"I told her if any
message came for me she might find me here," explained Miss
Guerrero. "Yes, Juanita, what is it--a message for me?"
My Spanish was not quite good enough to catch more than a word
here and there in the low conversation, but I could guess from
the haggard look which overspread her delicate face that the news
was not encouraging.
"Oh!" she cried, "this is terrible--terrible! What shall I do?
Why did I come here? I don't believe it. I don't believe it."
"Don't believe what, Miss Guerrero?" asked Kennedy reassuringly.
"Trust me."
"That he stole the money--oh, what am I saying? You must not look
for him--you must forget that I have been here. No, I don't
believe it."
"What money?" asked Kennedy, disregarding her appeal to drop the
case. "Remember, it may be better that we should know it now than
the police later. We will respect your confidence."
"The junta had been notified a few days ago, they say, that a
large sum--five hundred thousand silver dollars--had been
captured from the government and was on its way to New York to be
melted up as bullion at the sub-treasury," she answered,
repeating what she had heard over the telephone as if in a dream.
"Mr. Jameson referred to the rumour when he came in. I was
interested, for I did not know the public had heard of it yet.
Pages:
307
308
309
310
311
312
313
314
315
316
317
318
319
320
321
322
323
324
325
326
327
328
329
330
331