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Isabel's face had grown hard and avaricious, even during this brief talk; her eyes were glowing; plainly she was as far as ever fro-cherished conviction

"I don't ask anybody to believe the story," she said, resentfully "All the saold and silver coins, in boxes bound with iron and fitted with hasps and staples; packages of gee as plums Oh? Sebastian told ue the matter"' Don Mario dismissed the subject with a wave of his pluh to lose that treasure," thecontinued, stormily, "the Government must free all our slaves Tse! Tse! And now that there is no longer a profit in sugar, ?" queried the caller

"Oh, you have a way of prospering! What touches your fingers turns to gold But you are not at the er If your crops do not pay, then Pancho Cueto is cheating you He is capable of it Get rid of him But I didn't come here to talk about Esteban's hidden treasure, nor his plantations, nor Pancho Cueto I cahter, Rosa"

"So?" Dona Isabel looked up quickly

"She interests me She is more beautiful than the stars" Don Mario rolled his eyes toward the high ceiling, which, like the sky, was tinted a vivid cerulean blue "She personifies every virtue; she is--delectable" He pursed his wet lips, daintily picked a kiss froer, and snapped it into the air

Inasirl venomously, she did not trust herself to cohteen," the fat suitor went on, ecstatically, "and so altogether char--But aste time in pretty speeches? I have decided to marry her"

De Castano plucked a heavily scented silk handkerchief fro of moisture fro when roused frouardedly ventured the stepmother

Don Mario broke out, testily: "Naturally; so have we all Now let us speak plainly You know h to afford what I want, and I pay well You understand? Well, then, you are Rosa's guardian and you can bend her to your desires"