Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-10-17

| said; so l started out along the old
| PoWertown road with him.
He was still a bit mad over missin &
| the train. and I couldn't find out what
he did for living. although l tried
| mighty hard.
We got to the Harland place and I
| pointed out the trees. speaking quiet.
so ] wouldn't annoy Granny Harland.
| and just as l was telling him about
! the tree near the road Inez started to
sing somewhere in the back of the
house. l happened to glance at the
fat man and l found that he wasn't
listening to me. He was listening to
| the singing. his big eyes wide and his
mouth open like a horse with the
gapes
who's singing?" he asked.
"Inez CABRERA" l said.
He sat with his head stuck out of
the surrey listening, looking as ex-
cited as if he had heard Gabriers
| cornet. Inez was singing in Spanish,
at least | thought it was Spanish
Spanish being the lingo that Count
Raphael had been brought up on. and
her song sounded mighty nice in the
silence of the morning.
She stopped suddenly. and the fat
man leaped out of the surrey and
started on run to the house, not TAX
! ing any notice of me when I called out
| to him that he had dropped his cane.
l sat in that trap for three mortal
hours. wondering what was happen
ing inside the house. l saw IneZ go
! out and call Granny Harland. who was
hoeing potatoes at the back. and L
saw the old woman go into the house
with the girl. Now and then I'd hear
the fat man talking loudly. and two
or three times IneZ sang little songs.
He came out at last, came out with
his chest stuck out like pouter
pigeon. and Inez and Granny Harland
came with him. The old woman was
crying. and Inez looked little fright
ened and little pleased.
you'll drive me back to town." he
said, speaking to me. land tomorrow
| you come out here about this time and
bring Miss Cabrera and her trunk to
job"
He said goodbye to Inez and Granny
Harland and 1 drove him of. Tight
mouthed as clam he was. was just
choking with curiosity to know what
remark outside of a spiteful one he
| fired at the horse I was driving. Paid
me IS for his drive and three for the
job l was to do next day; then he went
off and / didn't see him again for five
years.
That night Johnny Templeton went
out to the Harland place. and he
brought back the news. The fat man
was the greatest director of grand
opera in the country, and he was TAX
! ing IneZ Cabrera away to cultivate
her voice. which he reckoned was
som thing wonderful.
ut is. too said Johnny. ITS the
most beautiful voice in the world"
We'll. you needn't cry if it is" said
Bill Hepburn. and Johnny rushed out
F.; of the room without saying any more.
Bill Hepburn is one of those fellows
! that can't see a well until he falls
| into it, but the rest of us knew what
made Johnny's voice stagger.
L drove out next day and brought
Inez and her trunk in to the depot
Old Granny Harland and Johnny Tenn
! pleton came with her and put her
/ into the train, the old woman keep
| ing stiff upper lip to the end. She
! sort Of sagged when the train went
! out. and Johnny and l carried her
| over to the trap.
NO, no, l must walk back she
! said Il must. I must!'
! Johnny looked at me. and / signaled
| him to lift her up into the trap. ut
won't cost anything. Mrs. Harland.' I
said. I'm driving out that way, so
you're welcome"
! The poor old woman believed what
! I said. but Inez didn't. Johnny wrote
! and told her how I took her granny
home. and little Inez chslked it up IN
/ her heart and paid me back a thou
sandfold And she paid back every
one else. every one that had ever been
kind to Granny Harland and herself
| X X * X
/ THAT old woman went back to the
L farm and shaved away. day after
day. Johnny Templeton would go out
and play to her two evenings of the
week. and the two of them would talk
about Inez. think Granny Harland
would have d1d, only for Johnny. He