The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1919-08-23


Porter
Frank Porter7" sneered Hardin.
"that-murdercr2
Ellis brother" Richard answered
pleasantly. Jim furnishes the men
for the big mines in Sonora and Sina
loa, Te'U send us all tho lnbor we
want, the best for our purpose When
1t gets red hot. there's no one like
peon or nm Indian.
You'll he infringing on the interna
tioual contract law suggested Mac
Lean
mo The camp Is on the Mexican
side" laughed Cnsey I'D thought Of
that. Wen have them shipped to the
nearest Mexican point, and then
brought to the border. Mr.. Estrada
will help us
The meeting Ind already adjourned.
They were standing around the fiat
top desk Estrada invited them all to
lunch with him in the chr on the sid
ing. MacbeHu said that he had To get
back to Los Angeles. Mr. Bahcock
was going to tnko him out to- Grants
Heading IN the machine, He had ney-
or been there. They had hreakfnsted
late He looked very much the colonel
to Richard, his full chest md stiff car
rage made more military by bis trim
uniform Of khaki-colored cloth.
May speak to you about your boy,
Mr.. MacLcan7"
Hardin caught n slight that was not
intended. He pushed past the group
ut the door without Civilty or cere-
mony.
The steady grave eyes OF the big
| frame looked nj Richard inquirinEly.
"IIe wants To stay out another year
! hope YOU viii lot him. It's not dsin-
| tcrested | shall have to take n stenog
rnpher TO the Heading this summer.
There Is girl here: I couldn't tnke
her. and then, too, I'm oldfashioned I
| don't like women I'm offices. My posi-
| ton promises to he peculiar one. III
| like to hive your son to rely on for
| emergencies stenographer could not
| cover"
| MacIpan's grave features relaxed rs
| he looked down on the engineer, who
was no small man himself and sug-
gested that his son was not very well
up In stenography.
THAT'S the least of It.
! 81 hope TINT he will make good
stenographer Good morning. gentle
men"
At table. neither Estrada nor his
guest uncovered their active thought
which revolved around Hardin and his
| hurt. Instead. Richard had questions
| TO ask his host on river history As
thing was amss-Estrnda was ac-
curate; he had all his facts. Was 1t
enthusiasm. sympathy. he lacked7 Pres
entity he challenged him with II.
Estradas eyes dreamed out of the
window. followed the gorge of the New
river. ms though out there. somewhere,
the answer lowered.
EDO you mean, do you doubt TT" ex-
claimed Richard. watching the melan-
choly In the beautiful eyes.
Estrada shook his head, but without
decision. Nothing you'd not laugh ut.
| can laugh Mt It myself, sometimes"
Richard waited. not sure that any
thing more was coming. The Mexi-
cans dark eyes were troubled q puzzle
brooded In them. ITS n purely mega
tive sense that I've had, since | was q
child. Something falls between me
and plan. If | said It was a VEIL II
would be-something His voice fell
TO d ghost of tunefulness. and It's
nothing. A blank know then it's
not going to happen. 1t Is terribly
final It's happened, often. Now.
wait for that-veil. When it falls,
know what IL means"
"And you have had that-sense
about this river businessT'
Estrada turned his pcnsiyc gaze on
the American. Eyes. often | thought
after fathers death, that that was
what It meant But 1t came again. II
kept coming. | had It while you were
al talking just now. | don't speak q
this 1t sounds chiclen-hearted Ant
I'm In this with all my soul-my IA
ther--I couldn't do ii any other way
but"
You think we are going TO fuilf'
Il can't see it finished" was Estra
da's inournful answer. He turned
again TO stnre out of the window.
"Who are the river men IN the val
ley2' demanded the newcomer. u
want TO meet them, to talk to them"
"Cor'nel he's nm Indian. Hes worth
talking TO. He knows its history. It's
legends. Perhaps some of 1t is his
tory"
where's he TO he found2
"Youll run across him Whenever
Innytling's up. he Is on hand. He senses
it. And then there's Matt Hamlin.'
"I'll see him. of course. Has ht
been up the riverY'
mo, but I'll tell you two who have
Maldonado. half-breed who lives
some twenty miles down the river
from Hamlin's. He knows the ella a'
though he were pure Indian. TIL,
elias tricky Maldonado's GRANDPA
Their was a trapper, his grent-grandfa
Their. they say. a priest. The womeI
we're all Indian Hes smart Smar
and bad"
Estrndas japanese servant cam,
iced.