The Raymer enterprise., 1919-02-20

Don Esteban hid tAs eeeds cf mis- prop.
ersy with the rsst Of his valuablsA ard
now that you ADMIT
Donna Isabel recoiled sharply. -Ak
miti Are you madi Desdsi What
are you talking aboutr Her eyes NIT
his bravely enough. but she could TEL
her lips trembling loosely.
Casting aside III pretense. the ovsss
ser exclaimed: ~Por q amor d. Diosi
An end to thisl know why you sent
for me. You think have been rob
bing you. Well to BE- honest - I
have. Why should ! toll - ! do while
you and those twins live here IN lug
ury and idleness. squandering money
to which Jon have no rightr
Have I lost my reason!" gasped ths
widow. mo rightY'
J"At least no better right than I
Don't you understand You have ~
itle to these plantationsl They are
mine. for have paid the taxes out a
my own pockets now these many
years."
~Taxesl What do you meanr
Il paid them. The receipts are b
my name" =
Heaven! Such perndy! And you
who knew himi"
The deeds have been lost for -
long that the property would have ~
verted to the crown had II not been
for me. You doubt that chi Well. ap.
peal TO the court and you will ind that
II 10 true. Now. then. let us be frank.
Inasmuch as we're both In much ths
same nx. hadn't we better continue
our present arrangementsf" He stared
unblinkingiy at his listener. "Oh. I
mean itl II It not better for you to
be content with what my generosity
prompts me to give, rather than to
risk ruin for both BY grasplng for too
muchr
The outraged warrant you havs
grown rich through your stealing" :"
Isabel's voice had gone nat with CON.
sternatlon.
"Richi Well, not exactly, but COM
fortably well or" Cueto actually
smiled again. mo doubt my frankness
10 . shock to you. You are angry at
my proposition. Ell! Never mind. You
win think better Of It In time, II you
are q sensible woman. But now, since
at last We enjoy such confidential re-
lations. let rs have no more Of these
miserable suspicious Of each other.
Let rs entirely forget this unpleasant
misunderstanding and be the same
gos< friends a. before"
Having said this. Pancho Cueto stood
silent . moment In polite expectancy |;
then receiving no Ineligible reply. he
bowed low and left the room.
To the avaricious Donna Isabel Cue
to's frank acknowledgment Of theft
was maddening. and the realization
that she was helpless, nay. dependent
upon his charity for her living. fairly
crucined her proud spirit.
All day she brooded, and BY the time
evening came she had worked herself
into such Z state Of nerves that she
could eat no dinner. Some time during
the course Of the evening Z wild idea
came to Isabel. Knowing that the man
ager would spend the night beneath
her roof. she planned to kill him. At
FIRST It seemed = simple thing to do
merely matter Of dagger or q pis-
tcl. while be slept-but further thought
revealed appalling risks and dificul.
ties, and she decided to wait. Poison
was far safer.
Constant brooding over the treasure
had long since affected Donna Isabel's
brain. and - . consequence she oftea
dreamed about It. She dreamed about
It again tonight. and, strangely enough.
her. dreams were pleasant. Sebastian
appeared, but for once he neither
cursed nor threatened her: and Este
ban, when he came, was again the
lover who had courted her In Ha-
bana. It was amazing. delightful
Esteban and she were walking through
the grounds Of the quinta and be was
telling her about his casks Of Spanish
sovereins, about those boxes bound
with Iron. about the gold and silver or.
naments Of heavenly beauty and tho
pearls a. large - plums. As be talked
Isabel felt herself grow hot and cold
with anticipation: she experienced
spasms Of delight