I who am an orphan living with the sister of my
mother's cousin. Not for that did Luis hesitate. But the time came when
he must do military service; serve in Morocco, senorita, serve among
savages who would torture him! And to come back poor as he went. So he
left. Far away he journeyed, to New York, which is in America, to find
peace and make a home."

"Where you will go to him?"

"Senorita, we hope it. He works, I wait. We write long letters. But it
is three years. It costs much to cross the ocean, and one grows old."
The brown eyes looked the tragedy of hope deferred.

"For men must work and women must weep----" The old refrain came to
Flavia. But not this woman, not if her American sister could prevent.
And the preventing was so easy! She drew the girl down on the seat
beside her, impulsive as Corrie could have been.

"Listen, Elvira--I may call you Elvira? Let me help you. I have so much
money, so much more than I can spend, and I am not very happy. Let me
think that I have given you what I cannot have; let me send you to Luis.
My father will tell us how, he will arrange everything so that you will
not have to trouble at all. We will send a message to Luis so that he
may meet you."

"Senorita!"

"You will let me? You will not say no? Why, Elvira!"

The girl dropped her face in Flavia's lap and burst into hysterical
tears, covering her hands with kisses.

When Mr. Rose returned, half an hour later, this time in the big
automobile whose rushing passage stirred whirlwinds of dust on the
age-old road, his daughter met him eagerly.

"Papa, I want to send Elvira Paredes to America, to her fiancee. She is a
kinswoman of the inn-keeper, here. Will you arrange it for us? I think
she would be frightened if you sent her by first-class, but second-class
would be very nice. She knows how to go in the train to Malaga, if you
get the ticket, and ships sail from there, do they not? Oh, and would
you cable to Luis Cardenas, in New York, so he will know she is coming?
I will find the street and number from Elvira."

His children long since had trained Mr. Rose to be surprised at no
charming vagaries. He contemplated Flavia, amused, and well pleased with
her animation.

"Found something to play with, eh? Very good, we will fix it. But your
Elvira will have to wait until I get an answer from her lover through
the cable company; I'm sending no girls to New York without knowing
they'll land in the right hands. Now, I belie