Vernon Parish Democrat. (Leesville, La.) 1917-193?, 1921-04-21

"Well how did you pass your first
night in Buenaventura? she inquired,
in the manufacture of breakfast con-
versation.
mot very well. Jiggers bit me and
woke me up, and finally 1 fell into a
trance ald had a vision-about you.
After that couldn't go to sleep again.
1 was fairly bursting to see yoU at
breakfast and read your palm. I've
just discovered a wonderful system"
"Show me-" she flashed back at
him and she extended her little hand.
He picked 1t up gravely and with the
dull tine of a fork made great show
of tracing the lines on her palm.
'You are about twenty-four years
old, and your ancestors were pure-bred
Castilians who came from Madrid,
crossing the Atlantic in caravels. Ever
since the first Ruey landed on this
coast the family has been identified
with the government Of the country in
one way or another. When you were
quite little girl, your father, Don
Ricardo Ruey at that time president
of SObrante, failed to suppress a revO-
luton and was cornered in the govern
ment palace, which was set afire.
Through the bravery and devotion
Of a cockney gentleman, Colonel Henry
jerks, an artillery officer in your
fathers army you were saved from
perishing in the burning palace. Col
onel jerks turned you over to his
spouse, now known as Mother jerks,
with instructions to raise you a lydy,
and Mother jerks has carried out
those instructions. Colonel jerks and
your father were executed, and Mother
jerks sent you to the United States
to be educated. You had a brother,
Ricardo Luis Ruey, older than your
self by seven or eight years, 1 should
Judge. In some mysterious manner
you and your brother lost track of
each other, and at the present moment
he believes you persisted in the flames
that Quilted the government palace.
"You are Of a proud, independent ma
ture; you work at something for liv-
ing, and inasmuch as you haven't been
| able to set aside a great deal of mon
ey from your earnings, you are plan
ming to terminate your visit to your
native land at an early date and re-
turn to the United States for the pur-
pose of getting back to work. These
plans, however, will never be con-
summated.
"Why? Because you are to be mar
ried to a nice man and live happily
ever afterward, and about sixty days
from now, if all goes well, l, John S.
Webster, am going to introduce you to
your long-lost brother Ricardo. You
will first see Ricardo riding at the
head of his victorious rebel troops as
he enters Buenaventura. He will be
the next president of this wretChed
country, if. fortunately he Is not killed
in the revolution he is now fomenting
against his fathers ancient enemy.
Your brother does not know you are
living and it will be proud and hap
by day for me when l bring him to
you. In the interim, what do you pur-
pose having for breakfast? Ham and
eggs sunny side up, an omelette or a
cereal?"
He released her hand and favored
her with the bOylsh grin that always
had the effect of stripping the years
from him as one strips the husk from
a ripe ear Of corn. She was gazing at
him in wide-eyed amazement.
as my brother really alive"
HE was as late as midnight last
night Do you recall the chap l saved
from being assassinated in New Or
leansW
eyes"
"Your worthy brother. And do you
recall the chauffeur whose passage to
this port was forced to pay?"
Eyes"
1.-THE same individual. l sent him
ashore in the launch with Billy, and he
has been housed at Ell Buen Amigo
but left early this morning for the
back country to open recruiting Of
fee"
She reached across the little table
and squeezed his big brown hand i'm
pulsively. you're the most wonderful
man l ever knew. AID does my poor
brother know 1 am living, Mr.. Web
ster?"
"NO-and I'm not going to tell him
l think it will be much nicer to re
store you to each other on the steps
of the government palace on the day
when the Ruey faction comes into its
own again. That will make his victory
all the sweeter. By the way, where
was Ricardo when your fathers shiI
of state went on the rocks"
"At school in a military academy In
Kentucky"
1T is a marvellous miX-up, which Ri
cardo can doubtless explain, Miss
Ruey. l know he believes his sister
persisted with her father. Mother
jerks didn't know where he was ant
couldn't communicate with him-ant
there you are. However, little ole
Jack Fix-it will bring you together
again in due course. In the interim
how about those eggs? Straight VI
or flip emp"