The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-11-17
CHAPTER 744

with Dad Lee!" I repeated. t'So you saw Pancho Mateixa with Dad Lee. There was some meaning in their attempt to make Manuelo Ortiz believe he was meeting Dick West. There's something back of this harle- quinade after a11-'
 There isl" agreed Rosa dryIy. And the harleqninade-she fail. So now what?''
 Wont it be easy enough to Man uelo to keep track of Pancho and find out what his part in thIs-game is % I asked.
 ou think Rancho is going to tell what he does not want Nello should know lifted her lip from her small white upper teeth
 Isn't it worth his while to - get in right with Manuelo?" sus- gested. Then remembering MabePs information, I added, Young Neno, as you call him. is an aristocratas one can see. This Mateixa lad is-a mo- body who wants to do a bit of social limbing, isn't he? Wouldn't he try to run with the hare and hunt with the hounds even suppoosing he Is ac- tua1ly in Dick Vests pay?"
 You put it so it makes me a pie ture," smiled Rosa. q see Pancno trying to be-how you say-on the both sides of the fence at one min ute. But if he is never going back to Mexico. how does 1t matter whether he makes the friends with Nello or no? It is the money he wants -
 Yes. I know" I said with studied carelessness. "The Ortiz family caus- ed his fanily's financial ruin"
 How you know so much?" famed Rosa, vehemently. ''Oh. I see! This Mabel Storrs of yours is busybody like all who think is makes them more than they are to know the af- fairs Of their betters"
 Mabel is very loyal" I said, quiet ly, stresstng the point up to which I'd been working our chat And she's also very shrewd and observing. Any thing she thought important for me to know shed work hard to figure out.''
 1T see,' replied Rosa.
 She shut her lips tight over the words with the effect of cutting them off deliberately and leaving unsaid a great deal that she might have added. Her eyes met mine and challenged them. There was a knocking inn in the depths of her glance Though had scored my points felt yaguelv uneasy.
 Rosa does not so easily give an- other victory unless she has some thlng In reserve - something with which she plans to score. I was cast ing about in my mind for a way to resume the conversation, which lay pa1pably between us like a dear thlns, when the situation was relieved by jarring ring at the door bell. Three times 1t commanded attention. And as arose to answer dt saw Rosa smile.
 ihose three rings were a signal to her. To me they suggested a. teIe- Jim himself myster- lously and benfgnly returned to me by relenting fate. I opened the door and found ManueIo Ortiz on inc t1r esh old
 My Rosa,'' he said, with a brazen display of his feelings as if what I thought couldn't possibly matter, .She IS here-not ?"
 Mrs. Cordova is here," I replied. the amenities
 But Manuelo smiled at me. wanIv and wistfully.
 ITO me. Rosa is My Rosa be- cause next after my faith I worship It once beautiful and fanatic in his voice and manner "There is only respect in that. Will you please to 'emember that is so, Mrs. White Li ac''
 "Yes, I said gently, and with a feep pity for the boy who gave his expect so worthily, though to such m unworthy object. "Pn remem- 'er, Senor Ortiz. And PIl-under- tand. Shall we shake hands on it?"
 1mpatiently he gave me his hand with the effect of brushing me aside nd only enduring the necessary pre- imfnar3es with one who could take Jim to Rosa.
 At the door of the dining room topped and pointed the way
 T forgot something" I said, weak y and turned back. But Manuelo mi1ed wisely and understandingIy nd said:
 Thank you for this It makes us riends. But to be with her alone it , no good to me. It only hurts. You nall come with us, and if it is some hing l should say without you hear, say him maybe in Spanish, Rosa
 is l. Manuelo. Your Nello."
 Come in-little boy" she laughed, 1solently From Jaime it is maybe ou bring me the news. Yes?
 Manuelo gave vent to something nat may have been a Spanish oath nway he ended up with word re- emblng the familiar "Caramba!" of related tongue. Then he swept into long dissertation in English and a eculiar patois Rosa seemed to un- erstand. Out of it I made a jerky et of facts running like this:
 To Be Continued.
 Tonight there is appointrne rnent with ancho. He nibb1es-the silly little linnow. He thinks maybe his sister nall meet my family. I should know lch a peon when I have with the m daZzIed my eyes" The sun, pre- ImabIy and plausibly being Rosa. It took a long time and a flow Of -ords to express th-s. Rosa inter 1pted with:
 You shall play Pancho as if he is sh. Good fishermen and hunter are ou. Nello, though, silly boy" You did not always talk soi'' he jed. "H is because you think soon 3mes wrho-''
 But Rosa interrupted with a sound 1-f~ /7