Part 36 (1/2)
Sarmiento bowed
”We respect our password You are safe with us; but you cannot continue your journey The roads will be closed before you get through, and there will be fighting in the next few days When it seeerous, we must try to send you on, but in the ave one of the officers some instructions, and the uide and send hio back We shall, no doubt, find a use for hily as he added: ”It looks as if he could be trusted”
Evelyn followed the officer to the back of the house where creepers trailed about a rude pergola A sheet of cotton had been stretched aht burned Her co a feords in Castilian, o in She did so, and then stopped abruptly
The la about it cast puzzling shadows, but Evelyn knew the girl who rose toconfidentially to Grahame at the International, and was seized by jealous suspicion A stout, elderly lady in a black dress, as apparently the girl's duenna, sat farther back in the shadow Blanca gave Evelyn a friendly snition, but it cost her an effort to respond The Spanish girl see, and there was an aard silence while they stood with their eyes fixed on each other Then Blanca said with a touch of haughtiness:
”I have been told to make you as comfortable as possible, but I am sorry there is not much comfort here One cannot expect it in a camp”
She presented Evelyn to her duenna, and the senora Morales indicated a folding chair
”You couidly opening a fan ”It see; it is the way of ood”
The senora Morales waved her fan She wore a black silk htly round her head like a cowl, and her dark, fleshy face was thickly smeared with powder Her eyes were lazily contemptuous
”There are two causes, _nina_, and it is hard to see how both can be right But, since men quarrel about the”
Evelyn s strained; the woman was obviously shrewd in spite of her heavy face
”They are always quarreling in this country,” the senora continued
”Those ill not pay their taxes call themselves Liberators; those who expect favors froh, they conspire with the others to turn him out Since everybody cannot be satisfied, there is always trouble”
”But our friends are not fighting for rewards!” Blanca objected indignantly
”A few are disinterested,” the senora conceded She paused, and turned to Evelyn with an authoritative air ”You uess so, but want to know the rest”
After a ht it prudent to comply, and the senora seemed to listen with sympathy
”To run aas the simplest plan, but sometimes the simplest plan is not the best,” she said ”Did you think of nothing else?”
”I sent ahi Blanca
The girl looked up with quick interest, but there was no hint of jealousy in her expression
”You thought he would come to help you?”
”I kneould come if it was possible,” Evelyn answered
Blanca looked her in the face with a s, and Evelyn saw that her suspicions had been unfounded Grahairl
”My father must know this at once!” she said, and hurried away
Don Martin came back with her and questioned Evelyn, and then he stood thoughtfully silent for some moments