The Little River news. (Ashdown, Little River County, Ark.) 1897-current, 1920-11-03
stand Of Webster anu Don Juan care
tero before passing through the por-

Ale
stand Of Webster ana Don Juan Cafe
tero before passing through the por
tai. W. 1la.,
Ricardo had now, for the first time
an opportunity to look around him
SO he halted to realize his hOme-com'
ing, to thrill with this. the first real
view Of the home of his bOyhood. The
spacious lawn surrounding the palace
had been plowed and SCARED WITH
bursting shrapnel from the field guns
captured in the arsenal, although the
building itself had been little damaged,
not having sustained direct hit be-
cause Of Ricardo's stringent orders
not to use artillery on the palace I'M
less absolutely necessary to- smoke
Sdrross out. Scattered over the grounds
Ricardo counted some twenty odd
government soldiers, all wearing that
pathetically nat, crumpled appearance
which seems inseparabie from the
bodies OF men killed in action. The
first shrapnel had probably COM
menced to drop in the grounds just as
a portion Of the palace garrison had
been marching out to join the troops
fighting at the cantOnment barracks
Evidently the men had scattered like
quail, only to be killed as they ran.
From this grim scene Ricardo raised
his eyes to the palace, the castellated
towers Of which, looming through the
tufted palms, were rejecting the set
ting sun. Over the balustrade Of one
of the upper balconies the limp body
of a Sarros sharpshooter, picked off
from the street, dropped grOtesquely,
his arms hanging downward as If in
irOnical welcome to the son of Ruey
the Beloved The sight induced in
Ricardo a sense Of profound sadness
his Irish imagination awOke; to him
that mute figure seemed to call upon
him for pity, for kindness, for for
bearance, for understanding and SYM
pathy. Those Outflung arms Of the
martyred peon symbolized to Ricardo
Ruey the spirit Of liberty. shackled
and helpless, calling upon him for de-
liverance; they brought to his alert
mind clearer realization Of the duty
that was his than he had ever had be-
fore. He had great task to perform,
q task inaugurated by his father. and
which Ricardo could not hope to fin
ish in his lifetime. He must solve
the agrarian problem; he, must de
velOp the rich natural resources Of his
country; he must provide free, COM
pulsory education and evolve from
the ignorance Of the peon an inteili-
gence that would build up that which
Sobrante, in common with her sister
republics, so wickedly lacked-the
great middle class that stands always
as a buffer between the aggression
and selfishness of the upper class and
the helplessness and chiIdishness Of
the lower.
Ricardo bowed his, head. Help me,
O Lord" he prayed. "Thou hast given
me in Thy wisdom a mans task. Help
me that may not prove unworthy"
Mother jerks, grown impatient atthe
lack OF news concerning Webster, left
Dolores to her grief in the room across
the hall and sought the, open air, for
of late she had been experiencing with
recurring frequency slight feeling of
suffocation. She sat down on the broad
granite steps, helped herself to a
much-needed "bracer" from her brandy
flask and was gazing pensively at the
scene around her when Ricardo came
up the stairs.
"'EllO" Mother jerks saluted him.
Were ave you been. Mr.. Bowers?"
81 have just returned from capturing
Sarros. Mrs. jerks. He is on his way
to the arsenal under guard"
"Gor' strike me pink !" the old lady
cried. Gave l lived to see this day! y
Her face was wreathed in happy
smile. 81 wonder 'ow the beggar feels
to ave the shoe on the other foot, eh--
the 'eartless 'ound; I'm 'opin' this
General Ruey will ave the Brighter
shot"
You need have no worry on that
bCOic, Mis-. JtHhS. III StiittdI ttNtH
Andrew Bowers was just my summer
name. as it were."
angels guard me! Wot the bloom
in" ell surprise won't we ave next.
Wot branch O the Ruey tribe do you
belong to? Are you nephew o. him
that was president before Sairos shot
i'm? Antonio Ruey, who was arr
brother to the president. ad son e
called Ricardo. Are you lila, might
arsk?"
81 am the son of Ricardo the Be
loved" he answered proudly.
mot the lad as was away at schoo,
, when lis father was hexecuteGY
~ am that same lad, Mrs. jerks.
And who are you? You seem to know
a deal of my family history"
H." the Old publican replied with
equal pride. "am Mrs. Col. Emery
jerks. who was your fathers chief OF
hartillery an 'ad the hextreme honor
o dyln in front of the same wall with
i'm. BY the WY, 'ow's Mr.. Webster?'
she added suddenly remembering the
subject closest to her heart just then.
His wounds are trifling. He'll live
Mrs. Jenks." ea..
"Well, that's better than gettin