South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-12-24

KaIb. The vice consul. a G-aeco-
Armenian citizen Of the United
States born in Hcssen. Darls-adt.
and educated in Cincinnati ward
primaries considered all Americans
n.s brothers and bankers. Tic 1T
tachcl him ecIi 90 Alerriam's elbow.
introduced him 10 every one u La
paz who wore shoes. borrowed ten
d-Ilrs and went back 20 his ham
mock.
There was little wooden hotel
in tae edge OF a banana grove fac
iug the sea. that catered 10 the tastes
Of he few foreigners hat mad drop
ped out # the world into the triste
Peruvian town At Ealb's intro
duct0ry. shake hands with --,'
he had ohcdiently exchanged man
ual ealutatious with a German doc
for. one French and two Italian
merchants and three OF four Amer
Jeans " ho were sp ken Of as gold
men. rubber men, mahogany mon
anything but men Cf living tissue.
After dinner Merriam sat in a
corner OF the broad front galerIa
with Tibo q VermontCr interested
in hydraulic mining. aud smoked
aud drank Scotch smoke. The
moonlight sea. spreading Infinitely
bcf0r, him. seemed TO separate him
beyond al apprehension from his
old life The horrid tragedy in
which he had played such a disas-
trlus part now began. for tho first
time since he stole or board the
fru1er. "A wretchcd fugitive, 10 lose
its sharper outlines. Distance lent
Arrangement 10 his view. Eibb had
49, rrlI flood Of "A cfTnQ m
Of lOug-dammed discourse, overjOy-
cd 20 have captured an audience
that had not suffered under a hum
dred repretitions of his views and
Tho theories.
zone year more" said Bibh land
III go back L. Gods country. Oh.
1 know it's pretty here. and You get
dolce far nIcnta handed 10 you in
chunks. hut this country WASH I
made for white man to lise in.
You've got TO have TO plug through
snow now and then. and see a 81 me
OF baseball and wear stiff collar
and have policeman cuss you. Silll,
Ia Faz is good sort Of pine
dreamy old hole. And Mrs. Conant
is here. When any Of us feel par
tcuiarly like jumping into the sea
we rush around 10 her hCuSe and
propose. It's nicer to be rejected
hy Mrs. Conant than 1t is to be
drowned Ard they say drowning
i4 delightful sensation"
Mary like her h-re?" asked
Merriam.
Not anywhere" said BiDb, with
a comfortable sigh. she's the only
white woman in La Paz. The rest
range from a dappled dun to the
color of a b-flat piano key. She's
been here a year. Comes frcm--
WELL yOu know how a woman can
talk-ask 'em to say string and
they II say crews foot or cats
cradle Sometimes you'd think she
was from Oshkosh, and again from
Jacksonville, Florida, and the next
day from Cape Cod"
Mystery ?" ventured Merriam
"M-wcll, she looks It; but acr
talks translucent CROUCH. But
that's a woman. suppose if the
Sphinx were TO begin talking she'd
merely Soy: Goodness met more
visitors coming for dinner. and moth
ing To eat but the sand which is
here But you won't think about
that when YOU meet her. Merriam.
You II propose TO her too.
To make a hard story soft. Mer-
riam did meet her and propose 10
her lie found her 70 be a woman
in black with hair the color of 4
bronze turkeys wings, and myster-
iOus, remembering eyes that--well.
that looked as if she might have
been a trained nurse looking on
when Eve was created Her words
and manner. though, were trans
lucent. as BILb had said. She
spoke vaguely, OF friends in Cali
frr-rrra Of 10
shes In Louisiana. The tropica'
climate and indolent life suited her;
she had thought OF buy ing an
orange grove later on; La Paz. all in
all. charmed her.
Nerriau's courtship Of the
Sphinx lasted three months, al
| though he did not know that ne
I was counting ner. He was using he
I as an entidOte for remorse, until he
found. too late. that he had ac-
quired the habit. During that time
I he had received no news from
/ home. Wade did not know where
\ he was: and hc was not sure OF
/ Wa5e's exact address, and was
| afraid TO write. He thought ne had
/ better let matters rest as they were
\ for O while.
one afternoon he and Mrs. Con
/ along The mountain trail as far as
\ the it'll, cold river that came tum-
/ bling down the foothills There
/ they stopped for a drink, and Mer'
riam spoke his pjece--h proposed
\ as Eibb had prophesiel.
I Mrs CCnant gave him one glance
\ Of brilliant tenderness, and then
/ her face took on sucn a strange
/ hacgord look that Merriam was
/ shaken out Of his intoxicasiCn and
I back 10 his senses.
Il brs your pardon, Florence, .
/ he said. releasing her hand: but II
/ have 90 hedge on part Cf what
said / can't ask you TO marry me
OF course 7 Killed a man IN New
/ N0rh-a man who was my friend
J shot him DOWN quite a coward
/ ly manner. I understand OF course
/ she JrinEins didn't excuse IL. Well
I couldn't resist having my say. and
] III always mean u. I'm here IS q
/ fugitive from justice. and-I sup