Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-12-30

Some time during the afternoon the
negro heard himself addressed through
the window against the bars of which
he leaned. The speaker was Dona Isa-
bel. She had waited patiently until she
knew he must be faint from exhaustion.
and then she had let herself into the
room behind the grating, whence she
could talk to him without fear OF OBJ
servation.
DO you suffer. Sebastian" she began.
in a tone Of Eentleness and pity.
tongue was thick and swollen.
La, La, What crime, And you
the most faithful slave in all Cuba.
Yes, mistress"
The negro raised his head he shook
his body to rid himself of the insects
which were devouring him.
Give me drink of water" he said,
hoarsely.
surely, a great gourdfui, all cool and
dripping from the we'll But hrst !
want you to tell me something, Come
now, let us have an understanding with
each other.
"A drink for the love Of Christ,
painted the old man. And Dona lisa bel
saw how cracked and dry were ms
thick lips. how near the torture had
come to prostfating him.
ri DO more she promised and her
voice was like honey. I'll tell Pancho
Cueto to unlock you. even IL risk Este
bans anger by so doing You have
deed you have Well. can help YOU
now and in the future. or-I can make
YOUR life inst such a misery as il has been
today. Will you be my friend? VIII
close to the window: her black eyes
were cleaning; her face was ablaze
with greed.
What can / tell you?''
"Oh. you know very well. I've asked
it often enough. but you have lied: just
as my husband has lied to me He is
a miser: he has no heart: he cares for
nobody. az you can see. You must nate
him now, even as hate him There
was a silence. during which Dona isa-
bel tried to read the expression on That
tortured face in the sunlight. DO
your
Perhaps"
Then tell me--is there really
treasure. Or" The woman gasped.
she choked; she could scarcely force
the question for fear of disappointment.
Tell me there is sebastian she
clutched the bars and shook them
I've herd SO many lies that I begin
to doubt
The old man nodded. "oh. yes. there
is a treasure" said he.
Cod, You have seen it? Isabel
was trembling as il with an ague.
What IL il like? How much is there?
Good Sebastian. I'll give you water;
I'll have you set free If you tell me"
How much? I don't know. But
there is much-pieces of Spanish gold,
silver coins In casks and in little boxes
the boxes are bound with iron and
have hasps and staples: bars Of pre-
cious metal and little paper packages
Of gems. all tied up and hidden in
leather bags Sebastian could hear
his listener painting: her bloodless nm
gers were wrapped tightly around the
bars above his head.
Yes. Go on"
There are ornaments. too. God
knows they must have come from heaven
they are so beautiful; and pearls from
the Caribbean as large as plums."
Are you speaking the truth?'
Every peso, every bar, every knick-
knack l have handled with my own
hands. Did I not make the hiding
place all alone? Sonora, everything is
there just as tell you-and more. The
grants of title from the crown for this
quinta and the sugar plantations. they
are there. too. Don Esteban used to
fear the government officials. so he hid
his papers securely Without them the
lands belong to no one. You under
stand?"
"Of course, Yes. yes. But thejewels
God, where are they hidden"
You would never guess" Sehas-
tians voice gathered strength. Ten
would never find the place, and nobody
knows the secret but Don Esteban and
me-"
Z believe you. I knew all the time
Sebastian hesitated and said, piteous
iy. II am dying"
Isabel could scarcely contain her
self. I'll give you water. but first tell
Can't you see that I. too, am perish
ing?"
'T must have a drink"
Tell me first
Sebastian lifted his bead and meet
ing the speakers eyes. laughed hoarse-
~
At the sound of his unnatural merri-
ment Isabel reeoiled it stung. She
stared at the slaves face in anazement
and then in fury. She stammered. in
coherantly, 'You-you have been
lying
ooh. no, The treasure is there. the
greatest treasure in all Cuba. but you
shall never know where it is. I'll see
TO that. 1t was YOU who sold my girl;
it was you who brought me to this: it
was your hand that whipped me. Well.
bribe his secret from me. What do
YOU think he'll do then? Eth? You'll
feel the lash on your white back
You fool" Dona Isabel looked muir
der. Til punish you for this: TIL make
Won speak il T have to rub your wounds
with salt
But Sebastian closed his eyes YEARLY.
You can't make me suffer more than 7
have suffered" he said. And now
curse you. MAY that treasure be the
like mine the rest Of your days: may
your beauty turn to ugliness such that
men will spit at you: may YOU never
know peace again until you die in pow
erty and want"
But Dona Isabel, being superstitious,
fled. with her fingers in her ears; nor
did she undertake to make good her
barbarous threat, realizing OPPORTUNITY
that 1t would only serve to betray her
desperate intentions and put her hus-
band further on his guard Instead she
shut herself into her room, where she
paced the floor. racking her brain to
guess where the hiding place could be
or to devise some means of silencing
had been overmatched. to know that
there was indeed treasure, to think
that the two who knew where it was
had been laughing at her all this time.
filled the woman with an agony ap-
preaching that which Sebastian suf-
fered from his flies.
As the sun was sinking beyond the
farther rim of the Yumuri and the val
ley was beginning to fill with shadows
Estehan Varona rode up the hill His
temper was more evil than ever, if
that We're possible. for he had drunk
again in an effort to drown the memory
of his earlier actions. With him rode
half a dozen or more of his friends,
at his expense There were Pablo Peza
and Mario de Castano once more; Col
Mendoza Linares, old Pedro Miron,
the advocate, and others of less conse-
uuence. whom Esteban had gathered
from the Spanish Club. The host dis
mounted and 1urched across the court
yard to Seba