Jesup Scott High School - Scottonian Yearbook (Toledo, OH)

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V l Barton folded up his papers and handed them back to him, saying, 'Tm sorry that my husband won't be back from Havana for a week, but my daughter Ethel will show you the grounds. She nodded toward the girl by way of introduction. Ethel bowed and as she smiled slightly, a look of croftiness flickered through her eyes. Mrs. Barton had set the glass of pina a frio upon a low setteeg she now offered it to Larry, saying, You must be thirsty after riding all day. Ethel will show you your room and then weill have supper. Ethel picked up her broadfrimmed felt hat and Larry took the reins of Singer and followed her down a broad roadway to the stables. She was walking a few steps ahead of him, but he caught up to herand remarked, smiling, 'LC-etting cooler, isn't it?,' 'LYes, Ethel answered without turning. How long have you been working for the government? she asked suddenly, facing him and regarding him iixedly with challenging eyes. Larry had been looking at the ground and he now looked up sharply. It flashed through his mind that Ethel was quizzing him, not believing his statements. Oh, it's about two years, he said slowly, as if trying to re- member the exact date. I have never seen you in this section before. Ethel dug her hands into her pockets and quickened her steps toward the stables, signifying that the conversation was ended. That evening, after an almost silent dinner, during which only Mrs. Barton chatted of the weather and happenings on the plantation, Larry went to his room early and read. About ten o'clock he put his book away and extinguishing the lamp, went out on the small balcony of his room to smoke. He was no sooner seated than he saw a white figure come out of the house and run as swiftly as the blanket and l 1 llo8l

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lf Wajay, or we'll have to answer to old man Adams, and that wonlt be so good-and I'll never go back to Peoria. As he spoke, a look of hard determination came into his eyes. He came up to the vinefcovered veranda just as the sun was drop' ping behind the palms. Someone was singing an old Spanish love song in a soft, mellow voice. He climbed leisurely down from Singer and patted him, pretending not to hear the voice from the veranda. When next he turned toward it, he stepped back in astonishment at sight of a beautiful girl, who was leaning against the pillar-Hngering a revolver which half protruded from the pocket of her white riding-habit jacket. She was watching him with the expressionless and unseeing gaze of a person long accustomed to solitude. While he stood there holding the rein of Singer, the screen door opened and an elderly woman came out carrying a tall glass of pina a f'rio. She was undoubtedly the mother of the girl. Her complexion was the rich golden brown of the white long under the tropical sun, while the girl had the dusky hue of the native. The man stepped upon the low porch, and uncovered his red head slowly. Senora Barton, I suppose? he said in poor Spanish. Yes, she answered in English, and smiled pleasantly. 'Tm Larry O'Neil of the Cuban Department of Interior. l'm investigating peon conditions on the plantations and would like to spend about a week going over the ground. Here are my papers. He flushed and traced a design of the mosaic floor with his foot, as if in embarrassment, while Mrs. Barton glanced at the papers. When Larry had told Mrs. Barton the nature of his visit to the plantation, he noticed that thegirl just looked at him sharply and then began to swing her riding whip against the post and look out to the hills as if pondering upon the truthfulness of his statement. Mrs. ., ,. . . . H9711

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1 I bulky package she was carrying would permit her. Larry knew it was Ethel. Even while she was hidden by the tall foliage from the light of the moon, he felt that it was she. When she ran through the cleared space and the moonlight fell upon her, he saw that the large package she carried was a provision sack. She stopped at the peon quarters and called at the low ironfbarred window. Someone came to the window, cutting off the candle light which shown through. Ethel spoke a few minutes to the man, handing him something through the bars. Then she went back to the door of the shack where she had dropped the blanket and sack and waited a short time until a native came out. Together they carried the sack to the stables. A horse was brought out, the sack divided and fastened to the saddle, the native mounted the horse and was gone, and Ethel ran swiftly back to the house. She stopped suddenly, surprised at the sight of Larry, calmly gazing at her with his incomparable grin. Ch, I didn't know you were there, she faltered. UNO? Larry laughed, flicking the ashes from his cigarette. Great moon, isn't it? He threw back his head and looked up at the moon, and Ethel almost laughed aloud in spite of her troubled mind at the ridiculous appearance Larry made. His broad, smiling face was turned toward the moon and the moonlight playing upon his rumpled red hair gave it the appearance of flames shooting from his freckled face. She laughed gaily. See you in the morning, she called, and ran lightly up the steps. Larry put out his cigarette, threw it far into the clearing for no particular reason, and went back into his room to a sleep full of white visions. :lf Pk Ik Ik lk Larry had been at the Barton plantation about five days, with no unusual happening to mar the course he had planned. He rode all day llool