Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1919-07-31

The wide-verandaed house with none
of its walls less than three feet thick,
with great, spacious rooms, spread
out across a wide extent of the shaded
land among the olive and pear and
pepper trees. In the time of the IA
ther of Antonio de la Guerra there
had been fourteen rooms-now there
were twenty. No less could suffice
for the master Of the estate and his
cherished granddaughter.
There was the patio with it's flower
ing garden and leaping fountain.
About it were the rooms, all on the
ground floor with the exception of the
three rooms added by the old man for
the use of la senorita.
Here at the southeastern exposure
of the rambling dwelling, a wide and
winding staircase had been constructed
to lead upward to a spacious landing.
Then came broad doors, a deep win
dow, and beyond the senorita's private
sitting room. Her bedroom was high
ceiled, with much ornate embellish-
ment after the Moorish fashion, and
a lavish display of gilt under the
domed roof.
Upon the landing a couch where
each night Pedro lay across his mis-.
tress' doorway.
And then the balcony.
Teresa must pick up her skirts dain.
tily to step out through the deep win.
dows to it from her bedroom, and
once there she was all but lost behind
the bank of Towering roses, swallowed
by a dim dusk through which the moon
had difficulty in fltering, Tapped in
the perfume Of the flowers which chung
about the balcony in the warm June
night.
And from here, while her scholarly
grandfather annotated his remarks
concerning the hated Americana, Te-
resa leaned out, her beauty as soft and
delicate "a thing as that Of the rose
brushing her cheek. and talked with
n particular Americano.
"Make me some pretty speeches
Senor Billy" she laughed softly. "They
float up to me here through the moon.
light like the perfume from red roses!'
She had drawn her mantilla closely
about her for nc other reason in the
world but to tantalize the man below
her by hiding herself from him, and
there was only her voice and the vague
outline of her young body through the
vines to tell him that she was there
But to her his face, uplifted in the
moonlight, flushed and eager, was IN.
hidden.
"You are a f1irt !" he cried, seeking
to make his voice savage and angry
and succeeding admirably in filling il
with alteration.
"But no." she answered him from
the dusk about her. 'That is to be
cruel. And IL am so %soft-hearted
that to make one suffer would distress
me-"
eff you roll your RS at me like that
again. Stairway told her very posi-
lively, II am going right in and tel
the old gentleman that I am going tc
marry you"
She laughed gayly at his impetuous
declaration.
ut would be like a play" she said
after a little as though she were think
ing seriously of what he had said he
would do. "It would interest me tt
see. Papa grande would be very po
lite and would ask Senior Billy to have
a glass of wine and a cigarita.
"And then"-the laughter yelling ur
again in. the eyes he could rot see
thrilling in the voice which dropped
down to him-"he would call Pedro
and old Juan to take you outside anG
shoot you with their guns"
"And you find that funny?'' demand
ed Stairway.
us it not? It is like the operav
"You are dying for an operati
scene?" His voice still rang with tn
eagerness within him, his hand wa
upon the vines which clambered abou
her balcony. "Let me climb up Il
YOU"
>"You must not!" she cried quickly.
And then, seeing that he h%esitated
she added lightly, again settling her
self comfortably upon her cushioned
seat. "That would be only muslca
comedy. And I should have to go In
side and shut my window and rul
downstairs to papa grande. And
Sh!"
Ha could sanla ont tho gesture a