Mexico Missouri message., 1918-05-02
CHAPTER I.
The Valley Of Delight.

The Valley Of Delight.
In all probability your first view of
the valley of the Yumuri will be from
the Hermitage of MOntserrate, for 1t is
there that the cocherOs drive you.
There you overlook the falrest sight in
all Chrlsteudom-"the lovellest valley
in the world" as Humboldt called it
for the Yumurl nestles right at your
feet. a vale OF pure delight, a glimpse
of Paradise that bewilders the eye and
fills the soul with ecstasy.
Standing beside the shrine of Our
Lady of MOntserrate, you will see be-
yond the cleft through which the river
energies another hill, La Cumbre, from
which the view Is wonderful, and your
driver may tell you about the splendid
homes that used to grace its slopes
IN the golden days when Cuba had an
arlstOcracy. Your cochero may point
out a certain grove OF orange trees
now little more than a rank tangle,
and tell you about the qulnta Of Don
Esteban Varona, and It's hidden treas
ure abOHt little Esteban and Rosa, the
twins; and about Sebastian, the giant
slave. who died In fury, taking with
him the secret OF the well.
The Spanish Main is rich In tales of
treasure-trove for when the Antilles
were most affluent they were least Sc
cure, and men were put to strange
shifts to protect their fortunes. Ger
tain boards, like jewels of tragic his
tory, In time assumed sort of evil
personality, not infrequently exercising
a dire influence over the lives of those
who CHANGED to fall under their spells.
It was as II the money were aCcursed,
for certainly the seekers often came
to evil. OF such a character was the
Varona treasure. Don Esteban himself
was neither better nor worse than
other men Of his time, and although
part of the money he. hid was wrung
from the toll OF slaves and the traffic
In their bodies, much of 1t was clean
enough, and in time the earth purified
II all. Since his acts made so deep an
impress, and since the treasure he left
played so big part in the destlnies of
those who came after him, 1t is well
that some account of these matters
should be given.
The story, please remember, is an
old one; It has been often told, and in
the telling and retelllng it is but natural
that a certain glamour, certain
tropical extravaganza, should attach to
1t, therefore you should make allow
ance for some exaggeration, some ac-
cretlons due to the lapse of time. In
the main, however, IT is well authenti-
Gated and runs parallel to fact.
Donna Rosa Varona lived barely long
enough to learn that she had given
birth to twins. Don Esteban, whom
people knew as a grim man, took the
blow of his sudden bereavement as be-
came one Of his strong fiber. Leaving
the priest upon his knees and the doc
tor busted with the babies, he strobe
through the house and out into the
sunset, followed by the walls Of the
slave women.
Don Bsteban was at heart a selfish
man, and now. therefore, he felt sui
len, fierce resentment mingled with
his grief. What trick was this? he
asked himself. What had ne done to
merit such misfortune? Had ne not
made rich gifts to the church? Had he
not knelt and prayed for his wife's
safe delivery and then hung his gifts
upon the sacred image, as Loyola had
hung up his weapons before that other
counterpart Of Our Lady? Don Este
ban scowled at the memory, for those
gems were of the finest.
He looked up from his unhappy
musings to fnd a gigantic bare
footed negro standing before him
The slave was middle-aged; his kinky
hair was growing gray; but he was OF
superb proportions, and the muscles
which showed through the rents in his
cotton garments were as smooth and
supple as those Of stripping. His
black face was puckered with grief
as he began:
master. is II true that Donna Ross
-" The fellow choked.
~Yes," Esteban nodded, YEARLY, "shC
"a dead, Sebastian"
Tears came to Sebastian's eyes ant
overlooked his cheeks; he stood mo
tionIess, striving to voice his sympathy
At length he said;
~Ehe was too good for this world