The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1944-02-18

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He grinned at her again.
That's that" he said not very
steadily.
He stood looking at the ashen tip
of his cigarette moment, his face
sober and intent.
"And there's one other thing I'd
like to say, Annie. / was all wet
about Valera. I'd heard they might
send somebody down like that, but
I didn't get hep to it until he turned
all the papers over to me up at the
coffee finca.-Id just like to say
I'm sorry. He's swell guy"
He tossed his cigarette over the
balustrade into the surf.
$50 I take it all back, Annie. I
hope you'll be awfully happy. Be-
cause you're swell guy too"
"Oh, don't, Pete" she said.
"You'll break my heart" :
81 wish I could" he said. $50
long. suppose"
He stopped. Miguel Valera was
coming through the arcade. He
came on over. "Am /"
81 was just going" Pete said.
"You did swell job, Valera"
He held out his hand. Miguel
grasped it. Neither of them spoke
for an instant.
Good luck" Pete said. II hope
you'll keep her out of trouble. So
long. So long, Annie"
Don Aware Valera's party for his
sons homecoming had been sched-
uled for Sunday.
He sees no reason for postpon-
ing it," Miguel told Anne. They
were lunching at the Mallorquina.
cts brave face to the world, I
suppose. I'm reporting for duty next
week, by the way"
He looked at her anxiously. "My
father wants to talk to you, Anne"
"Have you told him?"
He nodded. ''He thinks you're
splendid"
She hesitated for a moment. mig
uel," she said. There's one thing
I must ask you. Who is the girl I
asked you about before?"
He looked at her for long time
before he spoke. "She is no
body, Anne"
''That's not true" Anne said.
"She's somebody. She followed me
around, and she wrote me a note"
He looked down at his glass. Then
he pushed his chair back and leaned
forward.
''Look, my DEAR" he said. "She
is largely responsible for both you
and Wilcox not getting killed yester-
day. She is friend of my
uncle Diego Gongaro. She has been
listening to their talk :"
IA. ~
Anne hesitated on the doorstepsof
the Valera home. Miguel took her
arm reassuringly. They went
through tiled passage. In the
broad lovely patio Don Alvaro came
forward, bowling as he took her hand.
SIT is a great pleasure, Senorita,"
he said.
He led her around to the right
where a woman in a heavily bead.
ed blue crepe dress was talking ex-
citedly to another woman.
''This is Miss Haywood, Rosa. My
niece, Mrs. Arias."
They shook hands. Anne glanced
along the terrace. There was moth
ing but women, all sitting in long
row, chattering and laughing. She
looked across to the other side. Over
there there was nothing but men.
She listened with bewildered atten-
ton to the voluble stream that Mrs.
Arias was pouring out into her ear
about poor Graciela having to miss
the. party to be at her fathers side
in the hospital. Don Aware was
gone, Miguel was the center of the
group on the other side of the patio.
Anne took her place in the row of
chairs and slipped the cool cham
payne punch servant brought her.
So far as she could see she was
the only Continental American there.
After a few moments Mrs. Arias
brought up an attractive woman in
a blue linen sports dress and intro
duced her. She was English.
SIS this your first Spanish party?"
she asked with a smile.-"I thought
so. You look so bewildered."
81 guess I do, too," Anne laughed.
"Do we just stay here like this?
What would happen if we went over
on the other side?"
"You'd 60 alone. ] haven't got
that much courage"
"But look-there's a boy talking
to a girl"
"But he's engaged to her."
"Oh," Anne said. "And there he
goes back to the men,"
She and Miguel were engaged too,
and he could have come and talked
to her. But that was her fault. She
hadn't wanted it public knowledge
until her parents came. Anyway,
he was watching her. She smiled
across the patio at him.
At lunch they sat at long table
under the trees in a walled garden,
Anne and Miguel and the English
woman and her husband. It was fun
then, except that still most of the
women STAYED in the house and the