Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1918-08-15

pegan TO reel q dumD grat1ruue at nav
Ing the youngster by his side.
Jacket, too, became thin and gray
about the lips. But he complained not
at all and he laughed a great deal. To
HIM the morrow was always another
day Of brilliant promise toward which
he looked with never-failing eagerness;
and not for a single moment did he
question the ultimate success Of their
endeavor. Such an example did much
for the older man. Together they
practiced the %strictest, harshest econ
omy, living on a few cents a day, while
they m%ethodically searched the city
from limit to limit.
At first O'Reilly concerned himself
more than a little with the problem of
escape, but as time wore on he
thought less and less about that. Nor
did he have occasion to waste further
concern regarding his disguise. That
it was perfect he proved when several
of his former acquaintance passed
him by and when, upon one occasion,
he came face to face with old Don Ma
rio de Castano. Don Mario had
changed; he was older, his flesh had
softened, and it hung loosely upon his
form. He appeared worried, harassed,
and O'Reilly recalled rumors that the
war had ruined him: The mans air
Of detection seemed to bear out the
story.
They had been enemies, nevertheless
O'Reilly .felt,a sudden. impulse to make
himself known to the Spaniard and to
appeal directly for news of Rosa's fate.
But Don Mario, he remembered In time,
had a reputation for vindtctiveness, so
he smothered the desire. One other
encounter O'Reilly. had reason to re-
member.
1t so CHANGED that n day he and
Jacket found themselves in the miser-
able rabble which assembled at the
railroad station to implore aims from
the incoming passengers Of the Habana
train. Few people were travelling these
days, and they were, for the most part,
Spanish officers to whom the sight Of
starving country people was no nov
city. Now and then, however, there did
arrive visitors from whom the spec
tacle Of so much wretchedness wrung
a contribution, hence there was al
ways an expectant throng at the depot.
On this occasion O'Reilly was u
prised to hear the piteous whines for
charity in the name Of God turn sud.
denly into a subdued but vicious NUT.
ter of rage. Kisses were intermingled
with vituperations, then the crowd fell
strangely silent, parting to allow the
passage of q great, thick-set man in the
uniform Of a colonel Of volunteers. The
fellow was unusually swarthy and he
wore a black scowl upon his face, while
a long puckering scar the full length Of
one cheek lifted his mouth into 6
crooked sheer and left exposed s
glimpse of wolfsh teeth.
O'Reilly was at a loss to fathOm this
sudden alteration Of ATTITUDE, the whis
tie of indrawn breaths and the whis
pered curses, until he heard some on.
mutter the name, "Cobo." Then indeed
he started and stiffened in his tracks
He fixed a fascinated stare upon the
fellow. :. ~v ~.Asaz.l :::*ssss55 u ssx ia.a:.; I'M
Colonel Cobo seemed no little
pleased by the reception he created
With his chest arched and his black
eyes cleaning inadvertently he swag
gered through the press, clicking his
heels noisily upon the stone flags. Wher
he had gone Jacket voiced a vicious
l., oarn. ..~.,,,~-~
!, $50 that is the butcher Of babies =
n exclaimed the boy. "Well, now, ]
"a should enjoy cutting his heart out"
OReilly's emotions were not entire
w. unlike those of his small companion
J His lips became dry and white as he
: tried to speak. j.
"What a brute! That face Ugh"
, He found himself shaking weakly,
and discovered that a new and wholly
!, unaccountable feeling Of discourage,
l ment had settled upon him. He tried
< manfully to shake it of, but somehow
? failed, for the sight of Rosa's arch
enemy and the mans overbearing per-
sonality had affected him queerly.
Cobo's air of confidence and authority
!, seemed to emphasize O'Reilly's impo-
? tence and bring it forcibly home to
him. To think Of his lustful persecu-
, ton Of Rosa Varona, moreover, terri
fed him. The next day he resumed his
I hut-to-hut search, but with a ~listless-
ness that came from a firm conviction
. that once again he was too late.
That afternoon found the two friends
: among the miserable novels which en-
circled the foot Of La Cumbre, about
> the only quarter they had not explored.
Below lay San Severino, the execution
j. place; above was the site Of the old
: Varona home. More thar once on his
way about the city O'Reilly had lifted
his eyes In the direction Of the latter,
feeling a great hunger to revisit the
, scene of his last farewell to Rosa, but
, through fear of the melancholy effect
1t would have uDon him no hod Tins