Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1919-10-02
Through wnaf mad Once pern


snast charming nook upon the place
and there he sat down to wait for Rosa
The hollow was effecfuaily screened
frem view BY growth Of piantnin
palm. orange. and tamarind trees; over
the rocky walls run profusion OF
lowering plants and vines; in the cen
lcr 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
lizziiy. that she was beyond doubt the
sweetest flower on all the Quinta d,
Es;eban. and since this somewhat hack.
neyed remark was the boldest speech
he had ever made 10 her. she blushed
prettiiy, flashing him dimpled smile
Of mingled pleasure and surprise.
"Oh. but l assure you I'm in nc
sweet temper said she. "Just now Tn
tremendously angry"
"why?"
.Its that stepmother-Isabel. If shs
dreamed that see you as often as
do Well Rosa lifted her elO
cuent hands and eyes heayenward. 81
suppose hints why enjoy doing it,
20. dearly love TO spite her"
II sce!'' O'Reilly puckered his
brows and nodded But why. in that
case. haven't you seen me oftener? We
might just as well have made the
good lasly's life totally unbearable."
"Silly. She knows nothing about
It." With iirtatious sigh Rosa add
cd: '"That's whatrobs the affair of it
chief pleasure. Sinee it does not bother
her In the least, think / will not al
low you TO come any more"
After judiclous consideration, O'Reil
iy pretended to agree.
There's 10 fun In wreaking q hor
rible revenge, when your enemy ISM
wise to IT." he acknowledged. "Sinct
it's your idea to irritRfe your stepmoth
or. perhaps 1t would annoy her If :.
made love directly to her."
Rosa Uttered, and then inquired
naiveiy, Can you make love, senor?"
"Can ]? It's the one ability al
O'ReIlly inherits. Listen to this now.
Reaching forth, hc Rosa's finger.
in his: "Wait !" he cried as she resist
ed. "Pretend that you're Mrs. Varona
your own stepmother and that this i
her dimpled hand I'm holding"
"Oh-h!" The girl allowed his grass
to remain. "But IsabeTs hand ism
dimpled: it's thin and bony. I've fel
1t on my ears often enough"
"Don't interrupt" he told her. 'Isa
bel, my little darling"
Isabel ~ exclaimed q voice, ant
the lovers started guiltily apart. The.
turned to find Esteban, Nosa's twin
brother. staring at them oddly. Elsa
bel?" he repeated. whats this?"
'You interrupted our fheatricals.
was rehearslng en- impassioned pro
posal to your beloved stepmcther,'
O'Reilly explained, with pretense
annoyance.
Eyes, Senior O'Reilly believes he Car
infuriate Isabel by laying siege to her
He's abolish person" Rosa;
cheeks were fniptly flushed and he
color deepened at the amusement Ii
Estaban's eyes. "He makes Low.
wretchedly."
"What little overheard wasn't bad.
Estehan declared; then he tool
OReilly's hand.
Esteban was handsome boy
strnight, slim and manly, and his res
seu:Slance to Rosa was startlire
With look engaging In its frank d.
rectness, he said: "Rosa told me about
your meetings here and / 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 / are not like her; we are
quite liberal in our views; we are al
most Americans, as you see. 1 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 / cam" ventured the caller.
"Oh, she hates Cubans. too!' laughed
the brother. "She's Spanish. you know.
Well, it's fortunate you didn't see her
today. Br-r! What a temperl She'll
walk In her sleep tonight, If ever"
Rosa nodded soberly, and eOReilly.
suppressing some light reply that had
sprung to his lips, inquired, curiously,
"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 somnambulistic wanderings. "Oh,
she's crazy enough" Esteban con-
Guided. 81 believe it's her evil con-
science"
O'Reilly scanned the speaker silens-
~ for moment; then he said, with
gravity unusual In him, 81 wonder If
you know that you're suspected Or
working for the insurrecto cause"
sTndeedg I didn't know"
swell, it's fact" O'ReiIly heard
Rosa gasp family. SIS 1t true?'' he
asked.
II am Cuban"
'Cuban? Your people were Span
fish,"
"True. But no Spaniard ever raised
Nh. y.