The herald. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1905-1953, 1915-11-11
An Episode Of
Cuba
Bv ESTHER VANDEVEER

son of a sugar planter, the other n law
Yer who hunted up cases of flaw OF
title. then levied blackmail on the
holder of the property, came into COLI
sion.
Senorita Inez MADEIRA. the daughter
| of Spanish grandee who mad elill
| grated from Spain many years before
vos ono of those southern beauties
| whose dark ewes. over which sweep
long laShcS. render them entrancllS'
She and uerrara met at ball gwen
bv a wealthy planter, and the meeting
resulted i'm a love affair At the time
! Senior MADEIRA, who had sunk n fortune
In Srain before coming to cuba ana
| had ALWAYS since been impecuniouS,
| had been approached by Manuel Fur
tado for the hand Of SenOrita lneZ.
| The grandce was ut first disposed 10
regard the application as an insult, but
| when Furtado announced that he had
accumulated a considerable fortune
| and would supply the old mans wants
| the latter turned listening ear.
| The entrance of IIerrara into the
| play made Il great difference 10 Fur
| tado. What might probably have re-
| suited without his interference was
| now impossible But he did not real
ize this. He had been introduced to
Senorita Incz by her father, and she
| had received him graciOusly. Then
| came to the lawyer temptation TO put
| his rival out of the way. Those were
| times when persons in Cuba were very
| easily put out Of the way. The captain
| general was an autOcrat whose order
| would send any man to prison or be
| fore a firing squad.
Furtado lodged information at the
| palace that Jose IIerrara was not only
| revolutionist, but that he was plot
| ting l., bring United States troops into
| the island to eXpel the Spaniards. One
! evening when Herrara was expected to
1 call on SeuOrita MADEIRA he did not ar
| rive On the way to her home he was
| waylaid by order of the governor and
| carried Ia prison. No one knew of his
! arrest Furtado had reported that If it
| were known that he were a captive 1t
4 would eXaSperate his friends, and they
\ were sufficiently numerous to make
| trouble. So his arrest was kept secret.
Soon after this came the Spanish
| American war and the landing Of Unit
| ed States troops in Cuba. Herrara lay
| in prison till the war ended, then came
| forth, not having been heard from nor
| having communicated with any one out
| side his Jail during the hOStilities. He
| learned that SenOrita MADEIRA, suppos-
1 ing him to he dead. was in mourning
| for him. He knew that some one had
| procured his arrest and confinement
! but did not know who that person was.
| Before making himself known to any
| one lie instituted inquiries as to his ac
! cuSer, and since the records were now
! open to him he soon learned that he
had been betrayed by Manuel Furtado
\ Jose determined 10 punish his ira.
| ducer before making himself known to
the girl he loved Either he or Manuel
must die, and if it were Jose it was
| better that he should not come to life
to be mourned a second time. He was
weak from confinement and gave him
self brief respite before tackling his
l enemy, who had turned in favor of the
revolutionists just in time to be on the
| winning side and, having given a con-
siderable sum 10 the cause, was in IA
] vor with the people and the American
| provisional management.
Furtado was an occasional visitor at
the home of Senior MADEIRA. Senorita
/ lnez did not like him: but, being igno-
rant of the trouble he had brought upon
her lover, to please her father she
treated him ciyilly. Herrara, learning
of these visits. lay in wait for his en-
| envy.
One night Furtado was stopped by
one who blocked his way There was
no light except that of a half moon.
and FurtadO did not recognize the man
he had injured
You don't remember me-" said Her.
| rara.
| Il do not"
| u am Jose Herrara, whom you In
formed against falsely and whose ar.
rest on this very spot you instigated-
an appropriate spot for the settlement
OF the account between u.s."
| Are you going to murder me?"
NO. Are you unarmed!"
| Il have not so much as q penknife."
| Take that" Jose handed him a
cavalry saber. Il have its duplicate
Il prefer to meet you with Others to
see fair play replied Furtado, land
| L prefer pistols. | know nothing of
the use of a saber"
| Nor l. But, as to fair play, you are
not giver of fair play and conse-
quently not entitled to it Yourself. As
to sabers, they make less noise than
pistols, and the survivor will have a
better chance to get away unnoticed
On guardr'
Within ten minutes Herrara left his
enemy dead in the road.
Senorita MADEIRA was sitting I'm n
dimly lighted garden beside her home
when the gate opened and Herrara
| entered.
| Josef! she exclaimed. "Are You of
the quick or the deadY
Il am Of the quick; have Just left
the dead"
| The next morning Herrara gave him
self up as the slayer Of Furtado. but
L hp had only tn roato