The Washington times., 1925-12-14

saint down from. his perch. 1t is
also true that every five or xix
years the flood would shake houses
loose from their foundations, de-
stroy good farm land. irown
people, and commit other horrible
depredations-all in obedience to
the curse Of Valencia's patron;
but the saint of Alcira was the.
better man Of the two for all of
that! And, IL you didn't believe
it, there the city was, still planted
firmly on its feet and quite I'M
scathed, except for a scratch here
and there from times when the
rains were exceptionally heavy
and the waters came down from
Cuenca in great roaring tor
remit
The New City
With smile and nod TO the
powerful saint. as to an old friend
of childhood, Rafael crossed the
bridge and entered the arrabal,
the New City" ample, roomy,
unobstructed, as IL the close
packed houses of the island, TO
get elbow room and a breath of
air, had stampeded in a flock to
the other bank OF the river, scat
tering hfther and thither IN the
hilarious disorder of children let
loose from school.
The deputy paused at the head
OF the street on which his club
was located. Even from there
he could hear the talking and
laughing of the many members,
who had gathered in much
greater number than usual De
cause OF his arrival. What would
be be In for down there? A
speech, probably A speech on
local politics! Or, IL not a speech,
idle talk about the orange crop.
or cock.fighting. He : would be
expected to tell them what kind
Of q man the premier was-and
then spend the afternoon ana
lying the character of every min
lister! Then Don Andres would
be there, that bothersome mentor
who, at the instance of Rafael's
mother, would never let him ont
OF sight for a moment. Bahi The
club could wait! He would have
plenty of time later in the day to
stffile in that smoke-filled parlor
where, the moment he showed bis
face, everybody would be upon him
and poster the life out of him
with questions and wire-pulling!
And more and more yielding to
the lure Of the southern sunshine
and to those perfumes Of May
floating about him in wintertime,
he turned off into a lane that
led to the fields.
h4
Ghetto and found himself in the
open country, he drew q deep
breath, as II to imprison in his
lungs all the life, bloom and color
Of his native soil.
Something more than the beauty
of the fields had enticed him from
the city. When the rays Of the
rising sun had awakened him that
morning on the train, the first
thing he had seen, before opening
his eyes even, was an orange or
chard, the bank Of the Jucac, and
house pointed blue-the very
one that was in sight away off
there, among the round tree-tops
along the river.
months his thoughts had fingered
scenei
Day Dreams
Afternoons, in the congress.
while the Premier on the Blue
Rench would be answering the
interpretations OF the Opposition
in sharp incisive tones. Rafael's
brain would begin to doze, reduced
to jelly, as 1t were, by the tnces-
SAINT hammering of words. words,
words!
Before his closed eyes dark
veil would begin to unroll as IL
the moist, celiar-like gloom in
which the Chamber is always
plunged, had thickened suddenly,
and against this curtain, like a
cinema dream, rows Of orange.
trees would come into view, and