Vernon Parish Democrat., 1921-06-16
CHAPTER XVIII.

WHAT 6Eh SNNlA
Three days passed. Don Juan Cafe
tero had been buried with all the pomp
and circumstance of a national hero;
Mother jerks, too, had gone to her ap-
pointed resting place, and Ell Buen
Amigo had been closed forever. Ricar-
do had issued a proclamation annOunc-
ing himself provisional president Of
Sobrante; a convention of revolution
ary leaders had been held, and a provi-
sional cabinet selected. A day for the
national elections had been named the
wreckage Of the brief revolution had
been cleared away, and the wheels of
government were once more revolving
freely and nOiselessly. And while all
of this had been going on, John Stu
art Webster had lain on his back star
ing at the palace ceiling and absolute
ly forbidden to receive visitors. He
was still engaged in this mild form Of
gymnastics on the third day when the
door of his room opened and Dolores
looked in on him.
"Good evening, Caliph," she called.
"Aren't you dead yeti"
It was exactly the tone she should
have adopted to get the best results,
for Webster had been mentally and
physically i'll since she had seen him
last, and needed some such pleasantly
as this to lift him out of his gloomy
mood He grinned at her bOyishly.
mo, I'm not dead. On the contrary,
I'm feeling real chirpy. Won't you
come in and visit for a while, Miss
Ruey?"
''Well, since you've invited me, 1
shall accept" Entering, she stood be-
side his bed and took the hand he ex-
tended toward her. "This is the first
opportunity I've had, Miss Ruey," he
began, ITO apologize for the shock /
gave you the other day. should have
come back to you as 1 promised in
stead of getting into fight and scar
ing you half to death. / hope you'll
forgive me, because I'm paying for my
fun now-with interest"
every well, Caliph. I'll forgive you
on one condition"
"Who am to resist having a condi-
ton imposed upon me? Name your
terms. 1 shall obey"
"rm weary of being called Miss
Ruey. / want to be DOlores-to you"
"By the toe nails of Noses" he re-
fiected, "there is no escape. She's de-
termined TO rock the boat" Aloud he
said: "All right, Dolores. I guess Bill
won't mind"
"Billy hasn't word to say about It, /"
she retOrted, regarding him with that
calm, impersonal, yet vitality interested
look that always drove him frantic
with the desire for her.
swell, of course, understand that"
he countered. NATURALLY, since Bill
is only a man, you'll have to manage
him and he'll have to take orders"
"Caliph, you're a singularly persist
ent man, once you get an idea into
your head. Please understand me, once
for all; Billy Geary is dear, and It's
a mystery to me why every girl in the
world isn't perfectly crazy about him,
but every rule has its exceptions-and
Billy and are just good friends. I'd
like to know where you got the idea
we're engaged to be married"
"Why-why-well, aren't your"
Certainly not"
swell, you-er-you ought to be.
expected-that is, I planned-I mean
Bill told me and-and-and-er-it
never occurred to me you could posi-
bly, have the-er-crust-to refuse
him. OF course, you're going to mar
ry him when he asks yOuT"
"Of course am not"
"Ah-h-h-hl" John Stuart Webster
gazed at her in frank amazement
''Net going to marry Bill Geary" he
cried, highly seandalized.
81 know you think ought to, and
suppose it win appear quite incOmpre
hensible to you when do not"
"Why Dolores, my dear girl This
is-most amazing. Didn't BIZ ask yor
to marry him before he left?"
eyes, he did me that honor, and
declined. him."
''You what r.
She smiled at him so materially that
his hand itehed to drag her down t.
him and kiss her curving lips.
''DO you mind telling me just WHY
you took this extraordinary attitude2'
"YOu have no right to ask, but II
|. tell you. refused Billy because
didn't love him enough-that way
i What's more. never could"
He rolled his head to one side an,
softly. very softly, whistled two bar
J Of ''The Spanish Cavalier through hi