The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-06-19
6Continuad.l

 Talbot after a short conversation. 'fHe | Says we have treated him like broth | er and true comrade in arms, which | means that did. You fellows, con- Fsund your spiteful souls, wanted to l throw him overheard a duzen times. I And now he says to follow him and l he'll get us place to stay.' Some native pigsty with deas," I | remarked skeptically aside to Johnny. l You conn.," begged the padrone, l with a flash of teeth
 We came bearing our household 1 goods, because we could nowhere see l any one to bear them for us. At that l we had to leave the heaviest pieces on the beach. Talbot insisted on lugg1ng his huge bundle of newspapers. They may come in handy" he an swered us vaguely Well, they're mine. and this is my back" he coun- tered to Johnny's and my impatience with such foolishness.
 The padrone led up through town to the outskirts. There we came to substantial low house of several rooms, with a Veranda and veritab ble chimneys, The earth in front had been beaten so hard that even the downpour of yes terday had not appreciably softened it. To our summons appeared very suave and courteous uRuFe, that, It dQP0aTeu, of the alcalde of the place.
 My fr'en','' explained the padrone in English, for our benefit tsthey good peepele They wan estay. Got no place estay.''
 The a1calde. a portly gentleman with side -1~aiske ! and great deal of dig nity. Vowed.
 My house is all yours,' said he.
 Thus, although arriving late, we stop ped at the best quarters in the town. The sense of obligation to any one but our boatman was considerably relieved when next day we paid what we owed for our lodging. Also, had it not been Se4 Talbot and Johnny, am sure ZanA and I would have taken to the jungle. There seemed to be required so much lowing, smiling, punctilious- ness and elaborate coInpIimenting that in short time felt myself in the pre- else mental attitude of a very small monkey shaking the Elrs of his cage with all four hands and gibbering in the face of some benign and infinitely superior professor. I fairly ached be- hind the ears trying to look sufficiently alert and bland and Intelligent Yank- sat st0ld, chewed tobacco and spat out of the window, which also went far toward stampeding me. Talbot and
 
 home They capped the old gentle mans most elaborate and involved speeches, they talked at length and pompousIy about nothing at all, their smiles were rare and sad and finger 1ng-not bit like my imbecile though well meant grinning-and they seemed to be able to stick it ont until judg- ment day. Not until I heard their pri- vate language after it was all over did realize they were not enjoying the occasion thoroughly.
 At dusk millions of firefies came out. the earth grew velvet black, and the soft, tepid air breathed up from the river. Lights of the town fickered like larger yelIower fredies through the thin screen of palms and jungle, and the various noises, subdued by distance, mingled with the voices of thousands of insects and a strange booming from the river. I thought it very pleasant and wanted to stay out, x but for some reason we were haled within. There the lamps made the low broad room very hot We sat on real chairs, and the stflted exchange resumed. have often wondered whether our host enjoyed it or wheth- CT he did it merely from duty and was as heartily bored as the rest of us.
 half naked servant glided in tc tell US that we were wanted in the next room. We found there our good padrone and another, fine tall man dressed ve-y elaborately in short jack ct and slit loose trousers, all sewed with many silver buttons and orna ments.
 "He my fr'en'." explained the pa drone. '.He have dose mulas-"
 With the gorgeous individual Talbo dod ho7 in Q n nisL us riding animals at $1o each pel day and agreed to transport our bag gage at S6 a hundredweight The pa drone stood aside smiling cheerfuIly-
 "I yer good fr'en', ehg' he de noanded.
 My son." said Talbot, with feeling syou're a gentleman and scholar Indeed, I would go further and desig nate you as a genuine 1allapaloozerY,
 The padrone seemed much graHfied but immediately demanded $5. Tnt Talbot gave him. Johnny thought tn demand went far toward destroyinl the value of the padrone's Kindness but the rest of us differed. I beliey this people, lazy and dishonest as the. are, are nevertheless peculiarly sus ceptible to kindness. The man ha started by trying to cheat us of ou bargain; he ended by going out of hi way to help us along
 Having paid the aIca1de, we SC forth. Our good padrone was on han e. say farewell to us at the edge town. He gave US a sort of cup mad from cocgdnut husk, to which lon cords had been attached. With thes @e explained, we could dip up wat'