Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-06-03
THE TWICE AM
b Eleanor N. Ingranr Aathor Of Prom the Car Behind

/. Aathor Of IF,
I'VE shall lunch outside, not so ~
he inquired, leading the way to a YER
anda used as q breakfast room. II
here. yes?"
YES" agreed Bruce. He braced
himself. There was something which
had to be said: something he did not
want to say. yet was ~obstinately de-
tcrmtned to convey to this smiling
young Brazilian before they sat at
table together. He would take no ad-
vantage. morbidly proud as a Scot.
Yes" he said again. much
The shameful name Of. the prison
was spoken. He waited the result.
Milo Valdez. leaning forward In his
chair to inspect the contents of q dish
just uncovered before him, nodded
without any evidence of shocked
amazement.
Truly! Yet you should have seer
it some years ago, before Dom David
was governor Of the state. But such
I reforms are made slowly! Naturally,
those who r outside object to pay
ing taxes for those who are in; especi-
ally in these times when few people
go to prison. This country is quiet;
there are countries where no one
knows what night he will sleep in
more could be packed into those
agreeable places of retirement.
Pedro,' he turned to the man behind
his chair, there is too much claret
in this lemonade"
He glanced across, and catching
Bruce's expression, smiled broadly.
IAN Indian, was it," he queried,
"or a negro? Oh, we'll, sometimes
these acts of force are necessary.
Fifty years ago, it would not have
mattered at all. Now. we are so mod
forcible-when you are! Dom David
.-now-never mind!, But tell me, is
it true That all your young ladies have
white compilations, and walk on the
streets alone?"
"Yes-no," stammered Bruce
dazedly.
He was not sure whether Valdez
was chatting him, or whether he. lack
ed a sober sense of morality in the
matter of taking human life, or if it
was merely a case of a viewpoint diff
ferent beyond belief. He could feel
that he had been justified in shooting
his bridge. but he could not laugh at
the episode. Nevertheless, he was
vastly relieved to find himself ac-
ceptable as a companion. He had
hardly hoped for so much.
The luncheon was a cheerful affair.
Valdez proved fond of talking, on any
subject but especially about himself
and David Noel. He was extremely
proud of his confidential position with
Noel, and basked in the reflected i'm
portance it shed about him.
My older brother is a.Senator," he
declared. And has his fingers on the
pulse Of great events? Yes, perhaps
he has. a few times a year., But I. I
live with the making of those events!
/ see them start, 1 see them grow, j.
see them in the. completion. Not on
ly politics! When the new diamond
fields were discovered some years ago,
who knew six months before the pub
lie? My brother, the Senator? My
father. the Governor No. Senior, 1
did. 1t was ] who wrote the docu-
ment sealing Dom David's colossal
act of magnificent patriotism, there
in the library I wrote it! Yes, with
tears of rapture in my eyes, I wrote
from his Excellency's dictation that
was W z OFCIy la lk1C
Republic at his feet. What, you
stare. You do not know what it is?
Is it possible that you do MOI know
of the Noel Mines?"
Bruce shook his head, keenly in
terested.
NO. Won't you tell me he
urged.
Valdez rose tremendously, bowed,
and sat down again, pushing aside his
dessert-plate.
Senior, to tell that story to all
men is the duty of every citizen Of the
state where 1 was born, and Is also
a debt of honor. Yes, we 1--WE graft
tude. And we pay it! But no one
knows the story so well as I, who
but you shall heart"
you must know. Senior, that the
an exploring party strayed far up an
obscure river seeking for gold, he
discovered a certain tract of land
reached by no roads or railroads, in
fact, by nothing al all. He was a
very young man then, but he had
ideas, He obtained a grant of that
n from the government. Already
he had rendered services to the state,
and in return the place was granted
to him and his heirs forever. He had
discovered it. o see. After that,
everyone forgot the Vallejo Noel for
a while. 1 believe Dom David forgot
1t, too, for he was busy with many
things. Four years ago, my state, the
state of which Dom David was then
:. Governor, was desolated by a fright
full drouth and famine. The people
We're unprepared to meet such q
calamity: how could they be other
wise? It was frightful, 1t was terri
BILE! I was twenty that, year, and i,
was my first year as Dom David's Sec
rotary. All, the night he first dictated
his glorious address to me and ]
grasped his Intention! In the library
we were, then a room only half com.
pleted. But let, me tell you Of it as
he rose in the Chamber, and spoke ia
his colleagues. Pedro" Valdez turn.
{ ed to the servant, bring here a hot
, tie OF Veuve Cliquot, but do not open
IT." He smiled at Bruce, his black
eyes kindling.
The Chamber, Senior Bruce, had
met to discuss the taking Of measures
> and borrowing money to meet ex.
penses and relieve the sufferings OF
the people, which were horrible. Dc
you know what a two-year drouth is
The loss of two years haryests, the
cattle dead In thousands, the people
dying of hunger. along the roads to
the ctties-where there is no food fol
them If they do arrive. It was SC
then! Men sdespaired. When Dom
David rose / was in the gallery. He
told, Senior. how he had discovered
demonstrating clay in the grea'
tract OF land belonging to him, how
l he had sent for experts and had, the
place examined, how 1t promised t.
be rich as certain world famous fields
ana already had yielded gems Of greA,
size: Can Q guess what he did