The Ely miner., 1943-12-23
CHAPTER VIII

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"I've been wasting my time be-
ing cautious" he said.
'Wasting-did you say?"
''I did. I'm afraid it's true"
He hesitated. He did not want to
offend the man who was supposed
to be his chief lieutenant. Never
Don't you think, Gongaro," he
said, ''that perhaps you regard
women too highly?"
Diego Gongaro's face broke into
a warm smile. He raised his hands
and shoulders in an eloquent ges-
ture of amused denial.
''On the contrary, my friend. It
is you. I think women charming,
but-shan we say?-somewhat STU
pid. They are controlled by emo
ton, not by intelligence"
"But the American GIRL" Taus-
sig said curtly, ''is not controlled
by any Of YOU"
Except by my nephew, perhaps.
Don't tell me you weren't aware OF
it at dinner the other evening"
Taussig looked at him. 81 wouldn't
count on that"
Gongaro shrugged again.
Taussig's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Does that mean we can count on
your nephew?" he asked softly. It
was something he had been anxious
to know.
Beyond doubt" Diego Gongaro
said blandly. 'The American Gov
ernment has generously seen to that.
He has said little, but he is deeply
wounded that they cancelled his mil
itary orders. He is not himself"
He hesitated, smiling. Mr.. Taus-
sig waited.
"Of course, if it could be that your
charming and beautiful young lady
could also wound him ;"
He raised his shaggy brows and
his hands.
"He is very attractive, however"
he added as an afterthought. Or
if something could happen that
would be great sorrow to him
If she should continue to meddle."
Taussig glanced at him quickly.
'She will. You can count on that.
She has letter to the correspondent
of her fathers papers down here
asking him to help her get whatever
information she wants. If her visit
were purely social, she would not
have needed that letter. So far she
has not been to see him. ! think I
know why. I assure you, Gongaro,
American women can be extremely
troublesome. And I tell you she is
an American. They do differently.
In spite of your daughter, let me
assure you she is what is known as
a nice girl Don't make any as
sumptions to the contrary"
Anne finished the last of the gold
en- slip of papaya in front of her
and pushed back her cup and
saucer. She'd expected the coffee
to be wonderful, but it was fiat and
tasteless as the worst of the COM
mon brews at home.
She picked up the pile of letters Of
introduction she'd brought, and
looked them through for the dozenth
time. It was always question
whether the people they were adj
dressed to would think it i1l-man-
nered if you didn't present them, or
be delighted not to have to do any,
thing about the transient daughter
Of a friend of friend they'd proba-
bly, forgotten they had.
She finished dressing, took her let
ters and started for the door. As
she opened it a bellboy came out Of
the service stairway. He smiled at
her with an intent interest in his
eyes that she didn't understand.
"Senorita Haywood" he said.
'Don Alvaro say you come down
right away"
It was so shockingly peremptory
that Anne felt warm flush spring
ing to her cheeks. She was on the
point of saying he could tell Don
Alvaro Valera to 60 to blazes when
the boy said anxiously,
''He say If you please, senorita.
! do not put in English the way he
said in Spanish"
Anne smiled. "Of course. Thank
you." It was just that sort of
difficulty in communication, she
thought, that accounted for lot of
misunderstanding.
Don Alvaro rose from his seat
and bowed.
"You give an old man a great
deal OF pleasure, senorita."
Thank you," Anne said. She sat
down, wondering. The waiter ap-
parently wondered too; she noticed
that he almost stumbled into the
fountain when he saw her sitting
down.
81 have taken the liberty of or
dering you the coffee from our finca
that they make for me here" Don
Alvaro said. "But perhaps you pre-.
fer American coffee. Most of your
people do. It has very little appeal
for u.s."
''It's wonderful" Anne said, sniff
ing the full rich aroma. It must
have been American coffee she'd had
for breakfast. She tasted it. "It
is wonderful" she cried.
Don Alvaro looked pleased. ''Na-
tional tastes differ, of course" he
said.
81 know" Anne said quickly.
"And language and customs and
traditions"
He looked at her a little puzzled.
She smiled.
"Tm just quoting your son."
Don Alvaro looked silently out
across the ocean for a moment.
Then he said gravely, "I'm happy
that he remembers. was afraid he
had forgotten