Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1919-09-25

II
She plays with us every day. !.
We want her to stay here. She
belongs TO u.s.
Accustomed as they were 70 prompt
compliance with their de.saAas. they
spoke imperiousfy hut they mad never
seen frown like this upon their IA
theirs face.
''Go TO your rooms, my sweethearts,"
Don Estebnn directed.
ave want Evangeiina. She belongs
TO u.s." they chorused, stubbornly.
Don Pablo shook with laughter "Soi
1 She belongs TO yoI, eh? And I'm TO
be robbed OF my winnings. Very wen.
then. come and give me kiss. both Of
/ you. and I'll see what can be DONE"
But the children saw that Don Pab-
los face was strangely flushed. that
! hIs eyes were wild and his magnificent
beard WIS wet with wine; therefore
/ they hung hack.
you won your bet fairly" Esteban
/ growled at him. "Pay no heed to these
babies"
'Evangelina is ours" the little ones
/ 5ravely repeated.
Then their father exploded: "The
devil! Am I dreaming? Where have
| you learned to oppose me? Back to
( your beds, both of you" Seeing them
| hesitate. he shouted for his wife. ''4o,
there! Isabel, my Lowell Come put
! these imps to rest. Or must 1 teach
/ them manners with my palm? A fine
| thing, truly Are they TO be allowed
| 10 roam the house at Will and get a
| feverT
came was enough for Rosa and Este
ban; they scuttlcd away as fast as
| they could go, and when Donna Isabel
! came to their rooms, few moments
later, she found them in their beds,
With their eyes deceitfuily squeezed
| shut. Evangelina was covering in a
! corner. Isabel had overheard the wager.
and her soul was evi.ly alight; she
jerked the slave girl to her feet and
with a blow of her palm sent her to
her quarters. Then she turned her at
tention to the twins. When she left
them they were weeping silently, both
| for themselves and for Evangelina,
whom they dearly loved.
Day was breaking when Esteban
Varona babe his guests good-by at the
door Of his house. As he stood there
Sebastian came to him out of the
mists of the dawn. lie was half craZed
from apprehension, and now cast him.
self prone before his master, begging
for Evnngellla.
Don Pablo. in whom the liquor was
dying, cursed impatiently: "Caramba
Have | won the treasure of your whole
establishment" he inquired. "Per-
haps you value this wench at more
than thousand pesos; If so, you will
say that cheated you"
mol She's only an ordinary girl.
My wife doesn't like her, and so / de
termined TO get rid OF her. She Is
yours, fairly enough" Varona told him.
'"Thcn send her to my house. I'll
breed her to Salvador, my cochero.
He's the strongest man 1 have"
Sebastian uttered a strangled cry
and rose to his feet. "Masteri You
must not"
"Silencel' ordered Esteban. $50
about your business. What do you
mean by this, anyhow"
But Sebastian. lazed of mind and
sick of SOUL went on. unheedlng. "She
Is my girl. You promised me her free
dom. / warn YOU"
"Eh?" The planter swayed forward
and with blazing eyes surveyed his
slave. you warn me? OF what2" he
grOwIed.
AT this moment neither master nor
man knew exactly what he said or did.
Sebastian raised his hand on high. In
reality the gesture was meant to call
heaven as witness TO his years of
faithful service, but, misconstruing his
intent, Pablo Pea brought his riding
whip down across the old mans back,
crying:
"IIo! None of that"
A shu,ltlcr ran through Seba5tian's
frame. Whirilng, he seized Don Pab-
los wrist and tore the whip from his
fingers. Although the Spaniarc was
strong man. he uttered a cry of pain.
At this indignity to guest Esteban
flew into a fury. "Pancho!'' he cried.
'IIo! Pancho!' When the manager
came running, Esteban explained:
This fool is dangerous. He raised his
hand to me and to Don Pablo"
SebaStian's protests were drowned
by the angry voices of the others.
''Tie him to yonder grating" d.
reeted Esteban, who was still in the
grip of a scnseleSs rage. "Flog him
well and make haste about It,"
Sebastian. who had no time in which
to recover himself, made but weak
resistance when Pancho Cueto locked
his wrists into pair of clumsy, old
fashioned manades, first passing the
chain around one of the bars of the
iron window grating which EstebaD
had indicated.
Cueto swung heavy lash; the
sound of his blows echoed through the
guinta. and they summoned, AMONG
D@y,or<. n,r,Do IsahaI Who u.afehp1