The Washington times., 1925-12-14

view of the latter's ability to run
through money In parties with
friends OF the family. Don Ramons
doings were spoken Of as scan
dalous. Old BrulI made up his
mind to tolerate these escarades
of his son no longer. and he made
him give up his studies. Ramon
would not be lawyer; well, after
all, one didn't havesto have q de.
gree to be q man Of importance
For some time past Don Jaime
had had his eye on the daughter
of q friend OF his. The Brutl
house showed noticeable lack Of .
woman's presence. His wife had
died shortly after his retirement
from business, and the old cOdger
stamped in rage at the slOvenli-
ness and laziness displayed by his
servants. He would marry Ramon
to Bernarda-an ugly. ill.hun1ored,
yellOWish. skinny creature--but
sole heiress to her fathers three
beautiful. orchards. Besides. she
was conspicuous for her indus
trious, economical ways, and a
parsimony in her expenditures
that came pretty close to stingl-
ness.
Ramon did as his father babe
him. Brought up with all the
ideas of rural slxinfllnt, ne
thought no decent person could
object to marrying an ugly bad
tempered woman, so long az she
had plenty of money.
Ambition is pecking at him,
the old man gleefully remarked to
his daughter-in-Iaw. LET him
alone. woman; he'll get there,
he'll get there That's the
way like to see him.
Won q Place
Ramon began by winning a seat
in the Ayuntamiento, and soon
was an outstanding figure there.
The least objection to his views
he regarded as a personal insult;
he would transfer debates in SEES.
sion out into the streets and settle
them there with threats and fish
cuffs.
Along with all this combative-
ness, he sought to win friends
by a lavish hand that was his
fathers torment.
And he rose rapidly, in fact.
The old folks who had pushed him
forward with influence and couI1-
sell soon found themselves left
far behind In q short time he
had become alcalde; his prestige
outgrew the limits Of the city,
spread over the whole district,
and eventually reached the capital
of the province itself.
Old Brull lived long enough 20
see Ramon reach the zenith of
his fame. That scallawag was
realizing the old mans dream:
the conquest Of the city, ruling
over men where his father had
gotten only money! And, in adj
dition Don Jaime lived to see the
perpetuation of the Brull dynasty
assured by the birth of grand
son, Rafael, the child of a couple
who had never loved each other,
but were united only by avarice
and ambition.
Old Brull died like a saint. He
departed this life with the con-
ISOLATION of all the last sacra;nents.
Every cleric in the city helped to
watt his soul heavenward with
clouds Of incense at the solemn
obsequies.
In RafaePs father there still
remained muah of the wild stu
dent who had caused SO many
tongues to wag in his youthful
days.
BY noteworthy anomaly, his
wife, who was SO stingy, 50
thrifty, ready to start a squabble
on the public square in defense Of
the family me ey against day |
laborers or middlemen, was toler-
ance itself toward the lavish ex-
penditures of her husband in
maintaining his political sover-
eighty over the region. Every !
election opened new breach in
the family fortune.
The patrimonN OF the House of !
Brull went down and down. but