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{ WAR 1
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CHAPTER X.-Continued
Jack feels a sudden glow as of exultation .
ultatlon a8 ho remembers that the
very part of whom she mattes men-
tion Is In Havana at this hour. He
has cudgeled his brains to find sonic
method of getting Spencer out at' his
path-to sweep the road to his wife
clear of such an encut1lbrance-and
what could give promise of more suc-
Bess ! than In playing this girl against
trim ? "Hell hath no fury like a wom-
in ! scorned , " and this applies especially -
ally to those women or the south
through whose veins the blood leapS
IL.
" and bounds like molten lava , and who
know no halfway course between
love and hate when onto a man has
made an Impression all their hearts
Perhaps the situation warrants his
action-at any rate , Jack Is humlUI ,
and the temptallon 10 pay Spencer
back In his own coin quite Irreslst- .
- Ihle. I
Ihle.So he speaks , - and tells this beautiful -
-r ful tigress that the man she once lov-
r ed-Ule man who won her heart only
to Insult her , the man she has remem-
bered only with such bitterness as a
. Spanish girl can experience toward
one who has wronged her-ho Is In
Havana ai this hour.
He can readily see she Is stronglY
moved by the circumstance , though
she docs not reply for some time.
" I under Cuban - i
' _ . . 110 iloes not dream nm
ban sIdes Perhaps my hour may I
come. You look nt me In displeasure ,
Senor Jace. ] I know you cannot understand -
derstanll our ways But he may yet
learn that the girl of S ; "nta Fe and
the woman or Havana are one , and
.
- " " have the same grievance. "
' - "P ; rdon me , but perhaps If the past
were opened again It might be disagreeable -
agreeable to you-to others who are
jealous of your name. "
At this she laughs aloud.
- , "I see how it Is , Senor Jac1e. You
believe I am married-that this Is the
secret of my appearing In the midst
of such luxury ; hut that I : : ; not the
case. "
"It was a natural supposition on my
part , for when I met you before you
were not living In such a paradise as
this. "
She looks a trifle confused.
" 1 cannot explain to you , senor. A
promise stands In the way-a vow to
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"Something of Importance. "
the Virgin. But In time perhaps you
may know all. "
"I shall meet my hoot at dinner ,
perhaps , " he puts out as a feeler , but
is greeted by another silvery laugh.
if "You are my guest , senor. There Is
no other who has a word to say or an
order to give under that roor. There-
. tore feel at ease. Go and come as you
t
, . 'wlll. By the memory of your brave
act in the past you are "elcome-
yes. thrice welcma. " I
She beams upon him-there Is a
fascination In her very glance So
Cleopatra of old must have bound
Marc Antony under n spell , and caus-
ell him to forget his duty to the Trt-
umvlrato and Romo.
Jack shakes himself mentally He
decides that It may not be sure to
remain under this hospitable roar :
longer than be can possibly help ,
since It Is not to his liking that 'ho
awaken a passion In this tempestuous
heart which must turn to Dead Sea
fruit.
.
, 1 ,
CHAPTER XI.
Under the Spell of the Enchantress.
Jack makes no attempt to discover
the nature of the mystery enveloping
Lola. That It may have some con"
nection with the story ot Smithers
he can readily believe. The present
and the future must engage his attention -
tention and they give promise of lively -
Iy enough times to satisfy the most
exacUn , :
Smithers does not turn up , and Jack
can weB believe the agent Is watching
the movements of the enemy , so ho
smothers his impatience , and dines
with the little Cuban beauty , waited
on by weB.tralned servants.
The day i9 slipping away , end
Jack's worrr increases. Ho hopu
Smithers will bring news when hA
does come-news that : will throw some
light on the business In hand.
Lola has endeavored to entertain
him with music. Site sings Spanish
songs to the tinkling ot the mandolin ,
and her voice is a round contralto ,
very full and sympathetic Jack has
picked up a smattering of Spanish
while in Texas and along the border ,
so that he can understand the major
portion of what she sings.
Upon this pretty picture Smithers
suddenly bursts without warning.
Travers needs only one look to tell
him the agent. brings news of same
sort , and he springs \lp hastily to
meet him.
Travers feels a little guilty and
shows some confusion , but the girl
artlessly cries out :
"I have been charmed to find in
your friend one whom I knew in Santa
Fe as Senor Jack. We have chatted
over old times , and seeing he was impatient -
patient for your return. I have endeav-
ored to entertain him on my poor
way. "
"I have no doubt you succeeded , " remarks -
marks the other drily ; and then adds ,
"With your consent , senorita , 1 would
like to see Mr. Travers alone for a
short time. "
"Ali you bring him news ; Is It not
so. I do not know what business has
tempt him to visit this poor distracted -
tracted country just now , but surely
I wish It success , " she says , quickly.
"Thanle you , " returns Jack , mentally
wondering whether she would be lS
sincere should she know that the ob-
ject of his venture Is simply the
strong hope that he may win the love
of his own wife-that and nothing
more.
She kisses her hand to them and
with merry words dances away , man-
dolin in hand. Jack's eyes involuntarily .
tarlly follow the wlll.o'the-wisp. Men-
tally he Is thinking that "fino feathers
make fine birds ; " the last time he saw
Lola , Khie was apparently in poverty ,
though known even then in Santa Fe
as a beauty.
"She Is a child of genius ; she pos-
sesses the form and face of a Hebe
and the smile of an angel : Beware , I
Senor Jack , " warns Smithers , halt in
earnest , though his way of shaking
his finger at the young mine owner
in a melodramatic manner might be
intended In the light of a joke.
"Don't engage In any worry on my
account , Smithers , my dear boy. 0 I
frankly admit thQ girl Is a beauty ,
and has a charm about her , a witchery '
cry , this : might affect oven Jack 'I'm-
vel's were ho heart-whole and fancy
free. But yeti understand that I 11111
deel ) In love with 111) highland lassie
and there Is IIn room III 111) heart for
t - not. at the saute : tlmo
1'111 no 'r lII'le , Sin ithers. "
"Pardon ire , sir ; 1 only joked As
' ' lucre Is mysterious charm
you say , a 111)
about the presence of 1.ola. I feel It
m'solf-feel that 1 should ho only too
glad to give UII all the world and de-
vote myself to her sel''lce. But this
Isn't buslness"-wlth a sudden snap
of his jaws that indicates a Illtttlllg
away of gentler houJhts. t
"Ab , yes , you have discovered sonic-
thing-something of importance , I
should judge "
"Well , yes , I rather think I have ,
sir. It has staggered pie quite a lit-
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uAh , yes ! I grasp the situation. "
tIe , admit ; and there is a promise
of soma lively work ahead. "
Having thus aroused Jllck's curios-
Ity , Smithers casts a nervous glance
around blm-not that he has fears of
eavesdrOlJl11o'1'S In this place , but such
an act is second nature to him.
"I have hall my suspicions of Senor
Roblado for some time , although In
doubt as to the exact nature of his
character. He has been working under
a cloak , In disguise. You remember
in New York I spoke of his meeting
a number of mysterious men "
"Whom you believed at the limo to
belong to the Cuban .Junta , which has
headquarters In that metropolis , where
filibustering expeditions are planned
and money collected for buying arms ,
ammunition and dynamite. "
Smithers shrugs his shoulders.
"Yes , and dynamite. Well , when I
risked the hazard of that guess 1 was
mistaken "
"Then the senor Is not a conspirator -
tor ? "
"I didn't say that-only he was not
meeting members of the revolutionist
party. "
"sun , they were secret agents he
met , and his business had to do with
Cuba. Ali , yes ! I grasp the situation
They were Spaniards. "
"Exactly. Rohlado Is and has been I
a trusted agent of the Spanish govern-
menl. I could not exactly say what :
his mission to London may have fllg-
nlficd , but there was something deep
behind it ; for he Is a ! de porltc. dar-
fug man , in whom the captain , general
places the utmost reliance.
, "But now that you understand so
much , let me ten my story. I went to
the betel , and loitered about , asking
questions where I could without excit-
ing suspicion. The senor was at din-
ner with the ladles and his friend CoI.
Spencer ; for it seems this gentleman
has a title when he reaches Cuban
soil.
"Whllo I watched , 10 and behold !
Roblado appeared , Ho looked anxIous -
Ious I was the only person near , and
believing , no doubt , 1 belonged to the
hotel , he asked me to send a vehicle
to the door without 11clay.
"I walked away , revolving a little
plan In my mind. Ina short time n
vehicle drove up to the door , and the
driver asked for Senor Roblado That
driver was , as you may already have
suspected , Senor Jack , no other than
m'self. I found no difficulty In fltrlle-
Inl a bargain with the first cabby I
a
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met , and inside his vehlclo wo o'C. : : '
changed some of our HlIt'mnnts lIH'O ,
In this strange land of IntrigueR , not h-
lni ! ; surprises Ilcollle , and the fellow
tool It , aft If quite accustomed 10 such
mct hnds ,
"Well , out carte Hnhlllllo , looking
slllcl rued Illnn : ! , hutt with wOl'l'lecl
look on his remnrlmhlo ( mice , liS
though he hlll'ltl ' relished the Intel" t
'low he nutlcilntc(1. [ ( f
" Iudg of my alttn7.ol11cl\l , sir , when
Iw gave his orders to ho driven to the
plllllco of the caption general , 11'01' 1 + the .
first time a HUHlllclon or his true character -
actor flash ell over me.
"DotaIlR , yon know , art not. to my
lilting We arrived tumid I l'ft. ! my
cab , to usher lie ( senor Into the cn-
' ' alwll's about mill
t1'llnCO Lackeys are vays ,
messengers come mind go ! : for oven
now , at the hoglnnlng of the rainy
Bcasou , the general Is Il busy \ IIInn 11 I I u
has sworn to sweep the l'chelR Into
. the sea , and reslll'o Cubit to Spain ,
a Ilellcofltl province : but IIlrollcly ho
reallxeH that the tltsle Is mono dllllclIll
throe ho anticipated [ , and iH ready to
resort to dOBllemto 1II0llSIII'CS In order "
to Hltccced.
"W ' il , sir , I recd not. OXlllltin how It
WitS Iloilo-moil of lilY Ill"OfoHslon hrtvo
It faculty for IICComllIAhlllg such
things In a munnel' hat appears little
short of magical to outsiders ; but
when Senor Hohlado held his cOllfllloll'
tinl tail , with the general , I wits In n
posltloll to hero what was sllld
"Senor Hoblndo is : in the secret employ -
ploy of the 1H\nlsh ! : govemmont. Failing - ' t
Ing to overcome this last rebellion hy
force of arms , they are now about to
resort to strategy , ntlll In this line no
Iwollle on earth taut heat the Spun-
lards.
"Vllrious schomcs nro to he put into !
Immedillto ul1emton-rownrds ! will ho
offered for the betrayal or all 1\11 \ busl CI'-
Ing expeditions , extraordinary 1111luce.
meats given to those enemies of Sllln ( '
who will lay down their arms , and .
last of nil It Is designed that the IClld- .
erR of the robolllon , Gomez , Macao
and Garcia shall either ho captured (
or assasslnatod. "
Jack utters a cry of Incredulll ;
and yet why should he doubt. the truth
of the statement ? Such things are
In these enlightened days not. Infl'o-
quelll. Sometimes It Is In Russia or
Turkey n leader meets death at ho I
hands of nn assassin : again It Is In
France , while even lieu frccdolll of IL
great republic dill not save Lincoln
01' Garflelt !
"From what I coltlll learn , the cap.
taro general does not favor this latter
method , hut Is determined to make an
attempt al capturing these holll leaders < < ] -
ers who continue to defy him , and
should they full Into the hands of the
military authorities you cnn easily
guess what their fate will IJC.
"So clever has been ' '
a plan arranged
and to nohlado and Spencer kris ! been
given the task of bringing the great
GOlllex Into Havana. "
"Well , I v- " interested ( , hut so far a
I see no cause for alarlll on any lIal'l.
Of course , theme III sympathy with the
rebels might be anxious about tie outcome -
come , hut It surely does nol matter
milch to you amid I , SmithOl's , " 1'0'
111urles 1'l'avOl's ; and then , as his I < con
eye notes IIItting look of emharl'llss
JUent II110n the features of his comlmn-
ion , the thought dawns in his mince
that perhaps , after all , SmithOl'R If
more deeply Interested In the tor'lunoR :
of the struggling patriots of Cuba
than he has ever admitt0d. "
( To he contlnlled. )
- - - - - - - -
Need for Clergymen.
The Kentucky colonel , lunching at
the Arena , WOR telling .the story of IL
fumous Kentucky feud which had III ell
a natural death , there being HOW only
0110 survivo\
"Do they have any clergymen In
Kentucky ? " asked one or the purty.
"or cO'Re , " replied the colonel , +
'rhor mus' have clergymen III Kell'
tucley to read lie bll'lal Run'lco ovnh
the dald.-New York Ti rnes.
,
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
Confirming His Theory.
Ho-It seems to mo you are very
cnprlclollR. You were mom cordial
the last time J saw you.
She- ' \Vas I ? Well , I dare say that
waR JUrJC caprIce.