e
A Llille Cusiaesa Romance of tho Daocaa Trad a
Dy O. HENRY
l?f'?g'VllPlfi,Bii" ITi'1"
(Copyright by Alaslee
o nv Vn aw -
actly wherq, Dicky
uS y Maloney hailed
ilwlx AJIL from or now De
mil N5Sfv reached Puerto
fv N I Rey. Ha appeared
I I there one day and
alterwara saia
that he came on
the fruit steamer
Thor, but, an In
spection of the
Thor's passenger list of that date
would have found It to be Maloney
less. Curiosity, however, soon 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 sliver 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
end smile coming down the street
meant, to any of his acquaintances,
the consumption of from one to three
bottles of 6trong. 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
email 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 Poli
tico, and other gay dogs among the
native officials. The care of the shop
he left entirely to Pasa. And now it
Is both desirable and fitting to make
Pasa's acquaintance, for she was
Dicky's Digression. '
La Madania Timotea Buencamlnos y
Balazar de las Yglesias kept a rum
shop In Calle 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 fault with the conduct
of the shop. Customers drank there
In the lowest of spirits and fearsome
!y, 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
Yglesias who landed with Pizarro?
And had her deceased, husband, not
been Comisionado de Camlnos y Puen
tes for the district?
In the next room, seated In the cane
rocking-chair, dreamily strumming a
guitar, could generally be found her
daughter Pasa "La Sanlta Navan
Jada" the young men had named her.
Navanjada Is the Spanish word for a
certain shade of color that you must
go to more trouble to describe In Eng
glieh. By saying: "The little saint,
tinted the most beautlful-delicate-slightly-orange-golden"
you will ap
proximate the description of Dona
Pasa Buencamlnos y Salazar de las
Yglesias.
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 Incredi
bly short time he was seated close be
side the cane rocklng-chalr. There
were no back-agalnst-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 Dicky's way.
Pasa was descended from the proud
est Spanish families in tho country.
Moreover, she had had unusual ad
vantages. Two years In a New Or
leans 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 redhaired scamp with a glib
tongue and a charming smile that
ame along and courted her properly.
For, very soon Dicky took her quietly
to the little church next to the Teatro
Nacional and then to his little shop
in the grass-grown street where custo
mers seldom troubled him. And It was
her fate to sit, with her patient, saint
ly eyes and figure like a bisque
Psyche, behind Its sequestered coun
ter while Dicky drank and philaa
dered with his frivolous acquain
tances. Sometimes mysterious thlng3 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
Cable carrying on some kind of very
R1
Etf Not:
Magazine Co.)
quiet ncgoclos 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,
these dark doings were noticed after
a while, and talked about.
Quite a number of letters arrived,
addressed to "Mr. Dicky Maloney," or
"Senor Dlckee Maloney," to the con
siderable pride of Pasa. That so many
people should desire to write to him
only confirmed her own suspicion that
the light from his red , head shone
around the world. As to their con
tents she never felt curiosity. There
was 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 sales
of his shop were next to nothing, but
that source failed, and at a peculiarly
unfortunate time. It was when the
comandante, Don Senor el Coronel En
carnaclon 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
his resemblance to her parrot, Chichi,
and was diverted to the extent of a
smile. The comandante saw'the smile,
which was not Intended for him. Con
vinced of an Impression made, he en
tered the shop, confidently, and ad
vanced to open compliment. Paza
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 the
stones of the street, senseless. That
five minutes Dicky had spent in pun
ishing him scientifically and carefully,
so that the pain might be prolonged
as far as possible.
A barefooted policeman who had
been watching the affair from across
the street, now blew a whistle and a
squad of eight soldiers came running
from the cuartel just around the cor
ner. When they saw that Dicky was
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, trium
phantly but warily to jail. "El Diablo
Colorado," they dubbed him, and de
rided the military for its defeat
- Dicky, with the rest of the prison
ers, could look out the barred door at
the grass of a little plaza, a row of
orange trees, and 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 republic, but no food.
For two days succeeding Pasa came
at each appointed tlmg 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 seized him, "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.
"Think better of it," she said, in a
low voice; "since for the next meal
there will be nothing. The last cen
tavo is spent." She pressed closer
against the grating.
Pasa lowered her 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 heal
hall rest upon thi arm tonight."
It was an hour before the . consul
came. He was , a- spectacled young i
man, a greedy botanist who was util
izing his office to study the tropic
flora. He held a green umbrella under
his arm, and mopped his forehead Im
patiently, "Now, see here, Maloney, he be
gan, 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 comfortableor newspa
pers "
"Son of Eli," Interrupted Dicky,
gravely, "you haven't changed an iota.
That is 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 hide
in your room."
"Oh, heavens!" exclaimed the con
sul, hurriedly adjusting his spectacles.
"Are you a a Yale man, too? Were
you in that crowd? I don't seem to
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 boat . I'll
write to the Department if you like,
Maloney. Or If there's any tobacco,
or newspa "
"There's nothing," Interrupted
Dicky, shortly, "but this. You go tell
the captain of the Catarina that Dicky
Maloney wants to see him as soon as
he can conveniently come. Tell him
where I am. Hurry. That's all."
The consul glad to be let off so
easily, hurried away. The captain of
the Catarlno, a stout man, Sicilian
born, 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
"Shall I Deliver Them to Enrico,
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 unsmllingly.
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
has It not been sent?"
"By the Cristobal," replied De Luc
co, gesticulating, tit 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
velope and looked down at the half
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?"
"Surely there is no martial law in
effect now, senor."
"Bueno. Now go or send to the al
calde, thQi Juez de la Paz and the Jefe
de los Policlos. Tell them I am pre
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. Pasa'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
awd books and paparg en hia table ua-
, " ' f
til that perpendicular line came be
tweh?bia browB 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
smile you used to wear. That is what
I wish to see." '
Dicky laughed and threw down his
papers. 'The vino bianco , 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 silleta at the
window and hatched the quivering
gleams tfata the lights of the Catarina
reflected In the harbor.
Presently Pasa rippled out one of
her infrequent chirrups of audible
laughter. '
"I 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
I used to have ambitions. , Nothing
less than to be the president's wife
would satisfy me. And, look thou,
red picaroon, to what obscure fate
hast thou stolen me!"
"Don't give up hope," said Dicky,
smiling. "There was a dictator of
Chili named O'Higglns. Why not a
President Maloney of this country?
Say the word, and I'll make the race.
We'll capture the Irish vote, easy run
ning, by a head."
II.
The Vesuvius Plays.
The banana republic of Costaragua
has, practically, two capitals. The one
officially recognized Is San Mateo, sev
enty miles in the interior. But, during
the hot season, from May to October,
the entire administration removes to
Puerto Rey, where the sea breeze ren
ders the pursuit oi 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
Olivarra's Assassin, or to His Son?"
presldent and his official family during
their sojourn.
But now, thia 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 him 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 capital 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 per 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
zoni, a little, stout, cheerful man al
ways whistling Verdi. Senor Ortiz,
secretary to the Minister of Finance,
attempted the sandbagging in behalf
of Costaragua.
Senor Ortiz opened negotiations by
the announcement that the govern
ment contemplated the building of a
railroad to skirt the alluvia coast
lands. After touching upon the bene
fits such an improvement would con
fer uponv the interests of the Vesu
vius, 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. Franzoni denied any benefits
from the contemplation of a road. He
was authorized, however, to offer a
contribution of five hundred to the
contemplatora.
Did Senor Ortia understand Mr.
Franzoni to mean five hundred thous
and? By no means. Five hundred pesos.
Aiyl In silver; not gold.
"Your offer insults my government,"
said Senor Ortiz, rising indignantly.
"Then," cried Mr. Franzoni, in a
warning voice, 'we will change it!"
The offer was -never changed. Mr.
Franzoni must have meant something
else. "
So, when the fifteenth day 'of May
arrived the signs were that the presi
dential advent would ' not be cele
brated by unlimited rejoicing.
President Zarilla 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, his
sharp, beady eyes glanced around for
the expected demonstration of wel
come, but he faced 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 epauletted
generals, the procession formed for its
annual formal progress down the prin
cipal street the Camino Real to the
government building at its end.
As the band struck up, and the
moJUment began, like a bird , of 111
omen the S. J. Plzzoni, 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 Cronin, of the S. J.
Plzzoni, Jr., and Mr. Vincent!, member
of the Vesuvius Company, had landed
and were pushing their way, bluff,
hearty and nonchalant, through the
crowd on the narrow sidewalk. Clad
In white linen, big, debonair, with an
air of good-humored authority, they
made conspicuous figures among the
dark mass of unlmposlng Costara
guans. Tney penetrated to wunin . a
few yards of the steps of the brown
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 side, her head covered with the
ubiquitous black mantilla.
Mr. Vincent! looked at her atten
tively. "Botticelli's Madonna," he remark
ed, gravely. "I 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 Croniri'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."
Vincent! glanced again at Dicky's
head and smiled.
"Rouge et nolr," he said. "There
you have it Make your play, 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 his hand the gilt keys of
Casa 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 hia 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 Zarifla's adminis
tration, he abruptly reverted to that
of Olivarra, Costaragua's most popular
ruler. Olivarra 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 Zarilla had gained his goal.
Upon this theme General Pllar's elo
quence was loosed. He drew the pic
ture of the beneficent Olivarra 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 detail
and with significant contrast" the last
summer sojourn of President Olivarra
in Puerto Rey, when his appearance
at their fiestas was the signal for
thundering vivas of love and approba
tion.
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
Charles," remarked Mr. Vincentl,
"Hint rouge wins."
"I never bet against my own lnter
Mta." said Captain Cronin. lighting a
cigar "Long-winded old boy, for his
age. What's he talking about?"
"My Spanish." replied Vincent
"rum about ten words to the minute;
his is something around two hundred.
Whatever he's saying, he's getting
them waymed up."
"Friends and brothers," General
Pilar was saying, "could I reach out
my hand this day across the laments
ble silence of the grave to OHvarrt
'the Good," to the ruler who was on
of you, whose tears fell when you sor
rowed, and whose smile followed yout
Joy I would bring him back toyoa
but Olivarra Is dead dead at tht
hands of a craven assassin!"
The speaker turned and gazed bold,
ly into the carriage of the president;
His arm remained extended aloft a
If to sustain his peroration. Th
president was listening, aghast, at
this remarkable address of welcome;
"Who says that Olivarra is dead?j
suddenly cried the speaker, his voice
old as he was, sounding like a battlf
trumpet "His body lies in the grave;
but, to the people he loved he has bo
queathed his spirit yes, more hl(
learning, his courage, his kindness
yes, more his youth, his image peo
pie of Costaragua, have you forgotten
the son of Olivarra?"
Cronin and Vincentl, watching close
ly, saw Dicky Maloney suddenly rais
his hat, tear off his shock of red hair
leap up the steps . and stand at thf
side of General Pilar. The minister
of war laid his arm across the youni
man'B shoulders. All who had knowt
President Olivarra saw again his same
lion-like pose, the same frank, un
daunted expression, the same hlgt
forehead with the peculiar line of tb
clustering, crisp black hair. !
General Pilar was an experienced
orator. He seized the . moment oi
breathless silence that preceded th
storm. " ;
"Citizens of Costaragua," he trum
peted, holding aloft the keys to Cas
Morena, "I am here to deliver thesi
keys the keys to your homes and lib
erty to your chosen president Shal
I deliver them to Enrico, Ollvarra'i
assassin, or to his son?" ,
"Olivarra! Olivarra!" the crow
shrieked and howled. All vociferated
the magic name men, women, chil
dren and the paiTots.
And the enthusiasm "was not con
fined to the blood of the plebs. Colon
el Rocas ascended the steps and lak
his sword theatrically at Young Ra
mon Olivarra's feet. Four members o:
the cabinet embraced him. Captaix
Cruz gave a command and twenty o:
El Clento Hullando dismounted and
arranged themselves In a cordon abou
the steps of Casa Morena. j
But Ramon Olivarra seized that mo
ment to prove himself a born geniuj
and politician. He waved those sol
dlers aside, and descended the stepi
to the street There, without losing
his dignity or the distinguished elf
ganc,e that the 'loss of his red halt
brought him, he took the proletariat t
his bosom the barefooted, the dirty
Indians, Caribs, babies, beggars, old
young, "saints, soldiers and sinners
he missed none of them. i
While this act of the drama was be
lng produced the scene-shifters ha
been busy at the duties assigned them
Two of Cruz's dragoons had seize
the bridle reins of President Zarllla'i
horses, others formed a close guard
and they galloped off with the tyran
and his two malodorous ministers. N
doubt a place had been prepared try
them. There are quite a number o
well-barred stone apartments In Puer
to Rey.
"Rouge wins," said Mr. Vincentl
calmly lighting another cigar.
Captain Cronin had ' been intentl;
watching the vicinity of the steps fo:
some time. , ;
"Good boy!" he exclaimed, suddenly
as If relieved. "I was wondering if ht
was going to forget his Kathleen Ml
vourneen."
Young Olivarra had reascended t,h
steps and spoken a few words to Gen
eral Pilar. That distinguished veterai
descended to the walk and approaches
Pasa, who still stood, calm and won
der-eyed, where Dicky had left hei
With his hat In his hand, and hi
medals and decorations shining oi
his breast, the general gave her h!
arm, and they went up the steps tc
gether. And then Ramon. Ollvam
stepped forward and took both he
hands before all the people; '
And while the cheering was breas
lng out afresh everywhere Captah
Cronin and Mr. Vincent! turned am
walked back toward the landing wher
the ship's gig was waiting for them. 1
"There'll . be another president
proclamada In the morning." said Vln
centl, musingly. "As a rule, they an
not as reliable as the elected onee
But this youngster seems to have goo
stuff in him. He planned and maneu
vered the whole campaign. Olivarra
widow, you know, was wealthy. Sh
gave the boy eight years of the bes
education in the states. The compan;
hunted him up and backed him in th
little game."
"It's a glorious thing," said Croiiln
half jestingly, "to be able to dlscharg
a government and insert one of you
own choosing, these days."
"It's business," stated Vlncenti
stopping to offer his cigar to a mot
key swinging from a lime tree; "ant
that Is what moves the world of tc
day. That extra real on the price o
bananas had to go. We took , th'
quickest way of removing it"
When She Hit the Mark. f
nAviuH r. . i a. . r
open, but I've never seen a womaj;
throw anything straight. I
Colllster That's because you havl
never been fortunate enough to se
her throw a kiss. !
Nothing Left.
"The English government canned
even terrorize the suffragettes by put
ting them In irons." f
"Why wouldn't they mind that?"
"It would bo nothing to them aits'
the hobble skirts."