Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1918-05-14

now ,that O'Reilly's pen was tipped
with magic! He tingled when he re-
read what he had written. He babe
Rosa prepare for his return and their
immediate marriage.
O'Reilly's love was unlimited; his
trust in the girl was absolute. He
knew, moreover, that she loved and
trusted him. This, to be sure, was
miracle-a unique phenomenon which
never ceased to amaze him. He did
same vague wonder.
And so the time passed rapidly. But,
strange TO say, there came no answer
to those letters. O'Reilly cursed the
revolution which had made communi-
cation so uncertain; at length he
cabled, but still the days dragged on
with no result. Gradually his impa-
thence gave way to apprehension.
Great was his relief therefore. when
one day worn, stained envelope adj
dressed in Rosa'S hand was laid upon
his desk. The American stamp. the
Key West postmark looked strange,
but Her first letter! O'Reilly Won
dered if his first letter to her could
possibly have moved her as this moved
him. He kissed the envelope where
her lips had careSsed it in the SeNling.
Then with eager fingers he broke 1t
open.
1t was generous epistle, long and
closely written, but as he read his keen
delight turned TO diSmay. and when
he had turned the last thin page his
brain was in widest turmoil. He
thought he must be dreaming, Could
it be that he had misunderstood any
thing7 He turned to the beginning and
attempted TO read, but his hands shook
so that he was obliged to lay the letter
dat upon his desk.
My Dear Beloved: It is with dtfndence
and hesitation that / take my pen in
hand. for 1 fear you may consider me
unduly forward in writing 70 you with
out solicitation.
Alas! We are refugees Esteban and
-fugitiveS outcasts. living in the mani
qua with Asensio and Evangelina. former
slaves of our father. Such poverty, such
iudescribabIe circumstances! But they
were our only friends and they took us
I'm when we were homeless, so we love
them.
IL this letter reaches you-and I send
Il with a prayer-whst them I dare not
think too long OF that, for the hearts of
men are not like the hearts of women.
What will you say when you learn that
the Rosa Varona whom you favored with
your admiration Is not the Rosa OF to-
day I hear you murmur, The girl for
gets herselft' But, oh, the standards of
yesterday are gone and my reserve is
gone, too, I am q hunted creature.
Rosa had compelled herself TO start
with the death of Donna Isabel and TO
give him a succinct account of all that
had followed. o'Reilly read the story,
fascinated.
That is how we came to live with Asensio
and his wife. Imagine Il, A bohio, hid
den away far UP the Yumuri. and so In
significant as to escape attention. We are
no lager people OF consequence or au-
ehOrity; our safety depends upon our In
CouSptcuOusness.
The whole country is In chaos. There
Il no woodworking but suspicion hatred
and violence. Oh. what desolation this
war has wrought Esteban has already
become a guerrillero. He has stolen
cow. and so we have milk for our coffee;
but there is only q handful of coffee left
and little hope Of more. Marauding bands
or Spaniards are everywhere. and the
country people tell atrocious taleS aocut
them How wiz 1t enGF How Ions be-