The house was full of gossipers of the neighborhood, who had come in armed with infallible remedies which they were anxious to apply to the sufferer. The friends of the jefe politico, gathered together in the dining-room about a bottle of white rum, told discreetly, for the comfort of the official, of similar cases which finally had ended happily.
The arrival of her father and sister called forth a groan from the sick one, who in her role of a first-time mother considered herself as good as dead.
Judging by his costume
“Enter, enter, doctor!” exclaimed the old man, politely addressing the fugitive, whom nobody in the midst of the general confusion had as yet noticed. Judging by his costume, those present took him for one of those country quacks who live on the ignorance and avarice of the country people. Salvador examined the sick woman carefully and was convinced that, although the case was a serious one, it would not be difficult to save her. Without loss of time he took such measures as the circumstances demanded, and from that moment he thought only of lie life of the little human creature which depended on his care. In vain Pedro reminded him many times of the great peril he was incurring in that house; nothing could make him withdraw.
`Nor Jose and the jefe politico, feeling more at ease after hearing die doctor`s opinion, went to join the circle of friends, who had already given a good account of the first bottle of rum. When the second was opened, tongues began to get loosened, and the conversation acquired an animation which it lacked at the beginning.
Incidentally they talked of the revolution which had just taken place, and `Nor Josd, who, on account of the isolation in which he lived, was ignorant of it all, made them tell him of what had happened, listening 10 the story with anxiety. On learning that it was the Cuartel Principal which had been attacked, he asked his son-in-law whether he had news ol Rafael, his son, who was one of the garrison.
“I don`t know anything about him,” replied the jefe politico. “I sup-pose that there is no news, since they have not sent me any word. Ne-vertheless in order to feel easy I am going to telegraph to San Jose.”
When the despatch was written it was sent to the telegraph office.
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