The Mena weekly star., 1918-11-07
Continued from last week.)

WAV Oh WOIlQlJ hAfAhtdSC " OALCA u1
girl. and 1t was precisely because of
this fact that he had accepted O posi-.
tion here in Cuba, where, from the very
nature Of things. promotion was likely
to be more rapid than In the New York
Office Of his firm.
A dancing eye speaks every Ian
guage; a singing heart gathers its own
audience. Before the young Irish
American had more than bowling ac-
Quaintance With the coWmQnest Span
ish verbs he had calling acqualnt-
aSce WITH gone Of the NOEL sxcpMys
people Of Mstanzas. He had adjusted
himself ssrepsly 70 his surroundings
whsn RoSp YaroQg returned from
school, but with her Coming. away
vent oil his competency. Bis content
ment vanished: he experienced q total
change IN his opinions, his hopes. and
his ambitions.
He discovered, for example. that Ma
tanzas was by no means the out-of-the-
way place he had considered it: on the
contrary, after meeting Rosa once by
accident, twice by design, and three
times By mutual arrangement, II had
dawned upon him that this was the
chief city Of Cuba, II not, perhaps, the
hub around which the whole world re-
yolyed: certainly II was the most
agreeable Of all cities. since It con-
tained everything that was necessary
FOR mans happiness. Yet, despite the
thrill Of his awakening. OReilly was
not at all pleased with himself. for, as
1t happened, there was another girl
back home. and during his first year
Of loneliness he had written TO her
more freely and more frequently than
any man on such salary as his had a
right to do.
Inasmuch as her father was 0'Reil-
ly's company" 1t may be seen that
Rosa Varona's Homecoming seriously
complicated matters, not only from a
sentimental, but from business stand
point.
1t was In thoughtful mood that he
rode up La Cumbre toward the Quinta
de Esteban, late on the afternoon of
Dan Mario's visit. Instead of going d.
rectly to the house, as the merchant
had done, O'Reilly turned of from the
road and, after lettering his horse In
q cluster of guava bushes, proceeded
on foot. He did not like Donna Isabel,
nor did Donna Isabel like him. More
over, he had a particular reason for
avoiding her today.
Just inside the Varona premises he
paused an instant to admire the out
look. The Quinta commanded an excel
lent view Of the Yumur. on the one
band, and Of the town and harbor on
the other; no one ever climbed the hill
from the city TO gaze over into that
hidden valley without feeling a pleas
urable surprise at finding 1t still there.
We are accustomed to think of perfect
beauty as unsubstantiai, evanescent
but the Yumuri never changed. and In
that lay its supremest wonder.
Through what had once been we'll
tended grounds, O'Reilly made his way
70 sort Of sunken garden which. In
spite OF neglect, stlll remained the
most charming nook upon the place +;
and there he sat down to wait for Rosa.
4he hollow was effectuallv screened
rom view by a growth of plantain,
palm, orange, and tamarind trees over
Inc rocky walls ran profusion Of
towering plants and vines; in the CEN
yer Oh the open space was an old well,
It's masonry curb all but crumbled
away.
When Rosa at last appeared, 0'Reilly
teit called upon to tell her, somewhat
uizzlly, that she was beyond doubt the
sweetest flower on all the Quinta de
|steoan, and since this somewhat hack
ueyed remark was the boldest speech
ne mad ever made to her she blushed
prettily, flashing him dimpled smile
VI mingled pleasure and surprise.
oD, but / assure you I'm in no
sweet temper" said she. "Just now I'm
tremendously angry"
"Whyp
ats that stepmother-Isabei, E she
Sssame9 that J see yoV es often as I
qo- Well" Rosa lifted her eIo-
ouent hands and eyes heavenward. 81
suppose that's why I enjoy doing 1T
50 yearly love to spite her."
seel" O'Reilly puckered his
o'o"s and nodded. but why, In that
vase haven't you seen nae oftener? We
snt Just as well have made the
eOoe lady's life totally unbearable.V
=. oilly J She knows nothing about
With a flirtatious sigh Rosa add
mats what robs the affair of its
S sliei pleasure. Since IT does not bother
ei u the least. think will not al
-" you to come any more"
after 1udiclous consideration. o'Reil-
pretended to agree.
80 Ihere's no fun in wreaking a hor-
,soie revenge, when your enemy isn't
, ".se 20 It," he acknowledged. .Since
y. s your Idea to irritate your stepmoth-
-. perhaps 1t would annoy her IL /
usue love directly to her."
nos. rosa Uttered, and then inquired,
a~y' Can you make love, senorfa
o,x Gun II It's the one ability an
pa liy inherits. Listen to this now"
~ eaaening forth, ne took Rosa's fingers
al ~, Wait !" he cried as she resist
vow retend that you're Mrs. varona,
her ri ~ own stepmother, and that this is
ao S,i,lpied hand I'm holding"
70 s The girl allowed his grasp
di,n ssnialn. but IsabePs hand isn't
n ~ ITS thin and bony. I'VE felt
.s "a my ears often enough
1Olt fnfnrrurf - 80