The Press., 1915-09-15
.SENORITA
 MOLINA A Story of the Cuban
 Revolution
By ESTHER VANDEVEER

While the revolution that brought in-
 dependence to Cuba was brewing the
 government of Spain through the gov
 ernor of the island used every effort
 to secure the adhesion of prominent
 Cubans. Among those whom it was
 deemed desirable to win over was a lawyer named Enrique Fernandez, who
 was becoming prominent in his profes-
 sion. One Jose Molina was summon
 ed one day before Captain General Weyler and ordered either to win Fer
 nandez by argument or bribery or force. Weyler at the time had unlim- ited power, and his orders were not to
 be disobeyed.
 Molina was an elderly man and the
 father of a family of children, one of
 whom, Rosa, was grown. Fernandez
 was about thirty years old and un- married. Molina invited Fernandez to
 his house that he might have an oppor-
 tunity to persuade him to align him. self on the side of the Spanish govern ment. Fernandez accepted the invita- ton, listened to his hosts arguments,
 but was unconvinced.
 Molina noticed that Fernandez cast
 admiring eyes on Senorita Rosa, and 1t occurred to him that what he him. self could not accomplish by argument his daughter might bring about by
 persuasion. The father therefore held a private interview with her, at which he said:
 My child, have been ordered by
 the captain general to bring Senor
 Fernandez to the support of the Span Fish cause either by argument or force.
 I have tried the former and failed.
 The latter course remains. l must tell my guest that the Spanish government demands his adhesion or his life. At times a woman may accomplish by per suasion what man cannot effect by
 argument. If you could win over Se-
 nor Fernandez you might save his life" "
 "But, father" asked Rosa ''Why are you obliged to do this work?"
 General Weyler is all autocrat in
 Cuba. He may send me to prison or to death, whichever he chooses"
 The girl paled. She did not speak for some time. Then she said:
 Do you wish me to win Senor Fer nandez's adhesion to the crown by first
 winning his love?'
 'T do not. I would rather suffer than have you do anything dishonorable." | Again there was a silence, at the end of which Rosa threw her arms about ! fot nd him fh ha she would do anything honorable to save him from the consequences of failure.
 What made this duty odious to Rosa | Molina was that she was heart and soul for the cause of Cuba. One morn i ing she sat on the veranda of her home | with Fernandez and began to reason
 with him why he should embrace the T cause of Spain. He listened to her \ while she spoke hesitatingly and with \ out animation, and when she came to | a halt he said: -'
 'Tell me the truth. Your heart is not with Spain; 1t is with Cuba. There is some reason why you are endeavOr- l ing to win me to a cause with which l you do not sympathize yourself" l Rosa did not dare tell him what he wished to know. If she should do so he might betake himself beyond her | fathers reach, and the latter would have to suffer for his failure. She would not tell an untruth. Rising from her seat. she went into the house, leav 1 ing Fernandez wondering what all this meant.
 l SenOrita Molina sought her father and told him that she had tried to in
 fiuence Fernandez, but had failed be- cause she was united to plead cause to which she was bitterly oppos- ed. Molina sighed, but the sigh was his only reply. Rosa was much trou- bled. She asked him many questions. If he reported failure to the governor | would he be imprisoned? What would l be her next move in respect to Fernan- dez? What did General Weyler mean 1 by using force to secure the latter's adhesion? She received no reply. l Whether her father was himself un- | certain in regard to these matters she l did not know The only information she received was that either her ia 1 ther or Fernandez must suffer. | Rosa left her father to shut herself | up in her room that she might form ! some plan of action. Would 1t not be ! best for her to tell Fernandez of the | situation and trust to him to find some way to save her father? This would \ be trusting too much to a man whom she had known but short while. If he should take himself off to the revo- lutionists Rosa would feel that she had betrayed her father.
 Fernandez. who suspected the source of this pressure which had been brought to bear upon him, would have departed had he not been interested in these persons who he believed were made the unwilling tools of the Span was powerfully drawn toward Rosa. It occurred to him to pretend to be uncertain as to which cause he would espouse in order that he might gain time for observation in the hope that he would be able to solve the mystery So long as there was any hope of willing surrender there was no reason to use force. and day after day passed with no change in the situation Meanwhile the attorney was falling in love with Rosa Molina Neverthe- less he could see no evidence that she regarded him in the same light. For some reason unknown to him she seemed to look upon him with a sort of dread. One day he said to her:
 ''Senorita, you and your father have some interest in wishing me to SUD- port the Spanish government. To con- vince you that you can safely confide in me I will tell you something which you do not suspect. I love you. Tell me the source of your efforts to con- vert me to a cause that you not ap- prove I swear to you not only on the honor of a gentleman but as one who loves you. that l will not betray you; that if either you or your father or