The Washington herald., 1920-09-25

be something higher than a peso
worth forty-eight cents. Let's
talk business. / am the villain !
in the third act; and l must have
my merited. il only temporary. +
triumph. l saw you collar the I!
late presidents valiseful of boo
die. Oh. know it's blackmail; |.
but I'm liberal about the price. I
know I'm a cheap villain-one OF
the regular sawmill-drama kind /
but you're one of my particular
friends. and l don't want 20 stick |
you hard
Suppose you so into the de-
tails" suggested Goodwin, calm |
ly arranging his letters on the |
table
"All right" said 'Beelzebub.' "I
like the way you take it, / de- |
spise histrioniCs: so you will |
please prepare yourself for the !
facts without any red fire calcium !
or grace notes on the saxophone. |
"On the night that His Fly-by- !
night Excellency arrived in town !
! was very drunk. You will ex- |
cuse the pride with which l state |
that fact, but II was quite a feat
for me to attain that desirable |
state. Somebody had left a cot
out under tho orange trees in the |
yard Of Madama Ortiz's hotel. II
stepped over the wall. laid down
upon ii. and fell asleep. was
awakened by an orange that
dropped from the tree upon my
nose; and l laid there for awhile |
cursinE Sir Isaac Newton. or who |
ever 1t was that invented gravi-
tation. for not confning his the
ory to apples.
And then along came Mr.. Mira
flores and his true-love with the |
treasury in a valise, and went |
into the hotel. Next you hove in /
sleht' and held now-wow with |
the tonsOrial artist who insisted |
Uron talking shop after hours. II
tried to slumber again; but once !
more my rest was disturhed-thisI |
Time by the noise Of the popgun /
that went off upstairs. Then that |
NaIise came crashing down into !
an orange tree just above my !
head; and I arose from my couch. !
not knowing when 1t might begin |
TO rain Saratoga trunks When !
the army and the constabulary !
began to arrive. with their med
ais and decorations hastily pinned !
10 their pajamas, and their sniCk- /
ersnees drawn. I crawled into the |
welcome shadow Of a banana
plant. l remained there for an !
hour. by which time the excite
ment and the people had cleared !
away. And then. my dear Good
win-eKcuse mel saw you sneak
back and pluck that ripe and !
juicy Valise from the orange tree. |
followed you, and saw you take !
1t to your own house. A hundred |
thousand dollar crop from one
orange tree in season about /
breaks the record of the fruit !
growing industry.
Being gentleman at that
time, of course, never mentioned /
the incident to any one. But this /
morning I was kicked out Of a .
saloon, my code of honor is all |
out at the elbows. and I'd sell my |
mothers prayer for three
nngers of aguardierte. I'm not /
putting on the screws hard. It ,
ought to be worth a thousand to !
you for me to have slept on that !
cot through the whole business
without waking up and seeing
anything.
Goodwin opened two more let
ters, and made memoranda In |
PENCIL on them. Then he called ,
Manuel" to his secretary, who !
came. spryly.
The Ariel-when does she
SAIL asked Goodwin.
"Senor," an.wered the youth.
at three this afternoon. She
drops downcoast to Punta Sole
cad to complete her cargo Of !
fruit. From there she sails for
New Orleans without delay"
"Buenow said Goodwin. These
letters may wait yet awhile"
The secretary returned to his
cigarette under the mango tree.
In round numbers" said Good
win facing Blythe squarely. "how
much money do you owe in this
town, not including the sums you
nave borrowed from me?"
Five hundred-at rough
guess" answered Blythe, lightly.
Go somewhere in the town
ana draw up schedule of your
debts, said Goodwin. Come
back here in two hours and I will
send Manuel with the money to