The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1916-03-18

tent and sleep. Daybreak is the word.
Sat 8 o'clock on the morning of the
18th Of July | rode into Aguas Frias
with Kearny at my side. In his clean
linen suit and with his military poise
and keen eve he was a model of a
fighting adventurer. l had visions Of
! him riding as commander of President
Valdevia's bodyguard when the plums
| of the new republic should begin to fall.
Carlos followed with the troops and
! supplies. He was to halt in a wood
outside the town and remain concealed
there until he received the word to adj
vance
"Kearny and | rode down the Gale
Ancha toward the residencia of Don
Rafael at the other side of the town.
AS we passed the superb white build
ings of the University of Esperanto
saw at an open window the cleaning
spectacles and bald head of Herr Ber-
gowitz, professor of the natural sci
ences and friend of Don Rafael and of
me and of the cause. He waved his
hand to me with his broad. bland
smile.
There was no excitement apparent
in Aguas Frias. The people'went about
leisurely as at all times. The market
was thronged with bareheaded women
buying fruit and carne We heard the
twang and tinkle of string bands in
the patios of the cantinas. We could
see that it was a waiting game that
Don Rafael was playing.
His residential was a large but low
building around great COURTYARD in
grounds crowded with ornamental
trees and tropic shrubs. At his door
an old woman who came Informed Us
that Don Rafael had not yet arisen.
"'Tell him. said l. that Captain Ma
lone and friend wish to see him a
once. Perhaps he has oversight
"She came back looking frightened.
az have called she said, and rung
his bell many times, but he does not
answer
II knew where his sleeping room
was. Kearny and pushed by her and
went to it. | put my shoulder against
the thin door and forced it open.
"In an armchair by great table COW
cred with maps and books sat Don Ra-
fael with his eyes closed. | touched
his hand. He had been dead many
hours. On his head above one ear was
wound caused by heavy blow 1t
had ceased to bleed long before.
81 made the old woman call Il mozo
and dispatched him in haste to fetch
Herr Bergowitz.
HE came, and we stood about as if
we were half stunned by the awful
shock. Thus can the letting Of few
drops of blood from one mans veins
drain the life of a nation.
Presently Herr Bergowitz stopped
and picked up darkish stone the size
of an orange which he saw under the
table He examined it closely through
his great glasses with the eye Of sci
ence.
"A fragment said he, of detonat-
ing meteor. The most remarkable one
in twenty years exploded above this
city a little after midnight this morn
ing
The professor looked quickly up at
the ceiling. We saw the blue sky
through a hole the size of an orange
nearly above Don Rafaers chair.
II heard familiar sound and turned.
Kearny had thrown himself on the
floor and was babbling his compendium
of bitter, blood freezing curses against
the star Of his evil luck.
Undoubtedly Phoebe had been femi-
nine. Even when hurting on her way
to fiery dissolution and everlasting
doom the last word had been hers
Captain Malone was not unskilled in
narrative. He knew the point where
story should end. sat reveling in his
effective conclusion when he aroused
me by continuing:
"Of course" said he "our schemes
were at an end There was no one to |
take Don Rafaels place Our little |
army melted away like dew before the
sun.
zone day after | had returned to
New Orleans l related this story to
friend who holds professorship in
Tulane university
when had finished he laughed and
asked whether l had any knowledge
of Kearny's luck afterward toll !,
him no; that l had seen him no more,
but that when he left me he had ex-
pressed confidence that his future
would be successful now that his I'M
lucky star had been overthrow.
mo doubt said the professor, he
IS happier not to know one fact. If |
le derives his bad luck from Phoebe.
he ninth satellite of Saturn, that ma
icious lady is still engaged in over
ooking his career. The star close to
Saturn that he imagined to be her was
hear that planet simply by the chance
# its orbit Probably at different