The Little River news., 1920-08-25

the fright in those lovely brown eyes.
 He waved his hand airily. "Quien sabe?" he said. "She left three weeks ago for New Orleans to visit you. I dare say you passed each other on the road-here, here, Miss Ruey, don't cry"
 He took a recess of three minutes, while Dolores dabbed her eyes and went through sundry other motions of being brave. Then he proceeded with his nefarious recital.
 "When your cablegram arrived, Miss Ruey, naturally Mrs. Wilkins was not here to receive it, and as I was the only person who had her address, the cable agent referred it to me. Under the circumstances, not knowing where I could reach you with cable inform ing you that Mrs. Wilkins was headed for California to see you, I had no other alternative but to let matters take their course. decided you might arrive on La Estrellita so 1 callea>to welcome you to our thriving little city, and, as friend of about two min utes' standing, to warn you away from It."
 Bily's mien, as he voiced this ous that Dolores curiosity was aroused instantly and rose superior to her grief "Why, what's the mat ter?" she demanded.
 Billy loked around, as if fearful of being overheard. He lowered his voice. "We're going to have one grand little first-class revolution" he re- piled. "It's due to bust almost any night now. and when it does, the streets of San Buenaventura will run red with blood"
 Dolores blanched. "Oh, dearie me-" she quavered. Do they still have revolutions here? You know, MT. Geary, my poor father was killed in One."
 "Yes, and the same old political gang that shot him is still on deck" Billy warned her. "It would be high ly dangerous for Ruey, man or wom- an, to show his or her nose around Buenaventura about now. Besides, Miss Ruey, that isn't the worst" he continued, for whole-hearted lad was Billy, who never did anything by halves. ''The city is reeking with cholera" he declared.
 Cholera !" Dolores big brown eyes grew bigger with wonder and concern. "How strange the port authorities didn't warn us at New Oreans"
 "Tish! Tush! Fiddlesticks and then some. The fruit company censors everything, Miss Ruey, and the news doesn't get out"
 "But the port doctor just said the passengers could go ashore"
 "What's a human life to doctor? Besides, he's on the slush-fund pay roll and does whatever the higherups tell him. You be guided by what I tell you, Miss Ruey, and do not set foot on SObrantean soil. If you stay aboard La Estrellita. you'll have your nice clean staterOom. your we'll cooked meals. your bath, and the at- lCIltIOuS O1 IlC SJCWuluCo6s AHC SlC0lH- CT will be loaded in two days; then you go back to New Orleans. and by the time you arrive there I'll have been in communication by cable with Mother Jenks-I mean"
 "Mother who" Dolores demanded.
 "A mere slip of the tongue. Miss Ruey. I was thinking of my landlady. meant Mrs. Wilkins"
 'I'm so awfully obliged to you. Mir. Geary. You're so kind, I'm sure I'd he a most ungrateful girl not to be guided by you accordingly. You wouldn't risk any friend of yours in this terrible place, would you. Mir. Geary?"
 'Indeed, I would not. By permitting anybody thought anything of to come to this city. should feel guilty of murder"
 "I'm sure you would. Mir. Geary. Nevertheless, there is one point that Is not quite clear in my mind, and wish you'd explain"