Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1918-10-11

AS he walked away he heard Norine
say; Don't pay any attention to him.
Wen go and dig it up ourselves, and
we won't wait until the war is over"
An hour later Esteban and his nurse
still had their heads together. They
were still talking of golden ingots and
pearls from the Caribbean the size of
plums when they looked up to see
O'Reilly running toward them. He was
visibly excited; he waved and shouted
at them. He was painting when he ar
rived.
News! From Matanzas!" he cried.
Gomez man has arrived"
Esteban struggled to rise, but No
rine restrained him. "Rosa? What
does he say? Quick"
"Good newsl She left the Pan de
Matanzas with the two negroes. She
went into the city before Cobo's raid"
Esteban collapsed Imply. He closed
his eyes, his face was very white. He
crossed himself weakly.
"The letter is definite. It seems they
were starving. They obeyed Weyler's
bando. They're in Matanzas now"
do you hear, Esteban?" Norine
shook her patient by the shoulder.
| "She's alive. Oh, can't you see that it
always pays to believe the best?'
"Alivel Safei" Esteban whispered.
His eyes, when he opened them. were
swimming; he clutched Norine's hand
tightly; his other hand he extended to
O'Reilly. "a reconcentrado! In Ma
tanzasl Well, that's good. We have
friends there-they'n not let her
starve. This makes new man of me.
Sect I'm strong again. TIL go to her."
"You1l go?" quickly cried Miss
Evans. you'll gol You're not strong
enough. 1t would be suicide. You,
with price upon your head Every
body knows you there. Matanzas is
virtually a walled city. There's sick
ness, too-yellOw fever, typhus--"
Exactly. And hunger. also. / sup
pose no one has taken Rosa in2 Those
concentration camps aren't nice places
for girl"
"But waiti I have friends in Wash
ington. They're influential. They will
cable the American consul to look after
her. Anyhow, you mustn't think Of re-
turning to Matanzas," Norine faltered:
her voice caught unexpectedly and she
turned her face away.
O'Reilly nodded shortly. you're a
sick man." he agreed. 'There's no need
for both of us to CO."
Esteban looked up. '9Then you-"
81 leave at once. The Old Man has
given me commission to General Be
tancourt, and I'll be on my way in an
hour. The moon is young; I must
cross the trocha before"
"That trocha!" Esteban was up on
his elbow again. BE careful there,
OReilly. They keep a sharp lookout,
and it's guarded with barbed wire. Be
sure you cut every strand. Yes, and
muffle your horses hoofs, too In cross
ing the railroad track. That's how we
were detected. Pablo's horse struck
rail, and they fired at the sound. He
fell at the first volley, riddIed Oh,
know that trocha"
% the trocha ~ O'Reilly ex-
claimed. "At last I've got chance to
do something. GodI How long I've
waited"
Esteban drew O'Reilly's tense form
down and embraced his friend, after
the fashion of his people. "She has
been waiting, too" he said, huskily.
''We varonas are good walters, O'Reil-
| ly. Rosa viii never cease waiting I'M
til you come. Tell her, for me"
Norine withdrew softly out Of ear
shot. There were lump In her throat
and a pain in her breast. She had ae-
quired a peculiar aad affectionate In
terest in this unhappy girl whom she
had never seen, and she had learned to
respect O'Reilly's love. The yearning
that had pulsed in his voice moment
before had stirred her deeply; 1t awoke
| a throh in her own bosom, for O'Reilly
was dear to her. The pacificos. accord
ing to all reports, were dying like flies
in the prison camps Eorine wondered
if there might not be terrible heart
ache at the end Of O'Reilly's quest?
Her face was grave and worried when,
hearing him speak to her, she turned
TO take his outstretched hand.
"You will be careful won't your
she implored. "And you'll be stout of
heart, no matter what occursY
He nodded. Its a long way back
here to Cubitas. You may not see or
hear from me again"
81 understand" She choked miser-
ably. "You mean you may not come
back. Oh, Johnnie!"
tut, tutl We OReillys have more
lives than a litter of cats. / mean
may not see you until the war is over
and we meet in New York. Well, We've
been good pals, and-Im glad you
came TO Cuba" his grasp VI N her
two hands was painful.
'You must go, 1 know, and wouldn't
try to keep you, but" Norine faltered,
then impulsively she drew him down
j - i t-....,,,s H., fr,ll 1fy7on tho Inns "E'or