Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1919-10-07

FISK ruin Tor DOTH py grasping Tor TOO
muchY'
1.-THE outraged / warrant you have
grown rich through your stealing"
Isabers voice had gone fat with con-
sternation.
"Rich? Well, not exactly. but COM
fortably well off," Cueto actually
smiled again. "No doubt my frankness
Is a shock to you. You are angry at
my proposition, eh? Never mind. You
will th.,k better OF it in time, If you.
are a sensible woman. But now. since
at last we enjoy such confidential re-
lations, let US have no more Of these
miserable suspicious Of each other.
Let us entirely forget this unpleasant
misunderstanding and be the same
good friends as before"
Having said this, Pancho Cueto stood
silent moment In polite expectancy;
then receiving no ineligible reply, he
bowed low and left the room.
To the avaricious Donna Isabel Cue
to's frnnk acknowledgment of theft
was maddening, and the realization
that she was helpless, nay. dependent
crucified her proud spirit.
All day she brooded, and by the time
evening came she had worked herself
into such d state of nerves that she
| could eat no dinner. Some time during
/ the course of the evening wild idea
| came to Isabel. Knowing that the man.
ager would spend the night beneath
her roof, she planned to kill him. At
| first it seemed simple thing to do
merely matter of dagger or q PTS
toll, whilefIe slept-but further thought
revealed appalling risks and difficult
ties, and she decided to wait. Poison
was far safer.
Constant brooding over the treasure
had long since affected Donna IsabePs
brain, and as consequence she often
dreamed about 1t. She dreamed about
1t again tonight, and, strangely enough,
her dreams were pleasant. Sebastian
appeared, but for once he neither
cursed nor threatened her; and Este.
ban, when he came. was again the
lover who had courted her In Ha-
bana. 1t was amazing, delightful.
Esteban and she were walking through
the grounds of the quinta and he was
telling her about his casks of Spanish
sovereigns, about those boxes bound
with iron. about the gold and silver or
naments of heavenly beauty and the
pearls as large as plums. AS he talked
Isabel felt herself grow hot and cold
with anticipation; she experienced
spasms of delight.
Then of a sudden Isabel's whole
dream-world dissolved. She awoke, or
thought she did, at hearing her name
shouted. But although she underwent
the mental and the physical shock of
being startled from slumber, although
she felt the first swift fright of per-
son aroused to strange surroundings.
she knew on the instant that she must
still be asleep; for everything about
her was dim and dark, the air was cold
and damp, wet grass rose to her knees.
dition she felt herself plunged into
space. She heard herself scream
hoarsely, fearfully, and knew, too late.
that she was indeed awake. Them
whirling chaos A sudden, binding
crash of lights and sounds Nothing
norel
Esteban varona sat until late hour
that night over letter which required
the utmost care in it's composition. 1t
was written upon the thinnest of pa
Ger, and when 1t was finished the
writer inclosed it in an envelope of the
same material. Esseban put the letter
his pocket without addressing 1t.
Letting himself out into the night, he
took the path that led to the old
sunken garden. He passed close by
he well. and its gaping mouth, only
half protected by the broken coping.
reminded him that he had promised
Rosa to cover 1t with planks. In its
present condition 1t was menace to
animals. If not to human beings who
were unaware cf its presence.
Seating himself on one of the old
stone benches, the young man lit a
cigarette and composed himself to
wait. He sat there for long time.
,rumbling inwardly. Cor the night was
damp and he was sleepy; but at last
figure stole out of the gloom and
Joined him. The newcomer was rag
ged negro. dressed In the fashion Of
| the poorer country people.
"Well. Asensio, thought you'd
! never come. TIL get fever from this ]"
/ Esteban said irritabiy.
cit is long wax Don Esteban, and
Evangelina made me wait until dark.
tell you we have to be careful these
days"
@what is the newsf What did You
hearf"
Asensio sighed gratefully as he seat
ed himself. "One hears q great deal.
but one never knows what to believe.
There is fighting In Santa Clara, and
Maceo sweeps westward"