Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1921-05-06

They rode together In the cool Of the
morning; they drove together on the
MalecOn in the cool Of the evening I;
chaperOned by Don Juan CafeterO and
a grinnlng SObrantean, they went shark
fishing in Leber's launch; they played
/ dOmlnoes together; they discussed,
throughout the long, lazy, quiet after
Moons, when the remainder of their
world retired for the slesta, books, art
men, women, and things.
And not once, throughout two weeks
Of camaraderie, did the heart-racked
Webster forget, for a single instant
that he was the new friend, destined
to become the old friend; never, to
the girls watchful eyes, did he be-
tray the slightest disposition to estab-
llsh their friendly relations on closer
basis.
Thus did the arrival of The Day
find them. Toward sunset they rode
out together along the bay shore and
noted far out to sea the smear of
smoke that marked the approach of
La Estrellita-On schedule time.
"YOu will go aboard her tonight"
Webster said very quietly to Dolores.
"And you?"
81 shall go aboard with you. have
arranged with Don Juan for him to
stay ashore and to come out in Lee
ber's launch with the first reliable
news of the conflict. If Ricardo wins
the city, he wins the revolution, and
you and l will then go ashOre-tO dine
with him in the palace. If he loses
the city, he loses the revolution, and
we will both do we'll to remain aboard
La Estrellita."
"And In that event, what will be-
come of my brOther?"
II do not know; forgot to ask
him, but If he survives, l imagine
he'll have sense enough to know he's
whipped and will retreat on San Bru.
no, fighting a rear guard action, en-
bark aboard the steamer that brought
his men there and escape
"Tm worried about Mother jerks"
81 have asked Mother jerks to dine
with us at 7 80 this evening, and have
ordered carriage to call for her.
When she comes I'll tell her every
thing; then, If she wishes to stay
ashore, let her She's been through
more than one such fraCas and doesn't
mind them at all. ! dare say"
And in this Webster was right.
Mother jerks listened in profound ST.
lence, noddlng her approval, as Web
ster related to her the story Of the
advent in the country Of Ricardo Ruey
and his plans, but without revealing
the identity of Andrew Bowers
At the conclusion of his recital the
old publican merely said: "Gor' biz
mel"
After a silence she added: MY
sainted Emery used to s'y the proper
holds for white man In bally row
O. this nature was 40 to l. Cor, but
how my sainted Emery would henjOy
bein ere this night to 'elp with the
guns" She sighed.
"HOw about a little bottle Of wine
to drink peace to your sainted Henry
and luck to The Cause?' Webster sug-
gested
"That's wOt l calls talkin'," Mother
jerks responded promptly, and Web
ster, gazing re1ectlvely at the old
ladys beard, wondered why she had
not been born man.
Dolores, fearful for her benefactOr's
safety, urged Mother jerks to accom-
pany them out aboard La Estrellita,
but the old dame Indignantly refused,
and when pressed for reason gave
1t with the utmost frankness: They'll
be tykin' SarrOs, an when they tyke
i'm they'll back him ag'in the same
wall he backed my salnted Emery and
your father against, my dear. I've a
notion that your fathers sOnll let
Mrs. Col. Emery jerks come to the
party"
At 10 O'Clock Webster accompanied
Mother jerks home in the carriage,
which he dismissed at I'll Buen Amigo
with instructions to return to the
hotel while he continued afOOt down
the Gale San Rosario to the bay,
where Leber's' huge corrugated iron
warehouse doomed darkly above high
water mark. He slipped along in the
deep shadow of the warehouse wall
and out on the end Of the little dock,
where he satisfied himself that Lee
bers launch was at its mOOrings;
then he went back to the warehouse
and whistled softly, whereupOn man
crawled out from under the structure
and approached him. 1t was Don
Juan CafeterO.