The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-06-30


would decline a gift Indeed. many
Of them did not even confine their ac-
ceptances to gifts.
Hartman sent Pepita away after ex-
acting a promise from her that she
would not attempt thereafter to de-
fend him against any attack from his
enemy, but In case she suspected the
man Of being about to attack him at
a disadvantage she might warn him.
Pepita made the promise with as in
nocent a mien as II she fully intended
10 keep It. Conscience was a matter
that did not concern her. She was a
child Of nature. governed entirely by
her emotions. As for truth or a lie,
that was simply a matter Of require
ment How she kept her promise Is
best illustrated by the next episode
In her eventful childhood, though per
haps. despite her few years. she wss
already a woman.
The teamster disappeared for q time.
He was lighting the poison Of taran-
tuia bite. He recovered In time, but
be knew who had put the viper on
him and feared her. One thing that
deferred him from making another at
tempt on Hardman's life was the fact
that Pepita was a witness that he had
tried to murder the man he hated. He
had counted on doing the deed without
the murderer being known. but now
he was aware that the little Mexican
girl was watching him. He did not
often see her. but felt sure that her
eyes were constantly on him.
And so they were. One night he was
improvising a hand grenade. He was
working in a hut where he lived with
a ragged curtain over the window.
There was tear In 1t, and through.
that tear Pepita was peeping. When
he had finished his weapon he began
to destroy certain articles. The crafty
girl surmised that he was intending to
kill Hardman with his bomb, then
light out He was evidently afraid of
his grenade, for before going to bed he
took It outside. scooped out a small
hole In the ground, put It in and COW
cred it with earth and leaves.
As soon as all was quiet in the cabin
Pepita possessed herself of the bomb
and carried 1t away. Coming to win
dow within which was a bright light,
she examined her find, a tobacco box
with explosive contents. She had seen
the teamster place percussion powder
under a certain point in the side Of the
box and mark It with a cross. She
noted the cross, and. returning to the
cabin with the weapon which she knew
was intended for Hartman. she scrap
ed out Just enough earth before the
door to set the box In, leaving its
crossed side uppermost and nearly on
a level with the ground. Then she
placed dry leaves over 1t.
The next day a report was heard,
and later persons passing the team
ster's cabin found It q wreck. The oc-
cupant was missing. S1pposing that
he had been killed or injured by the
force that ruined his home, search
was made for him, but neither he nor
any part Of him was found.
For time Pepita said nothing to
any one as to her part in the explo-
sion, but as time passed and the team
ster did not reappear she revealed the
secret that she had seen him making
a bomb. Then II was surmised that It
had been accidentally exploded, but
that he had not been within striking
distance. How the explosion came
about without his being its victim was
not known to any one except Pepita,
who, remembering where she had
placed the bomb, was enabled to look
more directly than others for the
cause. At the time of the explosion
there had been a violent windstorm.
Pepita, looking for the cause of the ex-
plosion, cast her eye on the limb Of
a tree that had been broken. The de-
tached fragment she found some dis
lance from the cabin blackened as II
by an explosion. She felt sure that
this fragment had been blown down
upon the bomb. The explosion occur
red in the daytime when the teamster
was away. SO that he was not injured.
But It is likely that when he saw his
cabin blown to atoms he surmised the
cause and concluded that 1t was time
for him to depart.
Meanwhile Pepita was wandering
about selling fruit apparently as un-
concernedly as II she were not mixed
up in an affair of tragic nature. NV.
cry one else In that region was dis
cussing the matter Of the explosion,
but the little Mexican seemed content
to carry her basket about, taking in
few cOppers at time for an orange or
a banana, paying no attention to the
talk.
There was one who looked upon
Pepita with very different feelings
from the generality OF persons; that
was Leonard Hardman. He had learn
ed that she was not a child, but
woman; that she loved him with all
the passion Of girl Of the south. He
questioned her about the explosion and
had learned the facts. Twice he owed
her his life. What was he to do? Re
spond to the passion of a Mexican girl
but little more than a child and fruit
peddler?
Notwithstanding her ignoble position
the fact that she had been so devoted
to him affected him seriously. His life
belonged to her. Without her protec-
ton he would not be living After
much thought he came to conclusion.
'Pepita," he said one day, "how
would you like to go to school?"
She looked at him inquiringly.
''If you go to school you and l might
some day be more to each other than
we are" he added.