Evening star., 1923-08-13


Is natural enough, he said kindly,
but at twenty-five. say, 1t will be
different. God will never accept
ignorance as an excuse from an
adult That was really my purpose
IN coming | felt it my duty to
my sisters child to make an effort
to awaken YOU while l could. He
looked around at the luXuriant. per-
fectly-kept gardens. You would
never awake in this castle of In
Golence.'
but I am considered extremely
wide awake | objected.
81 mean in your mind. 1t is time
you thought of things
What things?
We'll. life anu people and how
YOU stand toward them. You must
read and observe and make up your
prind as to what is right. You must
examine the rules that have been
laid down for you and decide for
yourself whether they are meet.
But what is the use?' / said like
Il child. Here l am. l can't change
anything
"'You can change yourself
"'What's the matter with me"
He smiled in both kindness and
fun. One who did not love you
might call you a thoughtless. pleas
ure-loving butterfly. Are you salts
fed with that
u DelleNe l began W cry lnell j
had always thought very well of
myself. you see.
He went on: i know it seems d
dreadful task to the young, to think.
But it need not be. Try the wings
Of thought warily. Be satisfied with
little flights at first. | mean think
with your heart. too. That ought not
to be herd for a woman. ConSiuer the
Isoor people in the city below. who.
hy the workings of an evil system,
are actually enslaved to the rich.
Are you willing to continue to pass
your days in delicious idleness at
the cost of the women and children
down there; the little children al
ready bent and emaciated by over
work. who have no release in sight
but death?
~ am not responsible" l cried
aghast.
Put you are" he said sternly.
For the very people that ] speak of
work on the plantations and in the
factories that pay the dividends that
bought this exquisite dress you are
wearing. and that string of pearls
around your neck.
Il tore off the pearls and tried
10 press them into his hand. Take
them and sell them and give them
the money / imrlored him.
Put them on again he said cold
ly. They do not ask for charity,
but Justice
Well. there was much more to
the same effect. | don't suppose you
need it as much as l did, so I will
hasten on with my story. This was
exactly the way Francisco had said
that Antonio Bareda talked, but
somehow in my uncle's own kind
voice it had very different effect;
II had the ring of the truth. If he
had been content simply to have
lectured me like school master 1
4
in my cheek. and would have hast
ened to tell Francisco afterwarl.
and laugh with him. But Uncle Tony
seemed sorry for me: that was what
brought the tears to my eyes. And
lie was so very kind. and so ready
me so well. l didn't understand half
what he said. but l knew from his
deep sad eyes that he was right. I
had never seen the proud and con-
tident FranCisco's eyes soften.
When he left me l wept bitterly.
fear for him. fear for myself. lone
scmenegs. self-diStrust. all had a part
in it. OF course the final effect was
what he had intended. Willynilly l
hogan to think of these matters.
Since that hour 1 have not been
If this dreadful tragedy had not
taken place I should never have been
the same as I was before.
When Francisco came UP from the
town that day | watched him with
a new and critical gaze. Under the
came aware of suggestion of ruth
less cruelty. For the first time it
struck me that his handsome eyes
were too close together. On the
present occasion l saw that under
his debonair nonchalance which
never varied, he was deeply con-
cerned about something.
AT dinner when the servants had
left the room. the cause of it came
out. He was obliged to make "A
hurried trip to New Orleans on af-
fairs of the government. he said
! must explain that mamma is of a
roft and affectionate nature and
prides herself on the fact that she
has never been parted from Fran
cisco. Francisco, whatever his faults,
is devoted to mamma and humors her
IN all things Consequently he is
obliged to carry us with him wher-
ever he goes. though l am sure it
is often inconvenient. So when he
Isaid New Orleans we began to plan
our packing.
I'VE would go aboard his yacht La
Tinita at bedtime. he said, and she
would weigh anchor as soon as she
was coaled. 1t must be given out
that we were merely going cruising
had often been enjoined on US before
and we had taken ii is a matter
Of course. To his own household
Francisco could do no wrong
But this time my suspicious were
aroused. / wondered what devilment
ne was up to. 1t did not occur to
me to connect our sudden departure
with my uncle's journey. New Or
leans put me off the track. The
Allianca went to New York. More
over the idea of a personal enmity
between the two men had not yet
heen suggested to me. merely
thought of them as belonging to
different parties.
AT sea next day l had the i'm
pulse to try to draw out Francisco.
pered at soa. We were sitting in
deck chairs under the lee of the
after deckhouse; mamma was there,
too. and I said:
Francisco. what is the political
situation in Managuay?
He stared and laughed Good
heavens, child! what put the idea
Of politics into your head?'
I'm no longer a child | objected,
i must begin to know about things.
Not politics, l hope"
What is politics, anyway
Politics is knavish tricks he said
teasinglg. a1,dy ,,o,,.u .,,.,.,.
YOUR
"'No, I'm a statesman, he said with
wink
"'Please be serious. What party do
you belong to-?
The conservative party. Why"
'I saw that I had flicked him on the
raw. His eyes narrowed, he sucked in
his lip. Almost Immediately he was
smiling again. What on earth made
you think of him just them
Il often think of him.
hot
lately?'
"The anxiety with which he asked