The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1920-04-22
the GIRL FROM CUBA |
By EARL REED SILVERS.


o'clock he walked into the office.
opened the desk, smoked a cigarette
looked out of the window for awhile
and then went home. For this arduous
labor he received salary Of $4,000
year. If any of the trio Of Simms could
have followed his inclination he would
have told Mr., Grifiths, gently but firm
Is, that as far as business was con
ccrncd. he was an excellent golf player
but as Hal's father had placed several
hundred thousand dollars in the firm
Hal was left to his own peaceful pur
suits.
These pursuits concerned chiefly golt
I'm the summer and dancing In the win
ter. And so, possessed Of many friends
and much money, he was constantly II
demand.
Occasionally these calls upon his
time were rather irritating. He was
one Of those lovably laundering persons
who did not know how to refuse an in
vitauOn, and So when Charlotte Taylor
suggested, with the hint of tears in hel
eyes, that he see her off when she left
for Cuba, he assented smilingly but
unhappily, and ordered two dOzer
roses to be sent to her stateroom.
On the morning of CharlOtte's depar
ture Hal waited In his Office as long as
he dared, and then took taxi for the
dock. Charlotte was waiting for him
and together they inspected the boat.
81 am going to sit here and think OF
you during the long evenings" she tolc
him, indicating a shelter on the after
deck, land wonder if you will be think
ing Of me-"
''Tll think Of you every minute yor
are in my mind" he answered absently
Then he stopped short. Passing
across his line of vision was the pref
tiest girl he had ever seen. She wore
blue suit, white hat and white fol
furs.
Goodness !" he exclaimed inyolun
tariiy. "Who in the world is that girlT
Charlotte's plquant face became sud
denly resentful.
I'm sure l don't know" she an
swered shortly. "Some Spaniard
probably"
"Spaniard nothing; she's an Ameri
cam
The blast of the "All ashore" whis
tie came. Hal said goOd-by just as
quickly as he could and made his way
to the gangplank. He stood on the
pier and watched as the boat turned
out into the river. Although he waved
cOnscientlOusly to Charlotte, his gazt
searched the ship for sight Of the Other
girl And just as he had given up hope
she appeared. The picture of her a.
she stood beside the rail, her face
framed In the circle of hat and furs
was stamped indelibly on his memory
The winter wore on, the same ole
endless round of social duties. But
somehow, Hal seemed to have lost in
terest he even remained at the Office
all day and gave some attention to
business, until the elder SimmS' brother
remarked to the younger one that may
be Harold Gritliths might be Of sOmt
use to the firm, after all. Regularly
Hal received siX-page letter from
Charlotte telling Of the wonders of the
climate. And then, just before the date
when Charlotte was to sail for north
ern cimes, Halls telephone rang, anC
the softcst voice he had ever hearC
asked him If Mr.. Harold Cdniths was
In. And having been assured that he
was, the owner of the soft voice pro
Cccded to tell him that she had jus'
returned from Cuba where she h0C
the pleasure of meeting Miss Charlotte
Taylor.
charlotte asked me to telephone you
as soon as | reached New York" tn,
stranger continued, land to tell you
that she was having a lovely time anC
will be home on the first of May"
THAT'S mighty nice Of you" Hal an
swered pleasantly, Did you see muct
Of CharlotteY
"Oh, yes" the voice answered. awe
went down on the same boat ant
stayed at the same hotel"
Halls heart missed a beat. He
asked abruptly: "Where are yor
nOW?'
AT the Plaza"
"Do you mind If drop up to see you
for few minutes? | am terribly in
tercsted in Cuba"
For moment there was silence anC
then the voice answered: mo, | don't
mind If you do
So Hal rushed out Of the office anc
hailed It passing taxi. As he rusheC
into the lobby Of the Plaza, the CIR
with the white furs arose to meet him
And then time flew SO fast that It was
! 80 before either Of them realized 1t
50 they took lunch together and eacl
told the other the history Of his an0
her life. And after the girl with the
white furs had found out that Hal was
not engaged to Charlotte or to anyone
else, she told him that he might come
to see her the next evening.
50 Hal, with felgned interest In Cubu
and unfeigned interest In at least one
Cuban tourist, accepted the invitation
and talked, not about the winter IN
cuba, but the summer In the United
States.
And then, tucked away in the society
columns Of the New York papers, there
appeared one morning the following no
tee "rhe engagement is announced OF
Harold Gritllths to Miss Lois Brown
lng'-whlch was the name of the girl
from Cuba.