The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1930-11-21
CHAPTER IIl-Continued

3
1t was Roberta who had selected
Indian Lodge and had used her fathers
name when she telephoned and ar
ranged for luncheon. Juan had. oblig
fngly in the modern manner, left it all
20 her. Juan, who had angeliciZed his
first name. and was known as Jack"
Navarro, was slim, clever, dark
young man of what is commonly called
the Latin-American type. His eyes.
looking like dead black cinders or live
Goals, according to his mood. were
always capable of keeping his thoughts
from Roberta.
He was regarding her now with eX-
IRENE impatience and not little con-
tempt. though this Roberta coUld not
see. She saw only his obvious good
looks and his odd. but 70 her. charming
manners. Jack was so different" II
was to come here and meet Jack that
she had quarreled with her father.
She saw herself as daring and
sophisticated young woman. hampered
by an old-fashioned parent with
ridiculous ideas of what his daughter
should and should not do.
To Jack Navarro, with a cosmOpoli-
tan upbringing and a sophisticated out
look on women and life. Roberta was
a rather troublesome child. But he
had orders to keep her amused and
interested and he was doing this, with
an ease that bored him. They had
reached and finished the dessert stage.
and Jack had produced, with flourish.
the expected and inevitable silver
flask. Roberta, though her pulses
Quickened at this sign that she was
regarded as an experienced woman.
shook her head.
Cant" she declared. "No use ask
ing me, Jack. In the first place | don't
like it. and in the second place I've
given my father my solemn promise
won't touch it until am twenty-one."
Jack shrugged his shoulders, helped
himself and slid his flask back into his
pocket. Drinking was not counte-
nanced at Indian Lodge and one had to
be careful how one did it, if one
wanted TO come again. IT was a con-
venient place to meet this girl and
Jack knew there was need of caution
until he got what he wanted. Some
times he doubted if he would succeed
with her. She was to him so essen
TALLY stupid, so unused to, or slow to
grasp meanings of looks or words in
the game they were playing. These
North American girls were so often
educated in everything else but sex.
Still he had been told that to in
trigue this girl was his share of the
business on hand, so he lifted his eyes
and gave her long look and a slow
smile. ANY hurry?" he asked.
The girl looked at him doubtfully.
swell. | don't feel exactly comfortable
leaving father alone so long. | should
have gone back when | saw those
servants going to the island. He can't
move, you know. without help
Jacks eyes were cinders. SIS that
so? Permanent"
Roberta shook her head. "Oh. no.
The doctor says he will be all right
in a little while. It's just that his
rheumatism is rather severe, just now"
Navarro looked at her narrowly.
allow soon will you be able to meet
me again? Tomorrow night?"
Roberta shook her head. 81 don't
believe so. 1t isn't easy TO get away
at night. Day after tomorrow, | might.
but tomorrow I'll be busy with the
new servants. | won't have time for
anything else"
She took a cigarette from him and
as he lighted ii for her, looked at him
little curiOusly.
Funny. isn't it?"
"What is funny?" He asked #
quickly. and with the foreigners sensi.
tiveness to the Americans strange
idea of what is funny"
"That we should see so much of
each other in this way. When Hal
Brice introduced us at the Princeton
football game, l never expected to
see you again.
"Why?"
"Oh, because you're so much older.
and Hal said you were frightfuIly
sophisticated"
Navarro smiled, relieved. He had
forced Brice to give him that introduc-
ton at price and whether he liked 1t
or not. One never knew what an
American like Brice might say. They
knew at once so much and so little.
but Brice had fortunately held his
tongue.
HE is nice boy, that Hal Brice,
no playS paod pama hut ho i-
too young-just a boy-to play my
game"
"What is your game" Roberta asked
it with something of her fathers
directness
Just now it's making you like me
more than little, Roberta" he said
softly. and put his hand gently
over hers.