The Lakeland evening telegram., 1914-03-12
CHAPTER XII.
The Path That Led Nowhere.

through his mind he leaped out of bed.
This was tomorrow. But the after
noon was still long way off, and he
must be content to dream until the
! hour came.
| 1t was the hottest part of the day
| when he set out, gun on arm, yet he
never thought Of the discomfort. After
skirting the city he swung into the
| fine macadam road that had brought
him home the night before, and much
sooner than he expected he arrived at
the little path that led into the forest.
AS upon the previous day. he broke
into the glade before he suspected its
presence There was the tree from
which She had called to him. yondcr
the bench where they had sat together.
| OF course he was too early He
wanted to he in order not to miss an
instant of her company, 50 he seated
himself and dreamed about her. The
minutes dragged. the jungle drowsed
An hour passed. Why didn't she come?
A sudden apprehension overlook him,
which grew and grew as the after
noon wore away.
| 1t was Il very miserable young man
who wandered out through the fra
grant path as the first evening shad
ows settled and bent his detected steps
toward the city. Evidently something
| hn1 Il 20 Enn IN,
her tryst, but he determined to return
on the morrow and then if she did not
come to follow that other path right
up to her house, which mist be near
the pool He would risk everything
for word with her. He wondered if
she had stayed away purposely to test
him, and the thought gave him thrill.
If 50 she would soon learn that he was
in earnest He resolved to 30 hunting
earlier hereafter and give the whole
day to it. Meanwhile he would make
cautious inquiries.
II was considerably after dark when
he reached the hotel, and his friends
had dined, but he encountered Mr..
COrtlandt later. If Edith's husband
suspected anything of what had oc
cured night or two ago his coun-
tenance gave no sign of it. For some
reason or other Kirk had not been
troubled in the slightest by the thought
that Cortlandt might be told. He
could not imagine Edith making him
the confidant of her outraged feelings.
Besides, would such a strangely i'm
passive person resent any little indiS
cretion in which his wife might choose
to indulge? Kirk did not know. The
man was a puzzle to him.
Cortandt's voice was thoroughly
noncommitta as he inquired:
where have you been keeping your
self?'
i've been hunting to kill time
by the way" continued the other,
your friend Allan has been besieging
Edith imploring her to use her inhu-
ence to get him a position He has set
his heart upon going to work with
you.'
"He is becoming positive nuisance;
can't get rid of him"
II never saw such hero worship
"Oh. all niggers are hysterical"
"Let me give You a bit of advice.
Anthony Remember. there are no
'niggers' and whites in this country
they are both about equal. The presi-
dent of the republic is black man,
and very good one too"
THAT reminds me. | hear he is to
be succeeded by the father of my
friend. Altarez.'
Cortlandt hesitated. General Affair
ez is a candidate. He is a very strong
man. but
81 am glad there is but"
ut isn't settled. by any means. The
successful candidate will need the
support of our government"
II suppose the Alfarez family is one
of the first settlers-Mayfower stock?"
"Oh, worse than that. The name
runs back to Balhoa's time"
What are some of the other leading
families Kirk artfully inquired.
There are a number, The Martin
ezes. the MoraS, the GaravelS l
couldn't name them all. They are very
fine people too"
DO you know the ChiQuitas:"
Cortlandt'S face relaxed in an invol-
untaIy smile,
'"There is no such family. Who has
been teaching you SpaniSh:"
Really, isn't there:"
"'Chiquita' means very SMALL lit
tie one little girl or something like
that. It's not Il family name. It's 4
term of endearment usually. What
made you take it for a proper name:"
"A-a little girl told me"
"Oh. naturally. All children are
'Chiquitas' or Chiquitos'-everythinr
in fact that is pet"
Kirk felt somewhat uncomfortable
under the older mans gaze of quiet
amusement.
But these other families" he went
on In some confusion, II mean the