The Ely miner., 1943-12-02
CHAPTER "

silver air. Miguel Valera had been
educated in the States-he ought to
have learned that you don't discuss
a girl with a man you scarcely
know. He took a deep breath and
said nothing.
''I'm sorry if I've offended you"
Miguel Valera said quietly. He put
down his glass. 81 thought you were
a close friend of hers"
81 am"
SIN that case, if you will allow me
to offer you some advice.-Send her
back to the States on Wednesdays
Clipper"
He got up.
Good night, Captain Wilcox"
He was halfway across the patio
to the arcade before Pete was sure
he had really heard the words. He
looked silently after him, and
glanced up at Anne's dark window.
1t was almost eleven when Anne
got out of the elevator and went
over to the desk There was note
in her mail box from Pete, and a
couple of air-mail letters from home.
Nothing from Miguel. Just why
she'd thought there would be she
didn't know.-Or why she was dis
appointed, just vaguely, because
there wasn't. Maybe he knew she'd
seen him.
She went out onto the porch and
sat down to read her mail. She
must be careful of her skin, her
mother said, and not go without a
hat. Her father hoped she was hav-
ing fun and wouldn't fall in love
with any damned native. She
smiled, put the letters in her bag,
and opened Pete's note.
"Anne-You're lunching with me.
Same time, same place. Pete"
She got up. AS she started to go
back into the lobby big shiny black
limousine with a uniformed chauf-
feur pulled up under the portico.
Anne's heart jumped. Miguel Va
lera was getting out. With him was
his father, Don Alvaro. For an in
stant her impulse was to run. But
she couldn't Miguel had seen
her. 1t was an important moment
something profoundly deep inside
her told her it was one of the most
important moments of her life. Then
he was coming toward her. And
she mustn't let him know she knew.
"Good morning! This is awfully
nice!"
With the speed of light something
so concealed that it was almost i'm
perceptible relaxed behind Miguel
Valera's gray-green eyes. He smiled
warmly, taking her friendly out
stretched hand. Anne's face bright
ened. She'd done it. He didn't
know and the rest was easy.
"You remember my father"
"Of course"
She smiled at Don Alvaro, stand
ing aloof and dignified in the arch
way waiting for his son. He had
on the same white drill semi-mili-
tary uniform-or another like it, be-
cause he was spotlessly starched
and ironed-and the same gray felt
hat IN his hand.
Good morning." she said. She
didn't know whether it should be
Mr.. or Senior or Don, so she didn't
say his name at all.
"Good morning, Senorita.''
Don Alvaro bowed with formal
courtesy. His eyes meeting hers
with X-ray clarity were old and wise
and calm. Yet somewhere in them
was a yelled shadow of the same
subtle resentment she'd felt so
sharply and undisguisedly in Gra-
ciela'S.
She held out her hand simply. AS
simply, Don Alvaro took it. In the
brief instant her eyes were raised to
his, calm and trusting as a child'S,
the heavy load he had carried since
his sons return had vanished. He
smiled.
"Will you have coffee with us,
Senorita?"
Miguel, reaching in his pocket for
his lighter, stopped his hand abrupt
ly. He had known his father would
like her he couldn't help it
when he once knew her; but he had
expected long uphill climb before
more than truce prevailed. He
glanced at his father out of the cor
ner of his eye, not entirely con-
vinced.
'I'd love to-" Anne was saying.
Wilcox didn't know, he thought,
how much it had taken for him to
suggest sending her back to the
States. He watched her slim flame
tipped body moving easily beside his
fathers erect firm figure. Independ-
ence was a spiritual and physical
as well as a social and economic
quality. You could spot an Ameri-
can girl anywhere in the world. The
way she moved was even more re-
vealing than the way she dressed.
"Just so long as it doesn't get
her into trouble" he thought "She's
not half as sophisticated as she
looks"
Pete Wilcox sat at his desk at Cen
eral Headquarters, going through
the mornings reports from the De-
partment's under-cover agents in
Puerto Rico. It was curious as
sortment, but no more curious than
the assortment of people who sent it
in. Army Intelligence spreads like
a sensitive plant over the entire Car
ibbean area.
He looked at his watch. It would
be hours before he saw Anne-if she
showed at all. He wished to God
she'd stayed at home. There was
only one ray of comfort in the i'm
mediate present. Tied to his desk
with the ball and chain of Army
regulations like the prisoners of Old