The Mena weekly star. (Mena, Ark.) 1904-1977, 1918-11-14

who have been lenient, said he.
"Eh? Speak plainly
"Gladly. ! have long suspected that
Don Esteban hid the deeds of his prop
erty with the rest of his valuables, and
now that you admit"
Donna Isabel recoiled sharply. SAD
mltl Are you mad? Deedsl What
are YOU talking aboutT Her eyes met
his bravely enough, but she could feel
her lips trembling loosely.
Casting aside all pretense, the over
seer exclaimed: "Por Ell amor de Dios !
An end to thisl ! know why you sent
for me. You think I have been rob-
hing YOU. Well, to be honest, SO I
have. Why should toll as do while
Won and those twins live here in lux
ury and idleness. squandering money
to which you have no rightf'
'Have lost my reason?" gasped the
widow. mo right?"
"At least no better right than /.
Don't you understand You have no
title to these plantations They are
mine, for have paid the taxes out of
my own pockets now these many
years."
takes What do you meant"
81 paid them. The receipts are IN
my name"
.rHeavenI Such perfidyl And you
who knew himi"
''The deeds have been lost for so
long that the property would have re
verted to the crown had 1t not been
for me. You doubt that, Ell? Well. APP
peal to the court and you will find that
1t is true. Now, then. let Us be frank.
Inasmuch as we're both in much the
same fix. hadn't we better continue
our present arrangementsT He stared
unblinkingly at his listener. "Oh,
mean IT. Is 1t not better for you to
be content with what my generosity
prompts me to give, rather than TO
risk ruin for both by grasping for too
much7"
"The outraged L warrant you have
grown rich through your stealing"
Isabel's voice had gone fat with con-
sternation.
''Rfchf Well, not exactly, but com.
fortably well off" Cueto actually
smiled again. "No doubt my frankness
is shock to you. You are angry at
my proposition. Ell? Never mind. You
will think better Of 1t In time, IL you
are sensible woman. But now, since
at last we enjoy such confidential re.
lations, let us have no more OF these
miserable suspicious Of each other
Let us entirely forget this unpleasant
misunderstanding and be the same
good friends as before"
Having said this, Pancho Cueto stood
silent moment in polite expectancy !;
then receiving no ineligible reply, he
bowed low and left the room.
To the avaricious Donna Isabel Cue.
to's frank acknowledgment of theft
was maddening, and the realization
that she was helpless. nay. dependent
upon his charity for her living, fairly
crucihed her proud spirit.
All day she brooded, and by the time
evening came she had worked herself
into such a state of nerves that she
could eat no dinner. Some time during
the course Of the evening q wild idea
came to Isabel. Knowing that the man
ager would spend the night beneath
her roof she planned to kill him. All
nrst II seemed a simple thing to do
merely a matter of digger or n pis
toll while he slept--but further thought
revealed appalling risks and difficult
ues, and she decided to wait. Poison
was far safer.
Constant bruotiing over the treasure
had long since affected Donna Isabel
brain, and as consequence she Otter
dreamed about II. She dreamed about
II again tonight, and, strangely enough
her dreams were pleasant. Sebastian
appeared, but for once he neither
cursed nor threatened her; and Este
pan, when he came, was again the
lover who had courted her in Ha
haha. X was amazing, delightful
hsteDan and she were walking through
me grounds of the quinta and he was
telling her about his casks of Spanish !
SoVereigns, about those boxes bound
with iron, about the gold and silver or.
haments Of heavenly beauty and the
pearls as large as plums. AS he talked
isabel felt herself grow hot and cold
with anticipation she experienced
spasms of delight.
linen Of a sudden Isabels whole |
aream-world dissolved. She awoke, OF
thought she did, at hearing her name |
shouted. But although she underwent
.he mental and the physical shock OF |
oeihg startled from slumber, although |
she fet the first swift fright of per
son aroused to strange surroundings |
sue Knew on the instant that she must |
sun De asleep; for everything about
her was dim and dark, the air was cold /
ana damp, wet grass rose to her knees
before she could half realize her con.
u.uon she felt herself plunged into
space. She heard herself scream i
noarseiy, fearfully, and knew, too late
Ias she was indeed awake. Then
mmsiing chaos A sudden, binding
morei
,ha. sssoan Varona sat until late hour
tha iight over letter which required
Voc. Utmost care in its composition. II
- written upon the thinnest of pa.
20, ana when 1t was finished the
m.i'ef lnclosed It in an envelope of the
a. e material. Esteban put the letter
IN his pocket x.ftt>o,.+ a.4.s..--t. ).