The Snowflake herald., 1917-11-09

dream? VIII you sacrifice yourself
and all your aspirations in the heat of
this unholy and impossible passion?
Tonight, now, you must choose whether
you will be famous or Infamous, glori-
Gus or shameful, hOnored or dishOn-
ored! Restrain your hatred and con-
quer your lust, or forego forever your
dreams of empire and pass into OBJ
livion."
"You are meddler," Longorio
stormed. "You make a loud noise, but
1 shall rid Mexico of your kind. We
shall have no more of you priests"
Father O'Malley shook the speaker
as a parent shakes an unruly child.
"See! You have completely lost your
head. But want you to listen to what
/ am saying. Whether you are more
good than evil God must judge, but
the people of Mexico are good people,
and they will not be ruled by a man
who is wholly bad. You have the power
to remove this man and this woman
yes and this priest who dares to point
out the pit at your feet; but if you do
you will never command another Mexi-
can army. There is no war. We are
not your enemies. The world knows
we are here, and it holds you account
able for our safety. Tomorrow you
will have to face the reckoning"
Longorio listened. 1t was plain that
ne recognized the truth of O'Malley's
words, but he was convulsed with rage
"Good ~ he cried. 81 see my dreams
dissolve, but l am not the first great
man to trade an empire for a woman
Antony, the Roman general, laid his
honor in a WOman'S arms. | had a
shining destiny, but Mexico will be the
sufferer by my betrayal. Instead of
LOngorio the Deliverer, shall be
known as Longorio the Lover, the man
who gave all"
O'MaHey interrupted forcefully.
Enough of this! Come with me.
have something more to say to you"
He flung open the door into the hall
and taking the general by the arm,
fairly dragged him from the room and
into the one opposite. The lieutenant
and his men looked on in amazement
shuffling their feet and shifting their
rifle-butts noisily upon the floor.
Alaire turned an anxious face to
Dave, saying: "Iie is wonderful. Lon
gOrio is alnOSt-afraid of him."
eyes; he may bring him to his
senses. If he doesn't" Dave cast
his eyes desperately over the room,
conscious all the time that he was be-
ing watched with suspicion by the men
outside. He stirred restlessly and
moistened his lips. "Longorio would
be crazy to injure YOU
Ten minutes passed; fifteen. Alaire
leaned. motiOnless, against the table I;
Dave paced about, followed by the eyes
of the soldiers. One of the latter
struck match, and in the silence il
sounded like a gunshOt. Dave started
at which the soldiers laughed. They
began to talk in murmurs. The odol
of cigarette smoke drifted in to the
man and the woman.
Finally the door through which Fa-
ther O'Malley and Longorio had passed
opened, and the priest emerged. He
was alone His face was flushed and
damp; his eyes were glowing. He
forced the Mexicans out of his way
and, entering the living room, closed
the door behind him.
"Well?" his two friends questioned
anxiOusly.
"Tve done all can. The rest is out
of our hands," The little man sat
down heavily and mopped his forehead.
"What does he say?"
"He told me to come here and wall
tracted."
"Then he is wavering. Oh-h y AiaIre
claSped her hands in thanksgiving, but
the father cautioned her:
"Don't be too sanguine. He is not
afraid of consequences. He appears to
have no conscience. He is without
mercy and seems lost to shame l have
never met a man quite like him. Do
you know what he feels at this mo-
ment? Chagrin. Yes, modification
LdIoCu W Iuc LlSIleSL plLCI anu d SOIl
of stupefaction that you should prefer
another man to him. He can't under
stand your lack of taste" Father
O'Malley smiled family.
Connected idiot" Dave growled.
"His humiliation kills him. When l
saw that it was useless to appeal to
him on moral grounds, and that threats
were unavailing, took another course.
Something gave me insight into his
mind, and the power to talk as have
never talked before. All in a flash
saw the mans soul laid bare before me-
and-I think l played upon it with
some cunning. / don't remember all
said, for was inspired, but / appealed
to his vanity and to his cOnceit, and as
l went along l impressed upon him,
over and over, the fact that the world
knows we are here and that it trusts
him. He aspires to the presidency; he
believes he is destined to be Mexico's
dictator: so / painted q picture that