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After judicious consideration, O'Reilly pretended to agree

"There's no fun in wreaking a horrible revenge, when your eneed "Since it's your idea to irritate your stepmother, perhaps it would annoy her more if I made love directly to her"

Rosa tittered, and then inquired, naively, "Can you make love, senor?"

"Can I? It's the one ability an O'Reilly inherits Listen to this now" Reaching forth, he took Rosa's fingers in his "Wait!" he cried as she resisted "Pretend that you're Mrs Varona, your own step"

"Oh-h!" The girl allowed his grasp to remain "But Isabel's hand isn't dih"

"Don't interrupt," he told her "Isabel, ly as a chi as I can, but now it's running away of its own accord, and I must tell you how mad I am about you The first tiain Rosa dreay sharply, at which O'Reilly laid his other hand over the one in his palhter, Rosa Do you reht I was in heaven, with you ininto mine, and I told you so"

"So you irl reproached him

"Isabel, sweetheart, I lose my breath when I think of you; my lips pucker up for kisses--"

"'ISABEL'!" exclaiuiltily apart They turned to find Esteban, Rosa's twin brother, staring at them oddly "Isabel?" he repeated "What's this?"

"You interrupted our theatricals I was rehearsing an impassioned proposal to your beloved stepmother," O'Reilly explained, with a pretense of annoyance

"Yes, Senor O'Reilly believes he can infuriate Isabel by laying siege to her He's a--foolish person--" Rosa's cheeks were faintly flushed and her color deepened at the amusement in Esteban's eyes "He makes love wretchedly"

"What little I overheard wasn't bad," Esteban declared; then he took O'Reilly's hand

Esteban was a handsoht, sli With a look engaging in its frank directness, he said: "Rosa told ize for our stepmother's discourtesy I'm sorry we can't invite you into our house, but--you understand? Rosa and I are not like her; we are quite liberal in our viee are almost Americans, as you see I dare say that's what makes Isabel hate Americans so bitterly"