The Mena weekly star., 1918-11-07

| O'Reilly's hand.
Esteban was a handsome hoy.
straight, slim and manly. and his re-
semblance to Rosa was startling.
with look engaging in It's frank al.
rectness, he said: ROSA told me about
your meetings here and / came to
apologize for our stepmother's discour.
tesy. I'm sorry we can't invite you
into our house, but-you understand
ROSA and l are not like her; we are
quite liLeral in our views; we are al.
most Americans, as you see. / dare
say that's what makes Isabel hate
Americans so bitterly"
wouldn't It please her to know that
I'm becoming Cubanized as fast as
ever canT ventured the caller.
"Oh. she hates Cubans, too !" laughed
the brother. "She's Spanish, you know.
Well, it's fortunate you didn't see her
today. Br-r! What a temperI She'll
walk In her sleep tonight, If ever"
Rosa nodded soberly, and OReilly,
suppressipg some light reply that had
sprung to Ms lips, inquired, curiously
'What 90 YOU mean By thatT'
Brother and sister Joined n explain
ing that Donna Isabel Vas given to De
culiar actions. especially after periods
OF excitement or anger, and that one OF
her eccentricities had taken the form
q somnambulistic wanderings. "Oh
she's crazy enough" Esteban con-
Guided. II believe it's her evil con-
sciepce,~ r.
0'Reiily scanned the speaker silent
~ for moment: then he said, with o
gravity unusual in him. II wonder II
you know that you're suspected Of
working for the insurrecto cause"
"indeed7 didn't know"
swell, it's fact" O'Reilly heard
Rosa gasp family. lis 1t true?" he
asked.
II am a Cuban"
"Cubani Your people were Span.
ish."
"True. But no Spaniard ever raised
Spanish child in Cuba. We are Gu.
bans, Rosa and !. go everywhere. and
the Spanish officers talk plainly be.
fore me. Somebody must be the eyes
and the ears for Colonel Lopez"
Colonel Lopez y exclaimed O'Reilly
Esteban nodded.
Rosa's face, as she looked at the two
men, was white and worried. For a
time the three of them sat silent; then
the American said, slowly, "You'n BE-
shot If you're caught"
"Some one must run chances" Este
ban averred. "We're fighting tyranny
all Cuba is ablaze. must do my part"
but sooner or later you'll be dis
coverad-then whatT persisted O'Reil.
ly.
Esteban shrugged. "Who knowsi
There'll be time enough when"
"What Of Rosai"
At this question the brother stirred
uneasily and dropped his eyes. 0'Reil-
" laid hand upon his arm. "You
have no right to teopardize her safety.
WITHOUT you, to whom could she turn r.
The Arl flashed her admirer a grateful
glance. -.
"Sspor. you for one would see that
she"
PUTIN going away" 0'Reilly
felt rather than Saw Rosa start, for
| his face was ayerted. II came here to
tell you both good-bF. / may be gone
for some time. Ii don't know when
/ can get back"
TIN sorry" Esteban told him. with
genuine regret. I'VE have grown very
fond OF you. But you will come back
before long, Ell? You're one of us. In
the meantime III remember what you
say, and at least I'll be careful" BY
no means wanting In tact, Esteban rose
briskiy and, after shaking hands with
0'Rellly, left the two lovers to say fare
well as best suited them.
But for once O'Reilly's ready tongue
was silent. The laughter was gone
from his blue eyes when he turned to
the girl at his side.
"You say you are going awayf" Rosa
inquired, breathlessly. But why?"
I'm going partly because of this
war and partly because of-something
else. / tried to tell you yesterday, but
couldn't. When the revolution start
ed everybody thought 1t was merely
local uprising, and wrote my com.
pany to that effect; but, bless you. Ii
has spread like fire, and now the whole
eastern end of the island Is ablaze.
Business has stopped. and my employ.
ers have ordered me home to find out
what's happened to their profits"
aYou said there was something
else. s'en-~-s +
OReilly's hesitation became an EN-
harrassed silence. He tried to laugh
It off.
There Is; otherwise I'd stay right
here and tell my penurious friends to
whistle for their profits. 1t seems I'm
cursed with fatal beauty. You may
have noticed 1t? No? Well, perhaps
it's magnificent business ability that
I have. Anyhow, the president Of my
company has notion that I'd make
him good son-in-law."
"I- Obi" cried Rosa.
And at her tone O'Reilly hurried on:
"These rich men have the most abb
surd ideas. suppose I'll have to-.
'Then you are In love, senor7"
The young man nodded vigorously.
Indeed I am-with the sweetest girl
in Cuba. That's the whole trouble.
That's why I'm hurrying home to re-
n. = = IL