The Watertown news. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1917-1919, 1917-10-22
THE "SENORITA'
BY JANE OSBORN.


1t was with strong spirit Of flial
affection, mingled with just shade Of
| regret, that Baldwin Stone determined
to spend the two weeks of his vacation
with his mother in her small city
apartment. 1t had about been deter
mined that he was to go to South
America in the autumn, and If he did
he might not return home for year.
Perhaps a much longer period would
elapse before he saw the mother again.
Hence his determination to spend his
entire vacation with her.
After dinner, as they fingered for
little while over their coffee, Mrs.
Stone showed a strange preoccupation
traces Of which her son had caught
before during the few hours he had
been home. He queried with his eyes.
"Yes, I am worried, Baldwin," she
answered, divining his meaning. "Of
course, I don't allow myself to brood
over it, but the strangest walls come
up to these windows sometimes. I
think it Is Spanish, though I cannot
tell. I am sure you could. Suppose
we stay here and see If they will be-
GIN"
Series from the apartment below"
Baldwin was inclined to make light Of
the matter. Anything of that sort
should be referred to the janitor, the
superintendent or the police. You
shouldn't allow yourself to be dis
tressed."
"But did ask the elevator man and
he looked so strange-at least I
thought he did. I asked him who lived
in the apartment below and he said,
in that drawing voice of his: Miss
and Mrs. Martin I asked him II
either Of them was Ill and he said:
M indeed, ma'am.' Just that way,
and when I told him about the voices
he laughed and wouldn't do anything
about It, I suppose If it is a case
one of those horrible cases where the
girl is held against her will-the peo-
pie will have bribed him into secrecy.
But I can't help but think about it,
"Don't you remember what the
voice said?"
A low expressionless voice from the
court interrupted Martin, who stopped
short. "There it is" whispered Mrs.
Stone and the mother and son drew
near to the window and listened in
tently.
"Tengo mucho calor," cam, ne voice
in Spanish. ~"I am very warm" In
terpreted Baldwin. "That's perfectly
clear. 81 feel much worse, little wa
ter, please. A drop Of water, 1 am
thirsty!'' came in Spanish, in the same
expressionless, but soul-stirring. wom-
ans voice.
The next morning Baldwin thought
Of a deliberate rescue. At breakfast
he had this plan Of action so well
thought out in fact, that to his mother
he appeared not in the least agitated.
'Tm going to brave the lion in his
den," he said. "rll 60 right down this
morning and tell them why I have
come. I'll take the wind out of their
sails bit, think"
When Baldwin reached the apart
ment below he was little side-tracked
from the first. The charming little
woman with golden hair and blue eyes
| opened the door and disconnected him
by Selling his hand and shaking it
cordially. Then Baldwin recognized
her.
II knew the lady upstairs was your
| mother" she told him after she had
ushered him into the small living-room,
because heard her tell the elevator
man that her son was coming home for
| his vacation and she called you Bald
win. I was hoping you would come to
see me-"
1t was hard getting back to the prob
! lem he was trying to solve, for Abigail
| Martin was full Of enthusiasm-enthu-
siasm over Baldwin and enthusiasm
over herself. She managed to find out
| in five minutes just what he was doing
| as a lawyer and that he was going to
| South America.
GLOW wonderful" she squealed, fair
ly dancing for JOY. 'Then we can talk
| Spanish together. I get my degree
this summer and am going to be
sure-enough doctor. Isn't that wonder
full? And I'm going to South America,
too; mother and I together"
"You are studying medicine" Bald
| win seized this as possible cue.
"Then," he faltered, perhaps cGe Of
your patients is here now. have
heard the cries in the court. She seems
| to be in great distress"
Abigail shouted with glee. "Oh, that
is poor old 'Senorita Dolorita.' That
| is what we call the photograph, you
know. I taught myself Spanish with
one of those photograph arrangements
| that talk it to you, and as was going
to need to understand patients more
than anything else had special set
of records made with just the kind OF
things that patients say. I've been
thinking" she suddenly diverted, III
you're going to South America and l
am going, why shouldn't our mothers
| go together? know your mother will
miss you dreadfully, and mine might
be lonely when I am off on my prac-
tice. Wouldn't that be wonderful? You
know you were awfully good to look
me up the first thing"
BY this time Baldwin was assuring
himself that in all the world there was
nothing so beautiful, so lovely, so In
toxicating as the blue depths Of q
blue-eyed woman's eyes.
And that Is how it happened that
when Baldwin Stone set I'D his single