The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1915-11-02
An Episode of
Cuba
By ESTHER VANDEVEER

During that period in Cuoa when fhe
people were under the heel of Captaiu
General Weyler two young men, Jose
Herrara and Manuel Furtado. one the
son of sugar planter. the other 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 a Spanish grandee who had emf
grated from Spain many years before
was one of those southern beauties
whose dark eyes. over which sweep
long lashes. render them enhancing
She and Herrara met at a ball given
by a wealthy planter. and the meeting
resulted in Il love affair. At the time
Senior MADEIRA, who had sunk fortune
in Spain before coming to Cuba and
had always since been impecunious.
had been approached by Manuel Fur
tado for the hand of Senorita Inez.
The grandee was at first disposed to
regard the application as an insult, but
when Furtado announced that he had
accumulated IL considerable fortune
and would supply the old mans wants
the latter turned a listening ear.
The entrance of Herrara into the
play made great difference to 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 Inez by her father. and she
had received him graciously. Then
came to the lawyer a 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 firing squad.
Furtado lodged information at the
palace that Jose Herrara was not only
revolutionist, but that he was plot
ting to bring United States troops into
the island to expel the Spaniards. One
evening when Herrara was expected to
call on Senorita MADEIRA he did not ar
rive. On the way to her home he was
Waylaid by order of the governor and
carried to prison. No one knew of his
arrest Furtado had reported that If it
were known that he were a captive ii
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-
ing. him to be 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 he 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 to punish his ira
Queer 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 second time. He was
weak from confinement and gave him
self brief respite before taekling his
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 to 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
Inez did not like him; but, being igno
rant of the trouble he had brought upon
her lover, to please her father she
treated him civilly. 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.
rara.
81 do not
Il 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 meT
No. Are you unarned?''
II have not SO much as a penknife-"
Take that" Jose handed him a
cavalry saber. Il have its duplicate"
IT 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 |. 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
i On guardr'
/ Within ten minutes Herrara left bis
enemy dead in the road
Senorita MADEIRA was sitting I'm a
dimly lighted garden beside her home
| when the gate opened and Herrara
entered
/ Jose" she exclaimed Are you of
the quick or the dead %
Il am of the quick: have just left
the dead
The next morning Herrara gave him
| self up as the slayer of Furtado. but
he had only to make known the treat
ment he had received of his enemy to
enlist sympathy He was never brought
| TO trial. not even arrested.
/ Ha rnarr;ed Sps,ftyita MADEIRA and