The Washington herald., 1919-12-29

can look"
Perhaps" he said doubtfuny. A
moment. this his frown lightened.
You are giving me a thought" said
he. "Yon shall wear the jewels"
Wear them? How?"
u "on your back. in that very hump.
1t viii be the safest possible way to
conceal them"
Rosa clapped her hands in delight.
why Of course! 1t is the very thing.
Wait until 1 show you"
Profiting by her first moment alone
Evangelina and her husband being
still in ignorance OF the contents OF
the treasure box-Rosa made a bundle
out Of the jewels and trinkets and
fastened it securely inside her coat.
After few experiments she adjusted
it to her liking, then called O'ReiIly
once more. This time he was better
satisfied; he was, in truth. surprised
at the effect Of the Disagreement. and.
after putting Rosa through several
| rehearsals in masculine deportment
he pronounced the disguise as nearly
perfect as could be hoped for. An
application OF Evangelina's stain to
darken her face. and he declared that
Rosa would pass anywhere as a boy
There came a night when the three
OF them bade goodby to their blaek
companions and slipped away across
the city to that section known as
Pueblo Nuevo. then followed the road
along the waterfront until they found
shelter within the shadows OF a
rickety structure which had once
served as a bath house. The building
stood partially upon piles and under
it they crept. knee-deep in the tapping
! waves. To their left was the itsumina-
tion of MatanZas: to their right, the
lights OF the Penas Atlas fort: ahead
OF them, empty and dark save ror
the riding lights of a few small
coasting vessels. lay the harbor.
The refugees waited a long time:
: they were beginning to fear that old
! Morin's nerve had weakened at the
eleventh hour. when they beheld a
: skiff approaching the shore. 1t glided
} closer. entered the shade of the bath
house. then a voice cried:
psf! You are there?" 1t was
NORM himself.
Hastily the three piled aboard
. Norm bent to his oars and the skin
shot out. You were not observed?'
he inquired.
NO"
- NORM rowed in silence for time.
then confessed: This business is not
TO my liking. There is too much risk
Think Of me putting my neck in
. peril"
''Ho:" Jacket chuckled. 1T is lust
the sort OF thing that I enjoy. II
MiGuelito was Captain of his fathers
boat we'd be in Cardenas by day
break"
When do you sail?" O'Reilly asked.
AT dawn. God permitting. You will
have to remain hidden and ynu
mustn't even breathe. ! have told my
men that you are members of my
wife's family-good Spaniards, but L
. doubt AZ they will believe it."
Then you are to be my uncleg'
Jacket inquired from his seat in the
; bow. 'Csramba, That's more than
1 can stand, To be considered a
Spaniard is bad enough. but to be
known as the nephew of an old miser
: who smells of fish IL is too much -
Badinage of this sort did not dis
please the fisherman. 1t is not often
they board US nowadays" he said
more hopefully. but Of course one
never caa tell. Perhaps we will san
out under their very noses"
J He brought the skif alongside a
battered old schooner and his pas
senGers clambered aboard. There was
unE cabin aft and on it, shelteFeo
from the night dew by loose fold
, of the mainsail. were two sleeping
men. The new comers followed Norm
down into the evil little cabin where
he warned them in a stertorous whis-
per:
Not a sound. mind you. If any one
comes aboard, you must shift for
yourselves. Creep into the hold and
hide. or course. if we are searched"
lie mu;tered something. then eroped
MS way on deck, and closed the hatch
behind him.
IL was inky dark in the cabin: the
| occupants dared not move about for
fear Of waking the sailors overhead.
Time passed slowly. After a while
Jacket yRwned and sighed and grum-
oleu under his breath Finally ne
stretched himself out upon a narrow
board bench and fell asleep. o'Reil!y
drew Rosa to him and she snuggled
comfortably into his embrace. resting
her head upon his shoulder. 1t was
their first real moment alone.
Now that they had actually embark
ed upon this enterprise ana the girl
hands. now that an imminent peril
encompassed them both. Johnnie felt
that Rosa belonged 10 him more ab-
solutely. more completely. than at any
time heretofore, so he held her close
He caressed her gently. he voiced
those tender. intimate. foolish
thoughts (which he had never dared
express. This velvet darkness. this
utter isolation. seemed to unite them:
TO feel the girls heart beating against
his own and her breath warm upon his
cheek was intensely thrilling An ex-
Quisite ardor infiamed him, and Rosa
responded to IT. They resisted briefly.
prolonging the delights OF this mo-
ment. then her arms crept about him.
her lips met his in absolute surrender.
They began to whisper. cautiously,
so as not TO disturb the sleeping boy:
they became unconscious Of the flight
OF time. Rosa lay relaxed against her
lovers shoulder and in halting mur-
murs. interrupted many times by
caresses. she told O'Reilly OF her need
for him. and her utter happiness. 1t
was the fullest hour or their lives.
Sometimes he thought she must be
doing. but he was never sure, for
she answered to his lightest touch
and awoke to the faintest pressure of
his lips. The night wore swiftly on,
and nof lopO annna. for afsh1r