The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1916-03-04

the back room here. l do my own
cooking, and I'll make you as COM
Portable as a parsimonious government
will allow me-"
Thacker had set the time at a week.
but it was two weeks before the de
sign that he patiently tattooed upon
the Kids hand was to his notion. And
then Thacker called a muchacho and
dispatched this note to the intended
victim:
Ell Senior Don Santos Unique, La Casa
Blanca:
My Dear Sir-I beg permission to in
form you that there is in my house as a
temporary guest a young man who ar
rived in Buenas Tierras from the United
States some days ago. Without wishing
to excite any hopes that ma not be real
lied, 1 think there is a possibility of his
being your long absent son. 1t might be
well for you to call and see him.. If he is.
it is my opinion that his intention was
to return to his home, but upon arriving
here his courage failed him from doubts
as to how he would be received. your
true servant,
THOMPSON THACKER.
Half an hour afterward, quick time
for Buenas. T~ierras, Senior Urique's an
cient landau drove to the consul's door,
with the barefooted coachman beating
and shouting at the team of fat, awk-
ward horses.
A tall man with a white mustache
alighted and assisted to the ground a
lady who was dressed and yelled in
unrelieved black.
The two FASTENED inside and were
met by Thacker with his best diplo-
matte bow. BY his desk stood a slen-
der young man with clear cut, sun
Drowned features and smoothly brush
ed black hair.
Sonora Unique threw back her heavy
veil with a quick gesture. She was
past middle age, and her hair was be-
ginning to silver, but her full, proud
figure and clear olive skin retained
traces of the beauty peculiar to the
Basque province. But, once you had
seen her eyes and co~mprehended the
great sadness that was revealed in
their deep shadows and hopeless ex-
IIN1oiObs SOo Il AAAN ~ '1
lived only in some memory.
She bent upon the young man a long
look of the most agonized questioning;
then her great black eyes turned, and
her gaze rested upon his left hand.
and then with a sob not loud, but
seeming to shake the room. she cried,
"Hijo mio!" and caught the Llano Kid
to her heart.
A month afterward the Kid came to
the consulate in response to a message
sent by Thacker.
He looked the young Spanish cabal-
lero. His clothes were imported, and
the wiles of the jewelers. had not been
spent upon him in vain. A more than
respectable diamond shone on his fin
ger as he rolled a shuck cigarette,
whats doing?" asked Thacker.
Nothing much.'' said the Kid calm
ly. 81 eat my first iguana steak today.
They're them big lizards, you sabe? I
reckon. though, that f~rijoles and side
bacon would do me about as well. Do
you care for isuanas. Thacker?'
mo. o for some other kinds of rep.
tiles" said Thacker.
1t was 8 in the afternoon. and in
another hour he would be in his state
of beatitude.
ITS time you were making good.
sonny he went on, with an ugly look
on his redeemed face. you're not play
ing up to me square. You've been the
prodigal son for four weeks now, and
you could have had veal for every
meal on a gold dish if you'd wanted it.
Now. Mr.. Kid, do you think it's right
to leave me out 40 long on a husk diet?
What's the trouble? Don't you get
your flial eyes on anything that looks
like cash In the Casa Blanca Don't
tell me you don't. Everybody knows