Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1919-09-18

S0rt0 tuNEXEA G1Vtiu DfG8 HltsIS& M
course. He wonId not dare. eha am
only teasing You. But seei You have
Owen yourself away. Everything ron
tell me proves that ron know alI about
that treasure
Il know but one thing" the slave
declared. sfiffening himself slowly.
aand that Is 70 be faithful to Don Es-
teban." He turned and departed. leav-
Ing Pancho Cueto staring after him
meditativeiy.
In the days following the birfa Of
MS children and the death Of his wife
Don Esteban Tarona, as had been his
custom. steered middle course In
politics. Ia that way managing TO avoid
q clash with the Spanish officials who
ruled the island. or an open break with
his Cuban neighbors. who rebelied be.
meath their wrongs. Esteban dealt
diploma tically with both factions and
went on raising slaves and sugar to his
own great profit.
The twins. Esteban and Rosa, dessl.
oped into healthy children and became
the pride Of Sebastian and his daugh-
ter, into whose care they had beeu
given. As for Evangelina, the young
negrcss. she grew tall and strong and
handsome, until she was the finest
slave girl in the neighborhood.
Then. one day. Don Esteban yarona
remarked. and the Donna Isabel, who
had been famous Habana beauty.
came to live at the quinta. The darg.i-
ter of impoverished parents, she nat
heard and thought much about the
mysterious treasure of La Cumbre.
Before the first fervor of his honey
moon cooled the groom began to fear
that he had made serious mistake
Donna Isabel, he discovered, was boil
vain and selfish. Not only did shs
crave luxury and display, but with sin
gular persistence she demanded Il
know all about her husbands financial
affairs.
Now Don Esteban was no longe.
young; age had soured him with sus
picion, and when once he saw hilnsel
as the victim Of mercenary marring
he turned bitterly against his wife
Her curiosity he suilenly resented, ant
he unblushingly denied his possession
of any considerable wealth. In fact
he tried with malicious ingenuity Il
make her believe him poor man. Bui
Isabel was not of the sort to be readil,
deceived. Finding her arts and co
Quetries of no avail, she few into q
rage, and furious quarrel ensued-
A n 81. ts.<J n
not rest without knowing all there wa:
to know about the treasure.
She searched the quinta, of course
whenever she had chance, but sli,
discovered nothing-with the result
that the mystery began to engross he
whole thought. She pried into the OBJ
scurest corners, she questioned the
slaves, she lay awake at night listening
TO Esteban's breathing. in the hope OF
surprising his secret from his dreams
At length a time came when they lives
In frank enmity: when Isabel neve
spoke to Esteban except In reproach 81
anger, and when Esteban unlocked hi
lips only to taunt his wife with tbs
fact that she had been thwarted de
spite her cunning.
It was only natural under such con
ditions that Donna Isabel should learf
to dislike her EsteDaI
had told her frankly that they worlt
inherit whatever fortune he possessed
AS may be imagined, she found ways
to vent her spite upon the twins. Sh,
widened her hatred so as to include oil
Sebastian and his daughter. and evei
went so far as to persecute Evange
lina's sweetheart, slave named Asen
sio.
1t had not taken Donna Isabel iont
to guess the reason for Sebastian's
many privileges, and one CT her frs
efforts had been to win the old mans
confidence. It was In vain, however,
that she flattered and cajoled, oil
stormed and threatened; Sebastian
withstood her as towering ceiba with
stands the summer heat and the win.
ter hurricane.
His firnness made her vindictive
and so in time she laid scheme to
estrange him from his master.
Donna Isabel was crafty. She began
to complain about Evangelina, hut /
was only after many months that she
ventured TO suggest. to her husband
that he sell the girl. Esteban. o.
course, refused point-blank he was tee
fond OF Sebastian's daughter, he de
clared. to think of such o thing.
so. that is II" sneered Donna Ea-
bel. "Nell, she is young and shapely
and handsome. as wenches go. / rather
suspected you were fond Of her
With difficulty Esteban restrained an
oath. .You mistake my meaning" he
said stifIiy. Sebastian has served me
faithfully. and Eyangelina plays with
my children. She is good TO them: she
Is more of q mother to them than you
have ever BEEN
"Is that why you dress her like a
lady7 Bahi A likely storyl" Isabel
tossed her fine. dark head. "T'm not
blind I see what goes on about me.
won't have that wench In my house.
Goaded to fury By his wife's sense
less accusation, Esteban cried: 'Your