Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-10-27

necklace and crucifix, all Of diamonds
that quivered in the sunlight like drops
of purest water? Had he not knelt and
prayed for his wife's safe delivery and
then hung his gifts upon the sacred
image, as Loyola had hung up his weap-
ons before that other counterpart of Our
Lady? Don Esteban scowled at the mem.
ory, for those gems were of the finest,
and certainly of a value sufficient to
recompense the Virgin for any ordinary
miracle They were worth 5000 pesos at
least, he told himself; they represented
the price of five slaves--fve of his finest
girls, schooled in housekeeping and Of an
age suitable for breeding. An eXtrava-
gance, truly! Don Esteban knew the
value of money as we'll as anybody, ana
he swore now that he would give no more
to the Church.
The Faithful Sebastian
He looked up from his unhappy
musings to find gigantic barefooted ne.
gro standing before him. The slave was
middle-aged his knky hair was growing
gray, but he was of super proportions
and the muscles which showed through
the rents in his cotton garments were as
smooth and supple as those of a STRIPPING.
His black face was puckered with grief,
as he began:
Master, is it true that Dona Rosa"
The fellow choked.
YES" Esteban nodded, wearily, "she is
dead, Sebastian"
Tears came to Sebastan's eyes and
overflowed his cheeks; he stood motion
less, striving to voice his sympathy. At
length he said:
"She was too good for this world God
was jealous and took her to paradise"
The widowed man cried out, angrily:
Paradise! What is this but paradise?"
He stared with resentful eyes at the
beauty round about him. See! The
Yumuri" Don Esteban flung a long arm
outward. do you think there is a sight
like that in heaven? And yOnder-" He
turned to the harbOr far below, with its
fleet of sailing ships resting like a flock
of gulls upon a sea of quicksilver. Be
yond the bay. twenty miles distant, a
range of hazy mountains hid the horizon.
Facing to the south, Esteban looked up
the full length of the valley of the San
Juan, clear to the majestic Pan de Matan-
zas, a wonderful sight indeed; then his
eyes returned, as they always did, TO the
Yumuri Valley of Delight. Paradise in.
deedw he muttered "I gave her every.
thing. She gained nothing by dying"
With a grave thoughtfulness which
proved him superior to the ordinary slave,
Sebastian replied:
True! She had all that any womans
heart could desire, but in return for
your goodness she gave you children.
You have lost her, but you have gained
an heir and a beautiful girl baby who
will grow to be another Dona Rosa. l
grieved as you grieve, once upon time
for my woman died in childbirth, too
You remember? But my daughter lives
and she has brought sunshine into my old
} age. That is the purpose of children"
He paused and shifted his weight uncer.
tainly, digging his stiff black toes into
the dirt. After a time he said, slowly;
"Excelency! Now, about the-well-?"
Yes What about it?" Estehan lifted
his smoldering eyes.
Did the Dona Rosa confide her share
Of the secret to any one? Those priests
and those doctors, you know"
"She died without speaking"
"Then it rests between you and me?"
ut does, unless you have babbled."
"NIasterw Sebastian drew himself up
and there was real dignity in his black
face.
Understand my whole fortune is there
everything, even to the deeds of patent
for the plantations. If thought there
was danger of your betraying me I would
have your tongue pulled out and your
eyes torn from their sockets"
The black man spoke with a simplicity
that carried conviction. "You have seen
me tested. You know am faithful But
master this secret is a great burden for
my old shoulders, and have been think
ing Times are unsettled, Don Esteban
and death comes without warning. You
are known to be the richest man in this
province and these government officials
are robbers. SUPPOSE should be left
alone? What them"
The planter considered for a moment
"They are my countrymen, but curse
on them" he said finally. well, wher
my children are old enough to hold theii
tongues they will have to be told. If I'm
gone you shall be the one to tell them
Now leave me; this is not time TO speal
of such things"
Hidden Treasure
Sebastian went as noiselessly as HI
, had come. On his way back to his quar-
, ters he took the path to the well-th'
, place where most Of his time was ordi
, narily spent. Sebastian had dug thii
!. well, and with his own hands he haC
beautifed its surroundings until they
= were the loveliest on the Varona grounds
/. The rock for the building of the quintt
5 had been quarried here, and in the centel
Of the resulting depression, grass-growr
and Towering now was the well itself
It's waters seeped from subterranean cav
s erns and filtered. pure and cool, through
a the porous country rock. Plantain
E palm, orange and tamarind trees Dor
5 dered the hollow; over the rocky wal