Evening star., 1936-06-14
THIS WEEK

was FdCa, sitting Sideways, her PRONE
etched like cameo against the gray
blue of the horizon. Carinegro alone
remained standing, half facing the
highway, eyes and ears alert. Nobody
spoke and as the silence grew Kath-
leen became gradually aware of a
species of pressure.
As though driven, she burst into
speech. "Oh, why are you doing this?
You're not thugs. I'm sure you under
stand me. that you know English as
well as l do. Is it money you WANT If
it is, tell me how much" No answer,
no movement, no change in their uni
form unreadable expression. MY
grandfather -"
She choked on the word and stopped,
not through any impulse of caution,
but because the thought OF her beloved
Bully had swept her back into memory
of her reluctance ever to start on this
trip - of her silly fears. Silly? Her
eyes dilated before justification so
overwhelming it had stunned her into
forgetfulness.
She stared at Paca, girl as young
as herself, at Geromo and Antonico.
Here they sat within few feet of her
yet remained impenetrable as though
they we're miles away! Then she looked
at Carinegro, dark skinned doubly
unreadable, and her eyes widened still
further as she saw him start toward
her with the porcelain egg in his ex
tended hand.
"Oh, no" she screamed hoarsely,
struggling to her knees. PLEASE! Oh,
please! I'll promise anything, I'll give
you my word of honor if only you'll -
BE quietr he ordered in precise
English. "Open your mouth if you
don't want to be hurt. Hurry
She obeyed; the egg slipped in and
her head was trussed as before. A mo-
ment later Paca rose, opened the left
hand door of the car and slipped
behind the wheel. They were off, and
through hour upon hour, barring
breaks for towns, the speedometer
hung at seventy miles as it it were
stuck. Only after the bypass at Baya-
mo did the speed drop to sixty. to
fifty, and then still lower as Paca
peered anxiously to right and left.
Finally she turned into deeply rutted
lane between two fences of biHon in
full bloom and stopped. Carinegro re-
sumed the job of driving.
Suddenly the lane began to rise
along a rift between two hills toward
the mountains beyond. Presently it
debouched into level vale, veered
and opened vista down long avenue
of royal palms, evenly spaced.
Passing between the succeed pillars
of an open gate the car ran smoothly
over the grass-grown cobbles. The
palms thickened on either side into
great phalanx, then ceased abruptly
to form a majestic peristyle within
whose limits stood an orchard of citrus
trees clustered around a vine-clad
dwelling.
The driveway branched to right and
left. Circling the orchard the car drew
up at steps fanked by two weather
stained water urns. Paca sprang out,
produced an iron key, opened the
great door of the house, and stood
back. Kathleen perceived she was ex-
pected to enter first. Catching up her
handbag, she passed through the door.
To her CONSERVATION it was instantly
slammed shut behind her and locked
from without. She heard the clash of
meshing gears and stood transfixed,
listening to the diminishing purr of the
engine.
Presently she could move, like one
in a dream. There were rooms to the
right and left and she glanced into
them. They were unoccupied, but in
one she spied mirror. 1t drew her like
lodestar. The transformed look ir
her mirrored face terrified her; SHE
uttered a paSD that turned to laughter