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 brutally undeceived by Alvarez. The latter has put his foot in it and there is only one way out. Jupiter!"

Ashley leaps to his feet, for the inspiration of his life has come to him.

"By George, I have it! But will she do it?" he cries. "She must do it. It is not her nature, still it's a chance, and if the fates are on the side of right Don Quesada and the senorita are saved!"

CHAPTER XLVII.

THE PEN WINS.

Upon his return to the ball-room Ashley is taken to task by General Murillo. "I have been searching for you for over half an hour," the general assures him. "Come over here while I introduce you to the prettiest girl in Cuba."

"Confound his kindness," grumbles Jack, mentally, who has no time to squander in talking nonsense with dark-eyed senoritas. There is work to be done. But he follows Murillo over the floor and is amused to find himself being introduced to Juanita de Quesada, who is the center of attraction of a group of young Santiago swells.

"Oh, Senor Ashley and I are old friends," cries Juanita, smiling at General Murillo.

"Are you, indeed?" remarks the general, favoring the American with a keen glance. "Well, I will leave you together with my blessing," and the warrior takes himself off.

"I have much to tell you to-night, senorita, but at another moment," Ashley says, as he makes his excuses for terminating a conversation that has hardly begun. "I have work to do, and it means much to you," he explains to the pouting young lady, and leaving her