THE INTERVAL
After avenging her lover's death, Marie returned again to Manila
where she remained at home until the Filipino uprising against the
American troops in the spring of 1899. During this interval of nine
months, she daily frequented the places of rendezvous of the American
troops stationed in and around Manila. She also went to the officers'
homes in the city where their wives and children were stopping. She
did their washing, and cared for the children. Her congeniality made
her a favorite. Some of the American ladies offered to bring her back
to America with them for a house-hold servant.
From them she learned to speak the English language nearly as fluently
as Spanish. The American soldiers were kind and polite to her. She
made considerable money by doing washing for them. It was noticeable
that she was gradually improving the old bamboo home in Manila. In a
few months she had come into possession of more money than she thought
there was in the entire world. Most of it was American gold--largely
in five dollar denominations. (This is what the United States used in
paying the soldiers.) These she took to the Spanish bank in Manila
and exchanged them for Mexican silver, which, until the United
States began to issue special coins for the Philippine islands,
was the standard medium of exchange in the archipelago.
Marie began to dress better. Her penia cloth gave way to Chinese silks;
her wooden hair combs to expensive ones inlaid with gold, bought at
the Spanish bazar down town. Many little comforts were bought for her
home. Still the washings kept growing larger. She and her mother could
be seen back of their shack, in the shade, pounding American soldiers'
white uniforms on large boulders from early morning till night.
Aguinaldo, who had previously sold out his country and gone to
Singapore, after commissioning Dimiguez, upon hearing that war
was about to begin between the United States and Spain, made his
way northward to Hongkong. After the battle of Manila Bay, Dewey
despatched the revenue cutter, "McCulloch," to Hongkong to cable
home the news of his splendid victory. On her return to Manila,
she permitted Aguinaldo to come along.
After a brief conversation with Admiral Dewey on board the "Olympia,"
he went ashore at Cavite, his boyhood home, began to organize the
Filipinos into a powerful army, captured 1500 Spanish soldiers who
were holding out-lying posts, and hemmed in the city of Manila.
On August 13, following, Dewey and General Merritt, by a union of
their forces, captured the city of Manila which offered but slight
resistance. Aguinaldo's native troops rushed forward with the Americans
in the charge that was made by the land forces and they insisted on
looting the city. General Merritt refused this and ordered them to
withdraw beyond the city limits. This they did after considerable
wrangling. Then the Americans established out-posts on every road and
pathway leading to and from the city, completely around the town;
and they were given instructions by the commanding officer not to
allow any Filipino troops to enter the city.
Aguinaldo discarded his uniform one evening, completely
disguised himself as a Filipino fruit-vender, and made his way
into Manila. Naturally, he slipped around to the home of his old
friends, the Sampalits. He sat in a semi-darkened room, with all the
hinged-windows to the shack tightly closed and stroked Marie's soft
black hair with his left hand. As he engaged her and her mother in
conversation in subdued tones, he little thought that in so short a
time Marie would be associated with him in a series of bloody tragedies
that would revolutionize the government of the islands forever.
"Marie," said he, "I'm going to force the Americans to acknowledge
the independence of the Philippine islands, or I shall not permit
the rest of their army to land. Dewey tells me he has sent home for
reinforcements. There is no use for us to let these troops land, if
America instead of Spain is going to govern the islands. What we want
is absolute independence with myself as president of the new Filipino
Republic. If the Americans won't concede this to us, let's fight!"
"That's what I say!" declared Marie. "Let's drive the foreign devils
off the islands or slay them all. Here's father dead and--Dimiguez,
too"--Marie's voice trembled--"I tell you it's too much. Let's kill
every one of them!"
"Yes; but say Marie, we must keep quiet about all this," cautioned
Aguinaldo. "I'll tell you what I have in mind. We'll wait about four
weeks and by that time if Dewey hasn't received definite instructions
from Washington, and if he won't give me any satisfaction, I'm going
to go to Malolos, proclaim myself Dictator of the Philippines, appoint
a cabinet and a congress from among some of the bright young Filipinos
here in Manila who have been educated abroad, draw up a Revolutionary
form of government, and begin to administer the affairs of these
islands just as I please.
"We'll keep our present army in the field, and if the Americans do
land we'll shut them up in Manila, so that they will have nothing at
their command but the city to regulate. This won't amount to much as
compared with the rest of the islands which I will dominate."
"Are you sure the Americans won't land a powerful army, cut through
your lines around Manila and drive you out of Malolos, or capture you
and your officials at that place? It seems to me I would go farther
inland--say to San Isidro," said Marie.
Aguinaldo thought a moment, then replied: "That's true, in a sense,
Marie; but I have got to be on or near the railroad where I can have
easy and rapid access to Manila. Malolos is not far from here and
it is situated on the railroad. It has some very large buildings in
which our legislative sessions could be held. I think it the place
for the undertaking.
"To be on the safe side, I believe I will have our troops erect a
series of fortifications between here and there along the railroad
track, so that if the Americans do attempt to advance by that route
I can easily stop them."
"I think that would be a good scheme," said Marie. "Malolos is about
twelve miles from Manila Bay; besides, the bay is shallow in the
north end, so that heavy boats could not go up there. This will make
it impossible for Dewey to shell the place with his fleet. We've got
to watch out for that--no matter what we do. My! but those American
ships can shoot! Did you hear about me shooting at 'em with that
cannon on Corregidor island when they entered the bay? I mighty near
got one of their vessels."
"No," said Aguinaldo, "I have not heard very much about the firing
off Corregidor, but as I came from Hongkong the other day on the
"McCulloch" I noticed that the Spanish fortifications on the island
had all been dismantled."
"Why! they killed a man right at my feet, the very first shot," said
Marie; "and then one of their boats drew nearer and fired several
times more and they killed every Spaniard in the relief guard which
was near by,--seven of them in all."
"And I was terribly worried about Marie," interrupted her mother who
had listened to the conversation with deepest interest. "She had been
gone for a week, and I hadn't heard a word from her."
"Oh! well, I don't pity the Spaniards any for what the Americans did
to them," interjected Aguinaldo, with some emphasis.
"Be careful," said old lady Sampalit, putting her finger on her lips,
"don't speak too loud."
Aguinaldo continued in a lower voice: "They killed your husband. They
shot Rizal. They strangled Dimigeuz. They tortured to death several
hundred of our young fellows in the dungeons. They have left ridges
of dead wherever their armies have moved among us. I tell you they
deserved all they got."
Mrs. Sampalit and Marie had grown heavy hearted. Aguinaldo looked at
his watch. It was after ten P. M.
"I wonder," said Aguinaldo, hesitatingly, "how I shall be able to
get back to our lines tonight."
"Don't go!" said Marie, in an emphatic whisper, "stay over night!"
"Yes, do!" entreated the old lady, "I'm nervous."
"It might be best; it would surely be the safest thing to do," said
Aguinaldo, in a meditating manner.
"We sleep on bamboo beds," said Marie. "There stands mine. You may use
it tonight, and I will sleep on the floor. I don't mind. Mother and
I frequently lie down on the floor near the window, when the nights
are sultry."
The next morning Aguinaldo arose very early, made his way to the
edge of the city and stealthily stole out threw the Americans' lines,
never again to return to Manila until General Funston brought him back,
two years later, a captive.
He made his way to Malolos, a few weeks after this conversation,
declared himself "Dictator of the Philippines," appointed a Filipino
congress, set up a government of his own and began to run the general
affairs in the interior of Luzon.