The Washington times., 1925-12-14

satisfaction, as if they had just
been rescued from q danger.
Clever
This was Don james chief
skill. He had the trick of maxi
ing usury look like Kindness; he
always spoke OF those fellows,
those hidden owners Of the money
and the horses Eleartless wretches
who were latter him, holding
him responsible for the short
comings Of all their debtors. The
burdens he thus supposedly as
summed won him reputation as
a kind-hearted soul, and such
confidence was the willy old
demon able to instill in his vic
Tins that when mortgages We're
foreclosed on homes or fields,
many of the unfortunates de-
spoiled, would say. resignedly:
"It's not his fault. What could
the poor man do if they forced
him to it, It's those other fell
lows who are sucking the blood
of us poor folks"
And so, quietly, leisurely, tram
gully, Don Jaime got possession
Of a field here, then another
there, then a third between tho
two; and in few years ne had
rounded out e beautiful orchard
of orange trees, with virtually no
expenditure Of capital at all.
Thus he went on prospering.
Nor was all the SOOTHING of city
people. of any avail in shaking the
confidence reposed in him by that
flock Of rustics, who feared him
as they feared the law itself and
believed in him as they believed
in God.
A loan to a spendthrift eldest
son made him the proprietor or
the fine city mansion, which came
to be known as "the Brull place"
From that date he began to hob
mob with the large real estate
owners Of the city, who, though
they despised this upstart, made
q small place for him in their
midst with the instructive soil
darity that characterizes the free
masonry OF money. To gain q
little more standing for his name.
he became a votary Of San Der
nardo. contributed to the funds
for church festivals. and danced
attendance on the alcalde. Who
ever that mayor" might be.
Then, at last he resigned the
pity offices he had been filling;
and handing his usury business
over to those who formerly had
served him as go-betweens, he
set himself to the task Of marry
ing off his son and sole heir.
Ramon, an idling ne'er-do-wel,
who was always getting into
trouble and upsetting the tran
quill comfort that surrounded old
Brull as he rested from his plum
derings.
Ramon had wanted to join the
army; but every time he referred
to what he called his vocation,
his father would fly into rage.
No, he wanted to see his son
free and influential, continuing
the conquest of the city, COM
plotting the family greatness Of
which he had laid the foundations,
getting power over people much
as he himself had gotten power
over money. Ramon must be-
come lawyer. the only career
for man destined to rule others.
Ramon spent several years In
Valencia without getting beyond
the elementary courses in COM
mon law. Old Brull. who through
niggardliness and prudence had
place. his son on "half rations,"
as he put it, sent the boy just
enough money to keep him going;
but due, in turn, of the wiles he
had formerly practiced on the
rustics Of Alcira, he was com
PEELED to make frequent trips to
Valencia, to come to some under
standing with money lenders
there, who had advanced loans to
his son on such terms that in
solvercy might lead Ramon to a
prison cell.
Home to Alcira came rumors OF
other exploits by the Prince"
as Don Jaime called his boy in