Arkansas State press. [volume] (Little Rock, Ark.) 1941-1959, 1944-03-03

much time as stupidity. He went
patiently on till he came to the la st
letter in the pile. 1t was on cheaper
paper than most of them even, and
was signed with the initial ID"
Miguel Valera. son of Senior Al
varo Miguel Valera y Delgado. seen
by me this day speaking in back
room of bar of La Rosa with Saliva.
tore Vegas. Salvatore steal dyna.
mite from Isla Grande and throw in
sea. The family Salvatore work long
time in the sugar mill OF Valera.
Salvatore of good information of ma.
chimes"
He read II through a second time.
and third, went back to the other
letter about Miguel Valera and read
1t again. He sat back in his chair,
reached automatically in his coat
pocket for cigarette and remem.
bered he was in the Army, He had
no coat pocket and wasn't supposed
to smoke on desk duty. He sat
there. Oddly enough 1t was Anne
Haywood he was thinking about, not
Miguel Valera.
Zone Of the bloodiest battles the
Conouistadores ever fought they
fought right out there. Miss Hey
wood" Pete said. He waved his
hand out over the rolling green golf
course In front Of Ell Morro's On.
GERS Club. ut was In 1928, In case
you have your notebook with you.
III try to supply you with one fact
day. It's usually tourists who sup
ply US with facts. but you don't
seem to have your guide book with
YOU"
Anne put down her coffee cup and
looked at him across the table.
Pete" she said evenly. WHAT'S
the matter with your"
Who. me?"
You" she said. You've been
perfectly foul all through lunch, and
you know 1t, What's the natter"
He took his last cigarette out,
wadded the empty package and
dropped 1t into the ash tray in front
! OF him. He could see the warm flush
creeping up into her cheeks and her
tortoise-shell cats eyes getting dark
er >. storm warnings flying in
the Caribbean.
I'm sorry" he said II suppose
it's because I'm worried about you"
Then he could have kicked himself
across the graveyard into the At
/ lantic. That was just the thing he
shouldn't have said. He waited for
her to flare up and make some sting
ing retort. But she didn't.
May I ask why you're worried
about me?" she inquired calmly.
Somebody must have told her
about counting ten since he'd left
New York. he thought
You may ask, but l can't tell
you" he said quietly. That's the
trouble"
He looked at her sitting there
cool and confident, and babe in
the woods, actually. II he could
just take her by the back of the
neck, the way you did kitten--or
a Latin woman-and put her in a
plane and say go home!" every
thing would be easy. But he
couldn't Nobody could. Or if he
could tell her why. His job pre-
vented that. Anyway. it would prob
ably be just the thing that would
make her stay even il she
believed him.
Look, Anne" he said. They we're
at the far end Of the open porch.
The boys had cleared empty Ia
bles around them. you know l
love you e"
If it's jealous pique. dear ="
He interrupted her calmly. ut
isn't. You're probably sick Of hear
ing me say it, so let's skip it. The
point is. like you, too. They're diff
ferent. And think you like me-"
/ ooh Pete - che hepan
He gave her twisted grin to try
to conceal the sudden ache inside
him. When her voice was like that
it reduced his insides to quivering
! jelly.
THE point is" he went on UNI
steadily, "Pm going to ask you to
do something and not ask any ques-
tons, or try to guess the answers.
Just trust your Uncle Pete just
once"
He saw the shadow behind her
dark curling lashes and the almost
imperceptible lines between her eye
brows. He liked her eyebrows
they were dark and thick so that
they accentuated her slim oval face
not thin plucked lines that
made her look like a scared siren.
She looked at him a clear steady
instant before she said, "You want
me to 60 home, don't you, Pete?"
"Yes. On tomorrow's Clipper. It's
full, but can manage that"
Anne looked down at the little col
ony Of ants busily cleaning up the