The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1918-06-20

from view by a growth of p1antain,
palm, orange, and tamarind trees over
the rocky walls ran a prOfusion of
Towering plants and vines; in the CEN
ter of the open space was an old well,
its masonry curb all but crumbled
away.
When Rosa at last appeared, O'Reilly
felt called upon TO tell her, somewhat
dizZily, that she was beyond doubt the
sweetest flower on all the Quinta de
Esteban, and since this somewhat hack
neyed remark was the boldest speech
he had ever made to her, she blushed
prettily, flashing him a dimpled smile
of mingled pleasure and surprise.
"Oh, but I assure you I'm in no
sweet temper" said she. "Just now I'm
tremendously angry"
''Why?''
'It's that stepmother-Isa If she
dreamed that I see you as often as ]
do Well" Rosa lifted her elo-
quent hands and eyes heavenward. 81
suppose that's why enjoy doing it
SO dearly love to spite her.
81 see !" O'Reilly puckered his
brows and nodded. 'sBut why, in that
case, haven't you seen me oftener? We
might just as well have made the
good lady's life totally unbearable"
''SiliyI She knows nothing about
it," With a fiirtatious sigh Rosa add
ed: That's what robs the affair of its
chief pleasure. Since it does not bother
her in the least, 1 think 1 will not al
low yOu)to come any more"
After judicious consideration, O'Reil-
~ pretended to agree
There's no fun in wreaking d hor-
rible revenge, when your enemy isn't
wise to It," he acknowledged. "Since
it's your idea to irritate your stepmotif-
er, perhaps it would annoy her if I
made love directly TO her."
Rosa Uttered, and then inquired,
naively, Can you make love, senOr?'
Can 1? It's the one ability an
O'Reilly inherits. Listen to this now"
Reaching forth, he took ROsa's fingers
in his: Waltz he cried as she resist
ed. pretend that you're Mrs. Varona,
your own stepmOther, and that this is
her dimpled. hand I'm holding"
"Oh-h!" The girl allowed his grasp
to remain. But Isabel's hand isn't
dimpled: it's thin and bOny. I've felt
it on my ears often enough"
Don't interrupt" he told her. Elsa
bel, my little darling
1sabePi" exclaimed a voice, and
the lovers started guiltily apart. They
turned to find Esteban, Rosa's twin
brother, staring at them oddly. Elsa
bel?" he repeated. whats this?"
"You interrupted our theatricals. !
was rehearsing an impassioned pro-
posal to your beloved stepmother, -
O'Reilly explained, with a pretense of
annoyance.
Eyes, Senior O'Reilly believes he can
infuriate Isabel by laying siege to her.
He's Abolish person. Rosa's
cheeks were family flushed and her
color deepened at the amusement in
Esteban's eyes. HE makes love
wretchedly."
'What little I overheard wasn't bad"
Esteban declared: then he took
OReilly's hand
Esteban was handsome boy.
straight, slim and manly, and his re-
Semblance to Rosa was startling.
With a look engaging in it's frank di-
rectness, he said: ROSA told me about
your meetings here and I 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 1 are not like her; we are
quite liberal in our views; we are al
most Americans, as you see. I 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 1 camp ventured the caller.
"Oh, she hates Cubans, too I" laughed
the brother. "She's Spanish, you know.
Well, it's fortunate you didn't see her
today. Bril- What a temperl She'll
walk in her sleep tonight, IL ever"
Rosa nodded soberly, and O'ReiIly,
suppressing some light reply that had
sprung TO his lips, inquired, euriously,
what do you mean by that?"
Brother and sister Joined in explain
ing that Donna Isabel was given to Pc
culiar actions, especially after periods
of excitement or anger, and that one Of
her eccentricities had taken the form
of somnambuIistic wanderings. "Oh.
she's crazy enough" Esteban con-
Guided. 81 believe it's her evil con-
science
O'Reilly scanned the speaker silent
ly for &. moment; then he said, with a
gravity unusual in him, ''I wonder IL
you know that you're suspected Of
working for the insurrecto cause"
Indeed? 1 didn't know"
"Well. it's a fact" O:ReiIiy heard
Rosa gasp family. SIS it true7" he
asked.
81 am a Cuban"
"Cuban? Your people were Span
ish.''
'aTrue. But no Spaniard ever raised
a 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"