Lincoln County times. (Jerome, Idaho) 1911-1919, 1918-10-03


stand English7 didn't think you'd
take 1t so hard-I was going to make
place for you here In the office, but
of course If Sayl What the deuce
ails your"
Samuel Carter stared with amaze
ment, for the injured victim or MS
daughters fckleness had leaped to his
feet and was shaking his hand vigor-
,,.Ssy, meanwhile utterlnx unInts'h-
gible sounds that seemed to signify
relief, pleasure, delight-anything ex-
cept what the old man expected.
Are you crazy, or am II" he que
ried.
ayes, sir; delirious. It's this way,
sir; I've changed my mind, too"
ooh! You have?"
"I've met the dearest, sweetest
O'Reilly choked. then began again
"the dearest, loveliest-"
"Never mind the bird-calls-don't
coo 1 get enough of that at home.
Humph 1t turned out better than l
thought. Why, IL was positively ter
rlfied when you walked In. l ought to
be offended. and I am. but Get out
while I telephone Elsa"
O'Reilly spent that evening in writ
ing long letter to Rosa Varona.
Other letters went forward by sue
ceedlng posts, and there was no doubt
now that O'Reilly's pen was tipped
with magic! He tingled when he re-
read what he had written. He babe
Rosa prepare for his return and their
immediate marriage.
O'Reilly's love was unlimited; his
trust In the girl was absolute. He
knew, moreover, that she loved and
trusted him. This, to be sure, was II
miracle-a unique phenomenon which
never ceased to amaze him. He did
not dream that every man had felt the
same vague wonder.
And so the time passed rapidly. But,
strange to say, there came no answer
to those letters. O'Reilly cursed the
revolution which had made communl-
cation so uncertain; at length he
cabled. but still the days dragged on
with no result. Gradually his impa-
tience gave way to apprehension.
Great was his relief, therefore, when
one day q worn, stained envelope adj
dressed In Rosa's hand was laid upon
his desk. The American stamp. the
Key West postmark. looked strange,
but Her. first letter. O'Reilly Won
dered II his first letter to her could
possibly have moved her as this moved
him. He kissed the envelope where
her lips had caressed It In the sealing.
Then with eager fingers he broke 1t
open.
1t was a generous epistle, long and
closely written, but as he read his keen
telight turned to dismay. and when
ne had turned the last thin page his
brain was in widest turmoil. He
thought he must be dreaming. Could
Il be that he had misunderstood any,
thing? He turned to the beginning and
attempted to read, but his hands shook
so that he was obliged to lay the letter
fiat upon his desk.
My Dear Beloved: 1t IL with diffidence
and hesitation that 1 take my pen In
hand. for fear you may consider me
unduly forward In writing to you with
out solicitation.
Alas! We are refugees. Esteban and I
-fugitives. outcasts. living In the mani
qua with Asensio and Evangelina. former
slaves OF our father. Such poverty, such
indescribabls circumstancesi But they
were our only friends and they took us
In whom We were homeless. 30 we love
them.
II this letter reaches you-and I send
II with prayer-what them dare not
think too long OF that. for the hearts Of
men are not like the hearts OF women.
What will you say when you learn that
the Rosa Varona whom you favored with
your admiration is not the Rosa OF to-
dayf / hear you murmur. THE girl for
gets herself" But. oh. the standards Of
yesterday are gone and my reserve Is
gone. tool I am n hunted creature.
Rosa had compelled herself to start
with the death Of Donna Isabel and to
give him succinct account Of all that
had followed. O'Reilly read the story,
fascinated.
That IL how we came to live with Asensio
and his wife. Imagine III A bohio, hid
oen away far up the Yumuri. and so in
Significant a. to escape attention. We are
no longer people Of consequence or au-
thority; our safety depends upon our in
conspicuousness
Inc whole country Is In chaos. There
Is no work-nothing but suspicion hatred
ana violence. Oh. what desolation this
war has wrought Esteban has already
become guerrillero. He has stolen a
COW. ana 20 we have milk for our coffee:
out there 10 only = handful of coffee left
and little hope OF more. Maraudinr band,
OF spaniards ars everywhere. and the
country people tell atrocious tales about
them. How will II end7 How long he
FORE they will discover VI and the worst
will happen7
II only you were here Oh, my dear
est Juan! II only you were hereto take
me In your arms and Danish this ever
constant terror at my heart II only Won
were here to tell me that you Low. me
still In spite OF my misfortune. seei The
tears are falling a. write. You win re-
turn, VIII you not7 could not write Ike
this II 1 were sure that you would read
these lines. Ny nightly prayer But I
VIII not tell you OF my prayers. for fate
may guide this letter to you. after ali
and the hearts OF mon do change Tn
those dark hours whom my doubts arise
l Try TO tell myself that you will surely
come and search me out.
When you return to Cuba-see. nv faith
ID strong again-avoid Matanxas. for vour
own sake and mine. Don Mario wanted
10 marry me to save ma this svt,a p,,&