The Morning herald., 1878-02-16

midal structures Of loose stones. II
which the Balearid shepherds shelter thei,
sheep.
A fire was burning under the lee of thi,
stall. and by its light he saw woman
3 girl, rather--struggling in the arms Of .
burly, skin-clad rufian, while two other,
looked on with savage laughs.
To ride one of these down, fell the othe,
to the earth, and with fierce cut of hi.
whip across his face compel the third tc
release his prey, was the work of as little
time as it takes to tell it, and before the
shepherds had recovered from their stupe.
faction, the creator of it had cantered out
Of reach of the volley of stones they
sent after them, clasping the rescued girl
to his breast
Her story was soon told. She was the
young bride Of the farm, on her way home
from another hacienda had been stopped
by the half-savage shepherds, as he had
seen; SO, riding and talking they came to
the door of the house where he was an
honored guest and she drudge.
Great as the social difference between
them was, her gratitude and his admiration
bridged it over. They met often, he al
ways loftily kind, lavish, on his return
from an occasional visit to town, with
trifing gifts; she ever humbly proud
of his notice, truly grateful for his mag
nifcence.
The husband saw this, too, and saw it
with pride. Poor fool! he thought that
the valley, where men honored women as
their own mothers, wives and sisters, was
the world.
At last the guest departed. Next day a
peddler from Mercadel passed through the
valley. 1t was afterward recollected that
he held some speech with her while ex-
hibiting his wares to the people of the
farm.
Many other things were recollected, too,
when, next night, her place at table in the
great kitchen was vacant; her side of her
husbands bed was cold. When the coun-
try all about was secured only to discover
two days later, that stranger and coun-
try girl hadmet in the market-place of Mer-
cadet, and had gone together to Port Mahon.
Thither the husband followed them, mad
with outraged love for her end deadly
hatred for her destroyer.
He found them not. They had gone in
the yacht which had brought the traveller
to the island, and which had lain waiting
his pleasure, in the harbor. Whittier?
To France, some said. To France he
therefore went, by the first vessel that
sailed.
1t would not profit to tell Of the long,
frlitless search; to tell how, following
them from place to place, always too late,
he traversed all the Mediterranean coast
until, one day, hearing of him and that he
was now travelling alone, he knew that the
inevitable had come to pass, and that she
had been cast aside for fresher face,
newer love.
Still searching, he found her at last.
Found her in slum, surrounded by
thieves, by vagrants, by women who were
only women in name, dead, with breath
ing babe on her rigid heart.
He took the child, and returning with
It to his native place, put it among those
who would care for IL, and once more turned
his restless face toward his goal. He car
lied keen knife now, and had a use for it
sworn over her sacred grave.
1t was dreary waiting, and sometimes his
1eart failed him. The knife-blade rub
bed so often to kill the rust, was becoming
hin.
1t was becoming sharper, though, and
1e smiled each time he felt its constantly
growing edge.
"It will do its work all the better" he
hought. "It will do it all the more sure
y, swiftly and fatally"
Sometimes, however, fear would beset
lim, Might he not die =? The very rowing |
ife his pursuit led him exposed him
o perils which might balk his purpose.
eff I should die before meet him ~
le thought. 'My God! if that should
70 I"
And at this thought his blood would turn
o ice, and strange horror come over him,
horror that would set his brain whirling,
ull of mad devils, that had all one single, |!