Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1918-06-20
God was jealous and took here to Para

dise?" He stared with resentful eyes
at the beauty round about him. "See
The YumuriI" Don Esteban flung
long arm outward. do you think there
is sight like that in heaven? Para
disc indeed l gave her everything.
| She gained nothing by dying"
With a grave thoughtfulness which
| proved him superior to the ordinary
| slave, Sebastian replied:
"True She had all that any wom-
ans heart could desire, but in return
| for your goodness she gave you chill
| dren. You have lost her, but you have
| gained an heir, and a beautiful girl
| baby who will grow to be another
Donna Rosa. l grieved as you grieve,
| once upon a time, for my woman died
in childbirth, too. You remember? But
my daughter lives, and she has brought
sunshine into my old age. That is the
purpose of children" He paused and
shifted his weight uncertainty, digging
his stiff black toes into the dirt. After
time he said. slowly: "Excellency
Now, about the-well-?"
Eyes. What about it?'
did the Donna Rosa confide her
share of the secret to anyone? Those
priests and those DOCTORS you know"
"She died without speaking"
Then it rests between you and me-"
at does, unless you have babbled."
MASTER" Sebastian drew himself
up and there was real dignity in his
| black face.
Understand, my whole fortune is
| there-everything, even to the deeds of
patent for the plantations. If l thought
| there was danger of you betraying me
| | would have your tongue pulled out
and your eyes torn from their sockets
| The black man spoke with a sim
plcity that carried conviction: "Times
are unsettled Don Esteban, and death
! comes without warning. You are
| known to be the richest man in this
province and these government officials
are robbers. SUPPOSE should be left
alone? What then?"
! The planter considered for a mo-
ment "Well, when my children are old
enough to hold their tongues they will
| have to be told. IT I'm gone you shall
be the one to tell them. Now leave me
| this is no time to speak of such things"
Sebastian went as noiseesSly as he
had come. On his way back to his quar-
| tiers he took the path to the well-the
| place where most of his time was ord
narily spent. Sebastian had dug this
well, and with his own hands he had
! beautitied its surroundings until they
We're the lovelieSt on the Varona
/ grounds. 1t was Sebastian's task to
| keep this place green and thither he
took his way, from force of habit.
Through the twilight came Pancho
! Cueto, the manager, a youngish man,
with a narrow face and bold, close-set
eyes. Spying Sebastian, he began:
$50 Don Esteban has an heir at
last?"
The slave rubbed his eyes with the
swered respectfully:
Eyes, Don Pancho, Two little angels,
a boy and girl" His gray brows
| drew together in a painful frown.
Donna Rosa was a saint. No doubt
there is great rejoicing il heaven at
| her coming. Eli? What do you Think"
"Um-m Possibly. Don Esteban will
miss her for a time and then, | dare
say, he will remarry." At the negro's
exclamation Cueto said: "So And
why not? Everybody knows how rich
he is. From Oriente to Pinar del Rio
the women have heard about his treas
ure."
what treasurer" asked Sebastian,
after an instant's pause.
Cueto's dark eyes cleaned resent
| fully az this show of ignorance, but he
laughed.
"Ho, There's a careful fellow for
you No wonder he trusts you. But
do you think l have neither eyes nor
ears? My good Sebastian, you know
all about that treasure in fact, you
know far more about many things than
Don Esteban would care to have you
tell. Come now, don't your"
Sebastians face was like mask
carved from ebony. "Of what does this
treasure consist?" he inquired. 81 have
never heard about it."
'Of gold, of jewels. of silver bars
and precious ornaments" Cueto's head
was thrust forward his nostrils were
diated, his teeth cleaned. "Oh, it is
somewhere about. as you very we'll
knowi Bah Don't deny it. I'm no
fool. What becomes of the money
from the slave girls, Ell? And the
sugar crops, too? Does it go to buy
arms and ammunition for the rebels?
No. Don Estebap hides it, and you
help him. Come" lie cried, disregard
ing Sebastians murmurs of protest
did you ever think how fabulous that
fortune must be by this time? Did you
ever think that one little gem, one
bag Of gold, would buy your freedom ~
Don Esteban has promised to buy
my freedom and the freedom of my
girl"
"So?" The manager was plainly
surprised. 81 didn't know that" After
a mo ieut he began to laugh "And