The Washington herald., 1920-11-24
tContinued From Yesterday


That evening after dark 1 called
at the alcalde's to see Anabela. I
was calling regular every evening
then. and we were to be married in
a month. She was looking like
bulbul, a gazelle. and a tea-rose.
and her eyes were as soft and bright
as two quarts of cream skinned
of from the Milky Way. She look
ed at my rugged features without
any expression of fear or repue-
nance. Indeed, fancied that l saw
a look OF deep admiration and af-
fection, such as she had cast at
Fergus on the plaza.
II sat down and opened my mouth
to tell Anabela what she loved to
hear-that she was a trust. monop-
olizing all the loveliness OF earth. I
opened my mouth, and instead of
the usual vibrating words of love
and compliment. there came forth
a faint wheeze such as a baby with
Group might emit. Not a word
not a syllable-not an intelligible
sound. ! had caught cold in my
laryngeal regions when / took my
injudicioHs bath.
For two hours / sat trying to
Anabela. She talked a
certain amount. but 1t was perfume
tory and diluted. The nearest ap-
proach l made to speech was to
formulate a sound like a clam try
ing to sing "A Life on the Ocean
Wave at low tide. 1t seemed that
Anabela's eyes did not rest upon me
as often - usual. l had nothing
with which to charm her ears. We
looked at pictures and she played
the guitar occasionally. very badly.
When 1 left. her parting manner
Iseemeed cool-or at least thought
full.
This happened for five evenings
iconsecutively.
"On the sixth day she ran away
with Fergus McMahan.
1T was known that they fed in q
sailing yacht bound for Belize. I
was only eight hours behind them
in a small steam launch belonging
to the Revenue Department
Before / sailed / rushed into the
botica of old Manuel Iquito, half
breed Indian druggist. / could not
speak. but 1 pointed to my throat
and made n sound like escaping
steam. He began to yawn. In an
hour, according to the customs of
the country. 1 would have been
waited on. I reached across the
counter. seized him by the throat.
and pointed again to my own. He
yawned once more, and thrust into
my hand a small bottle containing
a black liquid.
Take one small spoonful every
two hourss,' says he.
"I threw him a dollar and skinned
for the steamer.
81 steamed into the harbor at Be-
Ilize thirteen seconds behind .the
yacht that Anabela and Fergus were
on. They. started for the shore in
dory just as my skiff was lowered
over the side. / tried to order my
sailormen to row faster, but the
sounds died in my larynx before
they came to the light. Then Y
thought of, old Iquito's medicine,
and l got out his hsttle' and took a
swallow Of II.
same moment. walked straight
up to Anabela and Fergus. Her
eyes rested upon me for an instant;
then she turned them, full of feeling
and confidence. upon Fergus. knew
/ could not speak, but was desper-
ate. In speech lay my only hope.
could not stand beside Fergus and
|challenge comparison in the way or
beauty. Purely involuntariiy.. my
|larynx and epiglottis attempted to
reproduce the sounds that my mind
was calling upon my vocal organs
to send forth.
ITO my intense surprise and de-
light the words rolled forth beauti-
fully clear. resonant. exquisitely
modulated. full of power. express
sion and lpng-repressed emotion.
'Senorita Anabela,' says /. may
I speak with you aside for a mo-
mentT
you don't want details about
that, do you? Thanks. The old
eloquence had come back jail right.
i led her under q cocoanutt palm and
put my old verbal spell on her
again.
"..Judson,' says she, when you are
talking to me can hear nothing
else-I can see nothing else-there
is nothing and nobody else in the
world for me-
well. that's about all Of the
story. Anabela went back to Ora
tama In the steamer with me.
never heard what became of Fergus.
I never saw him any more. Ana