Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1937-07-03
BY OLGA A. ROSAEANTTH
IN TWO PARTS-PART TWO


Doris drank the cold coffee slowly and
nibbled the cookies. Then she filled
in the hours TIL dinner time manicuxlnG
her nails, Dreaming her face and wash
ing her honey-blOnde hair. But what
ironyl
Surely it was no disloyalty to Brent
to think II was waste for anyone IN
this wilderness Of sugar cane and palms,
darkies and mulattoS to work ike she
did 10 keep fresh and beautiful. Charlie
sat on the back Of her chair watching
her movements In the mirror with
round intent jewel-bright eyes
Dinner over, there were the long
lonely hours Of evening now 70 deal
with. She was wide-awake and II she
went to bed there would be no hope
Of sleep. She was curiouSiy tense to-
night, her nerves stirred by the I'M
certainty that hung over the future,
and she could not sit quietly in chair
and surrender herself TO book. Out
side continued the monotonouS drum
ming Of the downpour.
She walked about, the monkey cling
ing to her shoulder, turned the knobs
of the radio. It was still working but
the reception was pitifuily weak. She
took I'D some delicate lingerie she was
making and tried to concentrate on
it. The monkey chartered gleefully and
made playful grabs at the flash OF her
She was thankful when it was late
enough for her to make her rounds
for the night.
Manzana was now sturdily on its
feet, but it was not yet a rich planta-
ton. Brent had had to spend much
money on repairs and rehabilitation,
even on new planting despite the. fact
that tended sugar cane needs replant-
ing but once in nine or ten years.
There was therefore no undue extrav-
agance of service in the house. There
were four indoor servants. A boy, a
young girl, Conception and the rheu-
matte old cook, Martina. OF these, all
but Martina, went to the outdoor
quarters for the night, Conception
being married to a millhand, and the
youngsters going to their families.
When Brent was away, Doris made q
practice of going round the house when
they had gone, to see that every door
and window was locked for the night.
Neither Brent nor any one else would
ever laugh her out Of 1t.
Now she put away her work and
went upstairs on her Self-impoSed
duty, stu accompanied by the faith
full little monkey. AS she descended
again, she heard voices still murmurv
ing in the kitchen. She opened the
door prepared to scold them all for
Martina and the bent old woman
with a friendly greeting she passed
the stranger in order to try the bars
of the door. The monkey screamed with
rage and fright, clinging to Doris wildly
with his little paws entangled In her
hair. Doris halted, thunder-struck.
Charlie had never behaved like this
before. She looked keenly at the refugee
and a swift horror caught her by the
throat. This was no old vegetable ped !
dler sheltering from the storm, but /
the monkeys enemy-and her own-de !
Jerez.
Somehow she kept her head, apollo
spite. admonished Martina for staying |
up late with her old joints aching from /
tbe rain, and made 3 cool unhurTied !
exit from the kitchen.
She locked the door behind her when /
she got safely to her bedroom, and |
stood against It with 9 Wild hammering
heart. What on earth was he up 70
stealing into the house dressed like
that? What did he want-the deV1lish,
yindictive, revengeful de Jerez?
Under that ragged gray hair she
had seen that smooth, oily cheek-tne
broad shoulders under the camp,
black shawl--on the knees, the deliber-
vrinkled hands There was q sound on
he stairs and her heart nearly burst
rom her with an agonizing leap But
0 was not de Jerez-it was Martina
;huffling like cripple with her rheuny
limbs, up one painful stair at 9 Time
sver so slowly-past Doris door 70 the
ar end Of the upper story 70 PEG
house under the nerve-racking per-
;istence of the rain.
AS her heart steadied, her brain be-
ran to work. Brent's revolver always
ay under his handkerchief In ms
lresser drawer. She tiptoed across the
DOM, her knees shaking under ners
md put her hand on the solid comfort
II the cold, heavy weapon. Growing
PRAYER, she examined 1t. It was empty.
She searched the drawers frantically.
3ut Brent's ammunition was no use
o her now. She remembered where ~
vas. In one Of the locked drawers OF
lis office desk. No use, even II she nau
he key. 1t would be suicide TO go down.
tairs.
She colfId not deceive herself as to
What de .Jerez had come for with his
oathsome play-acting to get her virtu-
Illy alone after nightfall In the house.
3rent had hurt him for years with
lis contempt for him-ano with BrenGs
,wn high standing, prosperity ana Sc
.urity. Now she had hurt him, 100
Ter immediate disdain OF him cutting
through his vanity like q sword.
she must calm herself and think
onstructiyely. With all the noise go
ne on outside no one would hear her
+ she screamed. Martina might, but
he was no use, and certainly she could
Y murdered or worse ten times over in
he time 1t would take Martina 70 go
Trough the storm for help. In dry I
weather. it was but fifteen minutes
gaIk to the oVerseer's house. But on
. night like this, those wobbly old legs
you'd never get there at all.
She forced herself to contemplate
he big lofty room. She was not safe
ven II the door held, for outside was
veranda, onto which opened three
french windows, from which a wooden
taircase descended to the ground. ANY !
ne could come up there and break
through a window merely by pushing
hand wrapped in a handkerchief