Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1918-05-09
CHAPTER I'll.
1.-THE O,Reilly."

line ONheIlIy." Il
Age and easy living had caused Don
Mario de Castano, the sugar merchant,
to take on weight. He had, in truth,
become so fat that he waddled like a,
penguin when he walked; and when he
rode, the springs of his French vic
toria gave up in despair.
In disposition Don Mario was prac-
tical and ~unromantic; he boosted that
he had never had an illusion, never an
interest outside of his business. And
yet, on the day this story opens, this
prosaic parsonage, in spite of his bulg-
ing waistband and his taut neckband,
in spite of his short breath and his
prickly heat, a in a very whirl Of
p%leasurable excitement. Don Mario, in
fact, suffered the greatest Of all illu-
sions: he was in love, and he believed
himself beloved. The object Of his
alteration was little Rosa Varona, the
daughter Of his one-time friend Este
ban. To be sure, he had met Rosa only
twice since her return from her Yankee
school, but twice had been enough;
with prompt decision he had resolved
to do her the honor Of making her his
wife.
Notwithstanding the rivulets of per-
SEPARATION that were cOursing down
every fold of his flesh, and regardless
of the fact that the body of his victoria
was tipped at a drunken angle, as if
struggling to escape the burdens Of his
great weight, Don Mario felt q jaunti-
ness of body and of spirit almost like
that Of youth. He saw himself rs a
splendid prince riding towurd the
humble home of some obscure maiden
whom he had graciously chosen to be
his mate.
His arrival threw Donna Isabel into
q futter; the woman could scarcely
contain her curiosity when she came to
meet him, for he was not the sort of
man to inconvenience himself by mere
social visits. Their first formal greet.
ings over, Don Mario surveyed the bare
living room and remarked, lugubri.
ously:
81 see many changes here"
mo doubt" the widow agreed.
'"Times have been hard since poor Els.
TEXANS DEATH"
"What a terrible calamity that was!
I shudder when l think of it," said he.
"a shocking affair, truly! and one l
shall never get out Of my mind"
shocking, yes. But what do you
think of a rich man, like Esteban, who
would leave his family destitute? Who
would die without revealing the place
where he had stored his treasurer"
Donna Isabel, it vas plain, felt her
wrongs keenly; she spoke with as much
spirit as If her husband had permitted
himself to be killed purely out of spite
toward her.
LAS If it were not enough to lose
that treasure" the widow continued,
stormily, "the government must free
all u slaves. Use! Use! And now
that there is no longer a profit in
sugar, my plantations"
"No profit in sugar? What are you
saying?" queried the caller. eff your
crops do not pay, then Pancho Cueto
Is cheating you. Get rid of him. But l
didn't come here to talk about Este
bans hidden treasure, nor his planta-
SASAo' AAo L HAlCllO CucLu. L Cdlue here
to talk about your step-daughter,
Rosa"
$50" Donna Isabel looked up
quickly.
"She interests me. She is more beau.
tiful than the stars" Don Mario rolled
his eyes toward the high ceiling, which,
like the sky, was tinted a vivid ceru.
, lean blue.
"She is now eighteen" the fat suItor
went on, ecstatically, "and so alto.
gether charming But why waste
time In pretty speeches? I have de.
cided to marry her."
"Rosa has a will of her own" guard.
eddy ventured the %stepmothcr.
Don Mario broke out, testify: "Nat.
urally; so have we all. Now let us
speak plainly. You know me. I am q
person Of Importance. I am rich
enough to afford what I want. and
pay well. You understand? Well, then,
you are Rosa's guardian and you can
bend her to your DESIRES"
"If that were only sol" exclaimed
he woman. "She and Esteban-what
children! What tempers-just like
heir fathers! They were to be their
fathers heirs, you know, and they
)lnme me for his death, for our pow.