The Washington times., 1919-08-07

The Indian maid who ansWereo
his knock took his message into th8
living room. where sat the discon-
ISOLATE Enrico Solano among his
sons-disconsolate At 1.-The report
Ricardo had brought In OF the. loss
OF Leoneia in the Maya mountain.
The Indian maid returned to the
door. The Senior Solano was In
disposed and would see nobody. was
her report, humbly delivered. even
though the recipient was a China
man.
Huh" abserved Vi Peon. with
braggart confidence for the pur-
pose of awning the maid TO carry
ing a second message. Il am no
coolie. l am a smart Chinaman.
so TO school plenty much. speak
Spanish. / speak English. I write
Spanish. I write English. See--I
write pow in Spanish for the senior
Solano. You cannot write, 50 you
cannot read what write. 7 write
that I am vi Peon. I belong Colon
1 came this place TO see, Senior
Solano. Big business. Much i'm
portant. Very secret. Iiwrite AZ
this here on paper which you an
not read"
But he did not say that ne had
further written:
The SenOrtia Solano. I have
great secret"
It was Aiesandro. the eldest OF
the tall sons OF Solano. who evil
IDENTIFY had. received the. note. Tor
he came bounding to the door. Tar
outstripping the returning maid:
Tell me your business he al
most shouted at the fat Chinese
what is IL? QuickH
Very good business" was the
reply. vi Peon noting the others
excitement with satisfaction 4
make much money. / buy-Wk=-
you call-secrets. 7 sell secrets
Very nice business"
what do you know about the
Senorita SoIano?' Alesandro shout
ed. gripping him by the shoulder.
Everything. Very important In
formation"
But Alesandro could no longer
control himself. He almost hurled
the Chinaman into the house, and,
not relaxing his grip, rushed him on
into the living room and up to En-
rico.
''Hs has news Of LeOncia!t Alas
andre shouted.
Where is she2'. Enrico and hls
son shouted in chorus.
Hah.--was vi Poems thought
I
CURED we'll for his business, was
rather exciting for him as well
fMistakipg his busy thinking fcr
fright, Enrico stilled his sons back
with an appraised hand. and adj
dressed the visitor quietly
Where is .she?" Enrico asked
what He Knew.
Hah!-thought vi Peon. TIE
Senorita was lost. That was a rev
secret 1t might be worth some
thing some day, or any day. y
nee gir7. or nIgn family and wealth
such as the SOlanos, lost in a Latin
American country, was information
well worth possessing Some day
she might be married-there was
that gossip he had heard in Colon
and some later day she might have
trouble with her husband or her
husband have trouble with keF-at
which time, she or her husband. Il
mattered not which, might be
eager to pay high for the secret
This Senorita Leoncia," he said
finally. with sleek suavity. "She Il
not your girl She has other Fssa
and lPSme-"
But Enrico's present grief at Der
loss was too great to permit start
ltInent at this explicit statement OF
an old secret.
..Yes?, he nodded. Though It IS
not known outside my family,
adopted her when she was a baby.
1t is strange that You should know
this. But 1 am not interested in
having you tell me wnEt have toEE
since known. WnSt | want to know
now is: Where Is she noT7"
- - 49,
ally shook his head.
THAT is different secret" he ex-
planned. Maybe I find that secret
Then 1 sell it to you. But have old
secret You do not know the name
of the Senorita Leoncia's papa and
mamma. I know"
And old Enrico Solano could not
hide his interest at the temptation
of such information.
Speak" he commanded. Mans
the names. and prove them, and ,
shall reward"
No" vi Peon shook his head
VERY poor business. no do BUSH
ness that way. You pay me l tell
you. My secrets good secrets.
prove my secrets. You give me 500
pesos and big expenses from Colos
TO San Antonio and back to Colon
and I tell you name Of papa and
mamns~
Enri, Solano bowed acquieseerce.
and w"s just in the act Of ordersaY
Alesanaro to go 20 fetch the
money when the quiet. sCSrtt-suh'
dued -uIar. maid created diver
sion. Running into the room ans
up to Enrico. a they had never
seen her run before. she wrung ne
hands and wept so incoherentiy
that they knew her paEoNysm vas
of iov.-nOt OF sadness
The SenOrita. she vas hnali@
able 10 whisper hoarse!y, ss she lu-
Dictated the side piazza with ROD
of head and glance of eyes. t2s
Senorita.
And vi Peon nd his secret were
forgotten. EsurtCo and his sons
stressed out to the side piazza -
behold I.eoncia and the Queen ara
the two Morgans, dropping dus--
covered. off the backs OF riding
mules recognized as from the pas
lures OF the mouth OF the Gualsca
river. At the time two Indian ma1 =
servants. summoned by the maid. j
cleared the house and grounds o.
the fat Chinaman and his old croaa :.
OF a companion
Come some other time thsJ
told him. Just now the senior
SoIanO is very importantly busy
sure. ] come some other time,
vi FeCn assured them pleasantly.