
been led into a trap by the girl whom
he had considered a plaything.