The Ordway new era., 1918-12-13

lieve that tender girl ike ROSA va
roma could long have withstood the
hardshIps of this hideous place; strong
er people than she had succumbed, by
the hundreds. Even now the hospitals
were full. the sick lay INTENDED in
their novels. No one. SO far as O'Reilly
knew, had undertaken to estimate how
fnst they were dying-or the number of
dead which had already ridden out Of
Matanzas in those rumbling wagons,
but there were many. What chance
was there that Rosa had not been
among the latterf
As he breasted the summit Of La
Cumbre, O'Reilly beheld ut some dis
tance a bent figure of want. 1t was q
negro woman. grubbing in the earth
with a sharpened stick. After n sus-
piclous scrutiny Of him she resumed
her digging.
Nothing but heap Of stones and
plaster remained of the Varona home.
1.-THE grounds, once beautiful even when
neglected us in Donna Isabel's time.
were now a scene Of total desolation. A
few orange trees, to be sure, remained
standing, and although they were cool
and green to look at, they carried no
fruit and the odor Of their blooms was
a trial and q mockery to the hungry
visitor. The evidences of Cueto's van-
dalIsm affected O'Reilly deeply; they
brought him memories more painful
than he had anticipated. Although the
place was well-nIgh unacceptable,
nevertheless 1t cried aloud of Rosa,
and the unhappy lover could barely
control the emotions 1t awakened. 1t
was indeed morbid impulse which
had brought him thither, but now that
he was here he could not leave. I'm
consciously his feet turned toward the
ancient quarry which had formed the
sunken garden-his and Rosa's tryst-
ing place.
O'Reilly desired above all things to
be alone at this moment, and SO he was
annoyed to discover that another per-
son was before him-a woman, evident
ly some miserable pacifico like himself.
She, too, appeared to be looking for
roots, and he almost stumbled over her
rs he brushed through the guava
bushes fringing the depression.
His sudden appearance alarmed the
creature and she struggled. panic
stricken, out of his path. Her rags
could not conceal the fact that she was
deformed. that her back was crooked.
so he muttered a reassuring word to
her.
This place was more as he had left
it-there was the stone bench where
he had said good-by to Rosa; yonder
was the we'll
"Senorl" Johnnie heard himself ad-
dressed by the hunchbacked woman.
Her voice was thin, tremulous, eager,
j but his thoughts were busy and he
paid no heed. "Senori Do you look
for somethlng-some one"
"N-no, Yes" he answered, abstract
edly. 'Yes, am looking for some
thlng-some one"
Something you have 1ost7"
Something have lost r. The ques-
ton came to him family, but 1t was so
In tune with his unhappy mood TINT 1t
affected him strangely. he found that
his eyes were blurring and that an
aching lump had risen into his throat.
This was the breaking point.
\ OReilly's hearing. too, was going
wrong, for he imagined that some one
whispered his name. Godl This place
was not dead-it was alive-terribly
alive with memories, voices, pres
ence unseen yet real. He laid hold Of
the nearest bush to steady himself, he
closed his eyes, only to hear his name
spoken louder.
"ORail-ye"
Johnnie brushed the tears from his
lashes. He turned, he listened. but
there was no one to be seen, no one.
that is, except the dusky cripple, who
had Strengthened herself and was fac
, ing him. poised uncertainty. He looked
at her q second time, then the world
began to spin dizzily and he CROPPED his
way toward her. He peered again.
closer, for everything before his eyes
was swimming.
The woman was thin-little more
: than skeleton-and so frail that the
, wind appeared to sway her. but her
face. uplifted to the sun. was glorified
O'Reilly stood rooted. staring at her
until she opened her eyes, then he
. voiced a great cry:
"Rosa!" What more he said he
a he took the misshapen figure into
: his arms, he rained kisses upon tht
\ pinched, discolored face. But Rose
y did not respond; her puny strength
a had flown and she lay inert In his EN-
|, brace. scarcely breathing.
r Dazed. doubling. astounded, II wa.
= some time before Johnnie could con
vince himself Of the reality of this mo
!, ment, and even then words did no
D, come to him, for his mind was in tur
Q moil. Joy. thanksgiving. compassion
It a thousand emotions-mingled in sor
d Of delirium, too wild for coheren