A Utllo Business Romance I lh Banana Trade
By O. HENRY
(CopTtsbt bj AloalM MagMiu
OBODY knew ex
actly where Dicky
Maloney hailed
from or how he
reached Puerto
Rey. He appeared
there one day and
that was all. He
afterward said
that he came on
the fruit steamer
Thor. but. an In
spection of the
ITinrt nukiwrienr list of that date
would have found It to be Maloney
leas. Curiosity, however, toon .per
ished, and Dicky took his place among
the heterogeneous litter of the coast
the stranded adventurers, refugees and
odd fish from other countries that line
the shore of the Caribbean.
He was an active, devil-may-care.
rollicking fellow with an engaging
gray eye, the most Irresistible grin, a
rather dark, or much sun-burned com
plexion, and a head of the fieriest red
hair ever seen In that country. Speak
ing the Spanish language as well as
he spoke English, and seeming always
to have plenty of silver In his pockets,
It was not long before he was a wel
come companion both with the natives
and the resident foreigners. He de
veloped an extreme fondness for vino
blancho; could drink more of it than
any three men in the port, and to
meet Dicky Maloney's brilliant head
and smile coming down the street
meant, to any of his acquaintances,
the consumption of from one to three
bottles of strong, white wine. Every
body called him Dicky; everybody
cheered up at sight of him especially
the natives to whom his marvelous
ruddy hair and his free and easy style
were a constant delight and envy.
A considerable amount of specula
tion still existed concerning the ob
ject of his stay In Puerto Rey. but one
day he silenced this by opening a
small shop for the sale of cigars.
dulces and the handiwork of the In
terior Indians fiber and silk woven
goods, deerskin zapatos, and basket-
work of tule reeds. Even then he did
not change his habits, for he was
drinking and playing cards half the
day and night with the comandante,
the collector of the port, the Jefe Poll
tlco, and other gay dogs among the
native officials. The care of the shop
hq loft entirely to Pasa. And now It
is both desirable and fitting to make
Pasn'e acquaintance, for she was
Dicky's Digression.
La Madama Tlmotea Duencamlnos y
Salazar de las Ygleslas kept a rum
shop In Cnlle numero ocho. No dis
grace, mind you, for rum-making Is a
government monopoly, and to keep a
government dispensary assures re
spectability If not superemlnence.
Moreover, the saddest of precisians
could find no fau.lt with the conduct
of the shop. Customers drank there
In the lowest of spirits and fearsome
ly, as In the shadow of the dead, for la
madama's' ancient but vaunted lineage
counteracted even the rum's behest to
be Joyful. For, was she not of the
Ygleslas who landed with Plzarro?
And had her deceased husband not
been Comlslonado de Camlnos y Puen
tes for the district?
In the next room, seated In the cane
rocklng-chalr, dreamily strumming a
guitar, could ' generally be found her
daughter Pasa "La Sanlta Navan
Jada" the young men had named her.
Navanjada Is the Spanlrh word for a
certain shade of color that you must
go to more trouble to describe In Eng
gllsh. By saying: "The little saint,
tinted the most beautiful-delicate-
siightiy-orange-goiaen yon vail ap
proximate the description of Dona
Pasa Buencamlnos y Salazar de las
Ygleslas.
That Dicky Maloney would, sooner
or later, explore this field was a thing
to be foreseen. There were few doors
In Puerto Rey his red head had not
been poked Into.
He saw Pasa one afternoon sitting
by the door with an unusually saintly
look upon her face. Dicky rushed off
to find one of the white duck wall
flowers to present him. In an lncredl
bly short time he was seated close be
side the cane rocklng-chalr. There
were no back-ngalnst-the-wall poses
with Dicky. At close range, was his
theory of subjection. To carry the
fortress with one concentrated, ardent
eloquent, Irresistible escalade that
was Dlcky'B way.
Pasa was descended from the proud
est Spanish families In the country,
Moreover, she had had unusual ad
vantages. Two years In a New Or
loans school had elevated her ambi
tions and fitted her for a fate above
the ordinary maidens of her native
land. And yet here she succumbed to
the first red haired scamp with a glib
tongue and a charming smile that
eame along and courted her properly
For, very soon Dicky took her quietly
to the little church next to the Teatro
Naclonal and then to his little shop
In the grass-grown street where custo
mers seldom troubled him. And it was
her fate to alt, with her patient, saint
ly eyes and figure like a bisque
Psyche, behind Its sequestered coun
ter while Dicky drank and philan
dered with his frivolous acqualn
taocea.
Sometimes mysterious things hap
pened at night about Dicky's shop.
While the front of It was dark, In the
little room back of It Dicky and a
few of his friends would sit about a
table carryirg on some kind of very
oulet negoclos until quite late. Final
ly he would let them out the front
door very carefully, and go upstairs
to his little saint. These visitors were
generally conspirator-like men with
dark clothes and hats. Of course,
theafi dark doings were noticed after
a while, and talked about.
Quite a number of letters arrived,
addressed to "Mr. Dicky Maloney," or
"Senor Dickee Maloney," to the con
riilemble pride of Pasa. That so many
people should desire to write to him
only confirmed her own suspicion that
(! light from his red head phone
uround the world. As to their con-
There
tents the never felt curiosity
wns a wife for you!
The one mistake Dicky made In
Puerto Rey was to run out of money
at the wrong time. Where his money
came from was a puzzle, for the sale
of his shop were next to nothing, but
that source failed, and at a peculiarly
unfortunate time. It was when the
oouiandante, Don Senor el Coronol En
carnnclon Casablanca looked upon the
little saint seated in the shop and felt
his heart go pitapat.
The comandante, who was versed in
all the Intricate arts of gallantry, first
delicately hinted at his sentiments by
donning his dress uniform and strut
ting up and down fiercely before her
window. Pasa, glancing demurely with
her, saintly eyes, Instantly perceived
hlsresemblance to her parrot. Chichi.
on.l I'm divHi-trrt to the extent of a
smile. The comandante saw the smile
which was not intended for him. con
vlnced of an Impression mado, he en
tered the shop, confidently, and ad
unni-wl to onen commitment. Paze
froze; he pranced: she flamed royally;
he was charmed to Injudicious per
sistence: she commanded him to leave
the shop; he tried to capture her hand
and Dicky entered, broadly smiling.
full of white wine and the devil.
Five minutes later he pitched the
comandante out the door upon tne
stones of the street, senseless. That
five minutes Dicky had spent In pun
ishing him scientifically and carefully,
fo that the pain might be prolonged
as far as possible.
A barefooted policeman who had
been watching the affair from across
remember any one with red any one
named Maloney. Such a lot of college
men seem to have misused their ad
vantages. One of the best mathema
ticians of the class of '91 Is selling lot
tery tickets In Belize. A Cornell man
dropped off here last month. He was
second steward on a guano bont I'll
write fo the Department If you like,
Maloney. Or If there's any tobacco,
oa newspn "
"There's nothing." Interrupted
Dicky, shortly, "but this. You go tell
the captain of the Cntnrlna that Dicky
Maloney wants to iee him as soon as
he can conveniently come. Tell hlra
where I am. Hurry. That's all."
The consul, glad to be let off so
easily, hurried away. The captain of
the Cataiino. a stout man, Sicilian
horn, soon appeared, shoving, with lit
tle ceremony, through the guards to
the Jail door. The Vesuvius Fruit
Company had a habit of doing things
that way In Puerto Rey.
"I am exceedingly sorry exceeding
sorry," said the captain, "to see this
occur. I place myself at your service,
Mr. Maloney. Whatever you need
shall be furnished. Whatever you say
shall be done."
Dicky looked at him unsmlllngly.
His red hair could not detract from
his attitude of severe dignity as he
stood, tall and calm, with his now
grim mouth forming a horizontal line.
"Captain De Lucco, I believe I still
have funds In the hands of your com
pany ample and personal funds. I
ordered a remittance last week. The
money has not arrived. You know
what Is needed In this game. Money
and money and more money. Why
haa It not been sent'
"ny the Cristobal," replied De Luc
co, gesticulating, "It was dispatched.
Where is the Cristobal? Off Cape An
tonio I spoke her with a broken shaft.
A tramp coaster was towing her back
to New Orleans. I brought money
ashore thinking your need for It
might not withstand delay. In this
envelope Is one thousand dollars
There Is more If you need it, Mr. Ma
loney."
"For the present It will suffice," said
Dicky, softening as he crinkled the en.
Mow a whistle and a
squad of eight soldiers came running 1velPev,a?d look,ed dowvn tbe aU
from the cuartel Just around the cor
ner. When tney saw mat uicsy wi
the offender they stopped and blew
more whistles, which brought out re
enforcements of twelve.
Dicky, being thoroughly Imbued with
the martial spirit, stooped and drew
the comandante's sword which was
girded about him, and charged his foe.
He chased the standing army four
squares, playfully prodding its squeal
ing rear, and hacking Its bare, ginger
colored heels. He was not so success
ful with the civic authorities. Eight
muscular, nimble policemen overpow
ered him, and conveyed him, trlum
phantly but warily to Jail. "El Diablo
Colorado." they dubbed him, and dg-
rlded the military for Its defeat
Dicky, with the rest of the prison
ers, f.oula loon out tne Darrea aoor ai
the trrass of a little plaza, a row of
orange trees, aim the red tile roofs
and 'dobe walls of a line of Insignifi
cant tlendas. At sunset, along a path
across this plaza, came a melancholy
procession of sad-faced women bearing
plantains, bread, casaba and fruit
each coming with food to some wretch
behind those bars to -whom she still
clung. Thrice a day, morning, noon
and sunset, they were permitted to
come. Water was furnished her guests
by the republlo, but no food
For two days succeeding Pasa came
at each appointed time and brought
him food. He eagerly Inquired each
time if a letter or package had come
for him, and she mournfully shook her
head.
On the morning of the third day she
brought only a small loaf of bread
There were dark circles under her
eyes. She seemed as calm as ever.
"By Jingo," said Dicky, who seemed
to speak In English or Spanish as the
whim seised hlra, "this Is dry proven
der, muchachlta. Is this the best you
can dig up for a fellow?
Pasa looked at him as a mother
looks at a beloved but capricious
babe.
' Thina better or it," sne said, in a
low voice; "since for the next meal
there will be nothing
Inch thickness of smooth, dingy bills.
"The long green!" he said, gently,
with a new reverence In his gaze. "Is
there anything It will not buy, cap
tain?
When the captain had departed
Dicky called the sergeant of the Jail
squad and asked:
Am I preso by the military or by
the civil authority?"
enty miles In the Interior. But. during
the hot season, from Msy to October,
the entire administration removes to
Puerto Rey. where the sea breeze ren
ders the pursuit of business and pleas
ure possible. Custom had so estab
lished this annual heglra of the execu
tive that a commodious government
building had been erected on the
beach at Puerto Rey for the use of the
president and his official family during
their sojourn.
Hut now, this year, though the
middle of May was almost come, the
heart of the people was not stirred to
the customary Joyous preparation.
Throughout the entire republic there
seemed to be a spirit of silent, sullen
discontent. The administration of
President Zarllla had made him far
from a popular Idol. Fresh taxes,
fresh Import duties, and, more than
all, his tolerance of the outrageous op
pression of the citizens by the mili
tary had rendered hlra the most ob
noxious president since the despised
Alforan.
But the most Impolitic of the admin
istration's moves had been when it
antagonized the Vesuvius Fruit Com
pany of New Orleans, an organization
plying twelve steamships, and with a
cash cnpltal something larger than
Costaragua's surplus and debt com
bined. Naturally, an established con
cern like the Vesuvius would become
irritated at having a small, retail re
public with no rating at all attempt to
squeeze It So, when the government
proxies applied for subsidy they en
countered a polite refusal. The presi
dent retaliated by clapping an export
duty of one real ler bunch on ba
nanas a thing unprecedented In fruit
growing countries.
An emissary requested an inter
view with a representative of the
company. The Vesuvius sent Mr. Fran
conl, a little, stout, cheerful man al
ways whistling Verdi. Senor Ortii,
secretary to the Minister of Finance,
attempted the sandbagging In behalf
of Coetaragua.
Senor Ortiz opened negotiations by
the announcement that the govern
ment contemplated the building of a
railroad to skirt the alluvial coast
lands. After touching upon the bene
fits such an Improvement would con
fer upon the Interests of the Vesu
vlus, he reached the definite sugges
tion that a contribution to the road's
expense of one hundred thousand pe
sos would not be more than an equiva
lent to benefits received.
Mr. Franzonl denied any benefits
from the contemplation of a road. He
was authorised, however, to offer a
fM$ a& It (mmmJ
'.hat
"Shall
Deliver Them to Enrico. Ollvarra'e Assassin, or to His Son?"
five hundred to the
tavo Is spent. She pressed closer
against the grating.
Pasa lowered ner voice to almost a
whisper. "And, listen, heart to my
heart," she said, "I have' endeavored
to be brave, but I cannot live without
thee. Three days now-
Dicky caught a faint gleam of steel
from the folds of her mantilla. For
once she looked In his face and saw It
without a smile, stern, menacing and
purposeful. Then he suddenly raised
his hand and his smile came back like
a gleam of sunshine. The hoarse sig
nal of an incoming steamer's siren
sounded In the harbor. Dicky ca'led
to the sentry who was pacing before
the door:
"What steamer comes?"
"The Catarina."
"Of the Vesuvius line?"
"Without doubt, of that line."
"Go you, plcarllla," said Dicky, Joy
ously to Pasa, "to the American con
sul. Tell him I wish to speak with
him. See that he comes at once.
And you, let me see a different look In
those eyes, for I promise your head
shall rest upon this arm tonight'
It was an hour before the consul
came, lie was a spectacled young
man, a greedy botanist who was util
izing his office to study the tropic
flora. He held a green umbrella under
hla arm, and mopped his forehead lm
patiently.
"Now, see here, Maloney," he be
gun, captiously, "you fellows seem to
think you can cut up any kind of row,
and expect me to pull you out of it.
I'm neither the War Department nor a
gold mine. This country has Its laws,
you know, and there's one against
pounding the senses out of the regu
lar army. You Irish are forever get
ting Into trouble. I don't see what I
can do. Anything like tobacco, now,
to make you comfortable or newspa
pers "
"Son of Eli." interrupted Dicky,
gravely, "you haven't changed an lota.
That in almost a duplicate) of the
speech you made when old Koen's
donkeys and geese got Into the chapel
loft, and the culprits wanted to bide
In your room."
"Oh. heavens!" exclaimed the con
sul, hurriedly adjusting his spectacles.
'Are you a a Yalo man. too? Were
you in that crowd? I don't seem to
'Surely there Is no martial law in
effect now, senor."
"Bueno. Now go or send to the al
calde, the Juez de la Paz and the Jefe
de los Pollclos. Tell them I am pre-
The last cen- pared at once to satisfy the demands
of Justice." A folded bill of the "long
green" slid Into the sergeant's hand.
So, that night Dicky sat by the win
dow of the room over his shop and his
little saint sat close by, working at
something silken and dainty. Dicky
was thoughtful and grave. His red
hair was in an unusual state of dis
order, rasa's fingers often ached to
smooth and arrange It, but Dicky
would never allow It. He was poring,
tonight, over a great litter of maps
and books and papers on hla table un
til that perpendicular line came be
tween his brows that always dis
tressed Pasa. Presently she went and
brought his hat, and stood with it un
til he looked up, Inquiringly.
"It Is sad for you here." she ex
plained. "Go out and drink vino bian
co. Come back when you get that
6mtle you used to wear. That Is what
I wish to see,"
Dicky laughed and threw down his
papers. "The vino Dianco stage is
past. It has served Its turn. Perhaps,
after all, there was less entered my
mouth and more my ears than people
thought. But, there will be no more
maps or frowns tonight I promise
you that Come."
They sat upon a reed sllleta at the
window and hatched the quivering
gleams from the lights of the Catarina
reflected In the harbor.
Presently Pasa rippled out one of
her Infrequent chirrups of audible
laughter.
"1 was thinking," she began, antici
pating Dicky's question, "of the fool
ish things girls have In their minds.
Because I went to school In the states
1 used to have ambitious. Nothing
contribution of
contemplate re.
Did Senor Ortiz understand Mr.
Franzonl to mean five hundred thous
and?
By no means. Five hundred pesos
And in silver; not gold,
"Your offer Insults my government,"
said Senor Ortiz, rising Indignantly
"Then," cried Mr. Franzonl, in a
warning voice, "we will change it I"
The offer was never changed. Mr
Franzonl must have meant something
else.
So, when the fifteenth day of May
arrived the signs were that the presl
dential advent would not be cele
brated by unlimited rejoicing.
President Zarllla was a little, elder
ly man, grizzly bearded, with a con
siderable ratio of Indian blood reveal
ed In his cinnamon complexion. As he
was assisted Into his carriage, bis
sharp, beady eyes glanced around for
the expected demonstration of wel
come, but he laced a stolid, unen-
thused array of curious citizens. Sight
seers the Costaraguans are by birth
and habit, and they turned out to the
last able-bodied unit to witness the
scene, but they maintained an accuslve
silence.
At length, after a prodigious gallop
ing and curvetting of red-sashed ma
jors, gold-laced colonels and epaulotted
generals, the procession formed for Its
annual formal progress down the prin
cipal street the Caralno Real to the
government building at Its end.
As the band struck up, and the
movement began, like a bird of 111
omen the S. J. Plzsonl, Jr., the swift
est steamship of the Vesuvius line,
glided Into the harbor In plain view of
the president and his train
By the time the van of the proces
sion had reached the government
building, Captain Cronln, of the S. J
Plzzonl, Jr., and Mr. Vlncentl, member
of the Vesuvius Company, had landed
less than to be the president s wire
would satisfy me. And, look thou, j and were pushing their way, bluff,
red picaroon, to what obscure fate j hearty and nonchalant, through the
hast thou stolen me!" crowd on the nai-row sidewalk. Clad
"Don't give up bono," said Dicky, ' In white linen, big, debonair, with an
smiling "There was a dictator of air or good-numorea autnority, they
Chill named O'Hlgglna. Why not a made conspicuous figures among the
President Maloney of this country? dark mass of unimposlng Oostara-
t;lv the word, and I'll make the race. , guana. 1 ney peumratea to within a
We'll capture the Irish vote, easy run- i few yards of the steps of the brown
nlng, by a head."
II.
The Vesuvius Play.
The banana republic of Costaragua
has, practically, two capitals The one
officially recognized Is flan Mateo, sev-
stone building Casa Moreno, the
brown White House of Costaragua
Looking easily above the heads of the
crowd, they perceived another that
towered above the undersized natives
It was the fiery poll of Dicky Maloney
against the wall close by the lower
step, and his broad, seductive grin
showed that he recognized their pres
ence. Dicky had attired himself becoming
ly for the festive occasion In a well
fitting black suit. Pasa was close by
his ride, her head covered with the
ubiquitous black mantilla.
Mr. Vlncentl looked at her atten
tively. ' "Botticelli's Madonna." he remark
ed, gravely. "1 wonder when she got
Into the game. I don't like his get
ting tangled with the women. I hoped
he would keep away from them."
Captain Cronln's laugh almost drew
attention from the parade.
"With that head of hair! Keep
away from the women! And a Ma
loney! Hasn't he got a license? But
nonsense aside, what do you think of
the prospects? It's a species of fili
bustering out of my line. '
Vlncentl glanced again at Dicky s
head and smiled.
"Rouge et nolr," he said. "There
you have it. Mane your piay, gen
tlemen. Our money Is on the red.
They ceased talking, for General
Pilar had descended from the first
carriage and had taken his stand upon
the top step of Casa Morena. As the
oldest member of the cabinet, custom
had decreed that he should make the
address of welcome, presenting the
keys of the official residence to the
president at its close
Holding In hla hand the gilt keys of
Cana Morena, he began his address In
a historical form, touching upon each
administration and the advance of
civilization and prosperity from the
first dim striving after liberty down to
present times. Arriving at the regime
of President Zarllla, at which point,
according to precedent, he should
have delivered a eulogy upon Its wise
conduct and the happiness of the peo
ple. General Pilar paused. Then he si
lently held up the bunch of keys high
above his head, with his eyes closely
regarding It. The ribbon with which
they were bound fluttered In the
breeze.
"It still blows," cried the speaker,
exultantly. "Citizens of Costaragua,
give thanks to the saints this night
that our air Is still free."
Thus disposing of Zarllla's adminis
tration, he abruptly reverted to that
of Ollvarra, Costaragua's most popular
ruler. Ollvarra had been assassinated
nine years before while In the prime
of life and usefulness. A faction of
the Liberal party led by Zarllla him
self had been accused of the deed.
Whether guilty or not, It was eight
years before the ambitious and schem
ing Zarllla had gained bis goal.
Upon this theme General Pilar's elo
quence was loosed. He drew the pic
ture of the beneficent Ollvarra with a
loving hand. He reminded the people
of the peace, the security and the hap
piness they had enjoyed during that
period. He recalled In vivid detnll
and with significant contrast the last
summer sojourn of President Olivarrn
In Puorto Key, when his appearance
at their fiestas was "the signal for
thundering vivas of love and approbation.
The first public expression of senti
ment from the people that day fol
lowed. A low, sustained murmur went
among them like the surf rolling along
the shore.
Ten dollars to a dinner at the Saint
remarked Mr. Vlncentl,
rouge wins."
ver bet against my own Inter-
Id Captain Cronln, lighting a
cigar. "Long-winded old boy, for his
age. What's he talking about?"
"My Spanish." replied Vlncentl,
runs about ten words to the minute;
his is something around two hundred.
Whatever he's saying, he's getting
them warmed up."
Friends and brothers," Oeneral
Pilar was Baying, "could I reach out
my hand this day across the lamenta
ble silence of the grave to Ollvarra
'the Good," to the ruler who was one
of you, whose tears fell when you scr
ewed, and whose smile followed your
Joy I would bring him back to you,
but Ollvarra is dead dead at the
hands of a craven assassin!"
The speaker turned and gazed bold
ly into the carriage of the president
His arm remained extended aloft as
if to sustain his peroration. The
president was listening, aghast, ai
this remarkable address of welcome.
"Who says that Ollvarra Is dead?"
suddenly cried the speaker, his voice,
old as he was, sounding like a battle
trumpet. "His body lies In the grave.
but, to the people he loved he has be
queathed his spirit yes, more his
learning, his courage, his kindness
yes, more his youth, his image peo
ple of Costaragua, have you forgotten
the son of Ollvarra?"
Cronln and Vlncentl, watching close
ly, saw Dicky Maloney suddenly raise
his hat, tear off his shock of red hair
leap up the steps and stand at the
side of General Pilar. The minister
of war laid his arm across the young
man's shoulders. All who had known
President Ollvarra saw again hla same
lion-like pose, the same frank, un
daunted expression, the same high
forehead with the peculiar line of the
clustering, crisp black hair.
General Pilar was an experienced
orator. He seized the moment of
breathless silence that preceded the
storm.
"Citizens of Costaragua," he trum
peted, holding aloft the keys to Casa
Morena, "I am here to deliver these
keys the keys to your homes and lib
erty to your chosen president. Shall
I deliver them to Enrico, Ollvarra'
assntsln, or to his son?"
"Ollvarra! Ollvarra!" thu crowd
shrieked and howled. All vociferated
the magic name men. women, chil
dren and the parrots
And the enthusiasm was not con
fined to the blood of the plelis. Colon
el Rocas uucended the steps and laid
his sword theatrically at Young Ra
mon Ollvarra's feet. Four members of
the cabinet embraced him. Captain
Cruz gave a command and twenty of
El Clento Ilullando dismounted and
arranged themselves In a cordon about
the steps of Cukb Morena.
But Ramon Ollvarra seiaed that mo
ment to prove himself a born genius
and politician. He waved those sol
diers aside, and descended the steps
to the street. There, without, losing
hla dignity or the distinguished ele
gance that the loss of his red hair
brought him, he took the proletariat fo
his bosom the barefooted, the dirty,
Indian, Carlbs, babies, beggars, old.
young, saints, soldiers and
he nilsped none of them.
While this act of the drnnia was be
Ing produced the scene-shifters had
been busy at the duties assigned them.
Two of Cruz's dragoons had seized
the bridle reins of President Zarilla'a
horses, others formed a close guard.
and they galloped off with the tyran
and his tw o malodorous ministers. No
doubt a place had been prepared for
them. There are quite a number of
well barred stone apartments in Puer
to Rey.
"Rouge wins," said Mr. Vlncentl.
ralmly lighting another cigar
Captain Cronln had been Intently
watching the vicinity of the steps for
some time.
"Good boy!" he exclaimed, suddenly,
as If relieved. "I was wondering If he
was going to forget hla Kathleen Ma
vourneen." Young Ollvarra had reascended the
steps and spoken a few words to Oen
ernl Pilar. That distinguished veteran
descended to the walk and approached
Pasa, who still stood, calm and wonder-eyed,
where Dicky had left her.
With his hat In his hand, and his
medals and decorations shining on
his breast, the general gave her his
arm, and they went up the steps to
gether. And then Ramon Ollvarra
stepped forward and took both her
hands before all the people.
And while the cheering was break
ing out afresh everywhere Captain
Cronln and Mr. Vlncentl turned and
walked back toward the landing where
the ship's gig was waiting for them.
"There'll be another presidents
proclamada In the morning," said Vln
centl, musingly. "As a rule, they are
not as reliable as the elected ones.
But this youngster seems to have good
stuff In him. He planned and maneu
vered the whole campaign. Ollvarra's
widow, you know, was wealthy. She
gave the b jy eight years of the best
education In the states. The company
hunted him up and backed him In the
little game."
"It's a glorious thing." said Cronln,
half Jestingly, "to he able to discharge
a government and Insert one of your
own choosing, these days."
"It's business," stated Vlncentl,
stopping to offer his cigar to a mon
key swinging from a lime tree; "and
that Is what moves the world of to
day. That extra real on the price of
bananas had to go. We took the
quickest way of removing It"
1 r
H
OME TOWN
HELPS
MILL VILLAGES IN SOUTH
ELECTRIC LIGHTS ON FARMS
Undeniably Afford Better Conditions
Than the People Encountered
Elsewhere.
In South Carolina 150,000 persons,
or one-fifth of Its white population,
live In cotton mill villages, while In
the counties of Greenville, Spartanburg
and Anderson one-third of the popula
tion Is In these villages, and the vil
lages continue to grow.
The South Carolina mill village Is
usually a separate community, some
times having a population of over 5,000
Inhabitants. It is entirely owned and
controlled by the mill, and, Its resi
dents have no village corporation of
any kind.
These villages are built by the mill
managements for the simple reason
that their people could not otherwise
be housed near a mill. They attract
much more attention from strangers
than from southerners; for strangers,
seeing In them for the first time the
general poverty and other distressful
conditions of our people, handicapped
as they have been with legacies from
slavery and war, associate these with
the village.
But all Carolinians know, says the
South Atlantic Quarterly, that these
villagers are of the same stock aa
they themselves, being composed as a
class of the less successful, to whom
the mills have offered much better
wages, with better labor and living
conditions, than they had before.
It is undeniable that South Carolina
mill managements, owing to varloua
causes, come into closer personal
touch with their Individual operatives
and feel more Interest In them as a
body than do eastern cotton manufac
turers, and that South Carolina oper
atives have been benefited hv coming
to the mills; that the separate cot
tagos of southern mill villages, with
plenty of air and larger grounds, are
better than the city tenements gener
ally used by such operatives In the
east, and that the village living condi
tions, aa a rule, are steadily improving.
Morning Chores Are Done in Kansas
by the Aid of Eleotrlclty An
Up-to-Date 8oe' House.
Within ten years electricity Will
light a majority of the farm homes
and country schools and churches of
Kansls, It Is predicted. Farm homea
lighted' with electricity are now num
bered by hundreds.
With the general use of the gaso
line engine this has been made pos
sible. Electric light and power com
panies in several of the cities are also
making plans by which they can sup
ply farmers with current from their
trunk lines.
A notable case of this sort Is found
at Manhattan, where the power for
electric generation Is furnished by a
dam on the Big Blue river, four miles
from the city.
The current generated Is UBed for
electric lighting and street car pur
poses In the city of Manhattan, and
farmers living near the trunk line are
using it in their residences, barns and
feed lots. In the early morning hours,
when the farmers feed and care for
their stock and do the milking, elec
tric lights are found to be very useful.
In a rich farming community ten
miles north of Atchison the farmer
have decided to have an electric light
plant of their own. They will build a
small power house where current will
be generated and from which It will
be carried Into their homes.
Several farmers living ten miles
west of Atchison have small dynamos
on their farms providing electric light
for their homes, barns and dairy
buildings. 0
Recently the town of Troy, forty
miles north of Atchison, contracted for
light from the Atchison plant A
trunk line wire was stretched between
the two places, and now twenty-five
farmeis aloug the route are connect
ing their homes with this trunk line.
Near Garden City, which a few
years aco was In the center of the
great American desert, there are
farms where all the buildings are
made of cement concrete and each la
lighted with electricity generated by
a gasoline engine on the place.
The early pioneer way of living and
the modern system are blended on one
farm. A farmer Is still living in a sod
house built a quarter of a century ago.
He is constructing a new and up-to-date
borne In which he has Installed
a gasoline engine with which to gen
erate electricity for lighting.
He will not move out of the old sod
house until March next because of Ht
warmth and comfort In winter, but he
is enjoying electric lights in that prim
itive dwelling. It la believed this Is
the only Instance In which a sod house
has been lighted by electricity.
In (he natural gas regions of south
eastern Kansa the electric light Is
cheaper than gas. New York Sun.
PLANS FOR A MODEL CITY
Boston-1915 Directors See Many
Changes In the Future Trunk
Sewers Are Advocated.
How to develop the metropolitan
district has been outlined by the Boston-1915
directors.
Changes suggested In the trans
portation problem point In every case
to metropolitan Improvements to be
obtained by uniform development.
"Rapid transit and steam systems
should make a unified system of pas
senger transportation between all
porta of the district.
"All freight lines should be con
nected with one another and with the
water front Freight yards should be
distributed to avoid long teaming
hauls.
"The system of radial thorough
fares should be perfected. The cir
cumferential thoroughfare system
should be completed. All the main
thoroughfares of travel should b of
ample width.
"Trunk sewers are advocated. The
existing policy of reserving land and
sites for public buildings should be
continued and perfected, the commit
tee believes. Changes In building
and housing requirements are advo
cated. In the belief that "the inequali
ties at present existing discourage In
vesting capital and cause slum condi
tions In the lax localities." Boston
Transcript.
American Towns Waking Up.
Some districts and sections frankly
recognize their advantages in climate,
scenery and kindred attractions as
one of their chief assets. New Eng
land, more than any other part of
the country, profits by Its summer
charms, but the Rocky mountain re
gion is not far behind In that respect
Florida has long counted upon winter
tourists as one of its chief sources of
prosperity.
Cities and districts which have no
exceptional advantages of site or cli
mate, scenery or historic interest, are
finding a lesson worth heading in the
many instances of large profits from
beauty and esthetic charm which the
world affords. They are M-allzlng that
much civic beauty Is the fruit of civic
pride and public spirit. They are
building their public edifices, laying
out their parks and taklrig care of
their streets with more understanding
than they had in the paBt of the busi
ness wisdom of liberality And breadth
of view In such affairs.
The ultimate consequence of this
growing consideration of beauty and
charm in the development of urban
centers must color many phases of na
tional progress. It la an Influence
which spreads and grows stronger,
year by year.
Same Sum.
"Wiy Is everything so high?"
"The farmers ain't getting any more
actuaii money," declared a grizzled
agriculturalist. "Two years ago 1
ruisee1 a thousand barrels of apples
and sold 'em for $5,000. Last year I
ruluec 00 barrels and sold 'em for
$5,001'. This year I ruUed five bar
rela "
"I And you expect to sell 'em
for $.'i,000."
Hartford Has Good Idea.
The city of Hartford, Conn., will be
gin this fall a systematic planting of
trees on Its public thoroughfares. The
matter will be in charge of the city
forester, who will first Inspect tho
streets to find out where trees are
most needed. A city nursery will be
opened later.
When She Hit the Mark.
Boblits I've always kept my eyes
open, but I've never seen a woman
throw anything straight
Po lluter That's because you have
nevei been fortunate enough to see
her throw a kiss.
Show Cattle Massaged.
British bull exhibitors have caught
on to the old American trick of mas
gaging and brushing and rubbing show
cattle several times a day so aa to
bring them to the pink of perfection
sought by buyers of beef. Grooms
spend as much time on steers as they
used to on show horses and it pays.
New York Press.
Nothing Left.
"The English government cannot
even terrorize the suffragettes by put
ting them In Irons."
"Why wouldn't they mind that?"
"It would bo nothing to them after
the hobble Bklrts."
Flats With a Purpose.
"I hear they are building flats now
that are provided with dlsarpearlng
furniture." "I surpose that is for the
purpose of providing more room."
"That Is understood to be the reason,
but It will come In handy to have
such a flat when the tax assessor
makes his appearance." Chicago Rec
ord Herald.
