Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1886-10-14

have offended you unlnowingly, and you are
iinpiscabie-==-
y can go tomorrow at sunrise If | like@
'As You win, p" returned Thatcher gravely
"Gracias, Senior.
They walked slowly back to the house,
Thatcher with masculine sense Of being un-
reasonably afflicted, Carmen with woman's
Instinct Of being hopelessly crushed. No
word was spoken until they reached Tie door.
Then Carmen suddenly, in her old, impulsiye
way, and in child-like treble, sang out
nenilyi Good night. o Don Royal, and
pleasant dreams. Hasta manana."
Thatcher stood dtimb and hstonnded at this
capricious girl. She saw his mystification in
stantly. 1T is for the old cat!n she whis-
pered, jerking her thumb over her shoulder
hi the direction Of the sleeping Mrs p
"Good night-gom
He went to give orders for peon to at
tend the ladies and their cquipage the next
day. He awolse to end Miss De Haro gone,
with her escort, towards Monterey. And
without the Plodgitt.
He could not conceal his surprise from the
latter lady She, left alone-a not altogether
unavailable victim to the wiles of our sex
was embarrassed. But not so much that she
could not say to Thatcher: Il told you So
gone to her uncle Il 4 To tell him all,n
'Ail Dan it. what can she tell him.n
reared Thatcher, stung ont of his selfscontrol
Nothing, ] hope, hat she should not, }" said
Mrs. p, and chastely retired
She was right. Miss Carmen posted to
Monterey, running her horse nearly Off its
legs TO do it, and then sent back her beast
and escort, saying she would rcioin Mrs.
Plodgitt by steamer at San Francisco. Then
she went boldly to the law Office of Sapo-
naceous Wood, district attorney and whilom
solicitor of her uncle.
With the majority of masculine Monterey
Miss Carmen was known and respectfully adj
mired, despite the infeiix reputation of her
kinsman. Mr. Wood was glad to see her. and
awkwardly gallant Miss Carmen was cool
and businesslike; She had come from her
uncle to regard" the papers in the "Red Rock
Rancho case. They were instantly produced
Carmen turned to the application for the
grant. Her cheek paled slightly. With her
clear memory and wonderful fidelity of per-
ception she could not be mistaken The sig
nature of Micheltorena was in her own hand
writingl
Yet she looked up 10 the lawyer with a
smile: "May / take these papers for an hour
TO my uncle!'
Even an older and better man than the dis
trict attorney could not have resisted those
dropping lids and that gentle voice.
Certainly"
II will return them in an hour
She was as good as her word, and within
the hour dropped the papers and little cour-
tesy to her uncles legal advocate, and that
| night took the steamer to San Francisco.
The next morning Victor Garcia, a little the
worse for the previous nights dissipation,
reeled into Woods office. Il have fears for
my niece Carmen. She is with the enemy, 2
he said thic1ly. "Looil you at this,
1t was an anonymous letter lin Mrs. Plodg-
tits own awkward fisN, advising him of the
fact that his niece was bought by the enemy,
and cautioning him against her.
Impossible" said the lawyer; cit was only
last week she sent thee $50"
Victor blushed, even through his ensan-
guined checks, and made an inpatient gesture
with his hand
Besides, added the lawyer cooIly, "she has
been here to examine the papers at thy re
quest, and returned them Of yesterday"
Victor gasped-"Andy you ou-you--g
them to her"
"Of courser'
"All3 Even the application and the sigma
ture:7
"Certainly-you sent her.
"Sent hera The devils own daughterg
shrieked Garcia. NO! a hundred million
times, no! Quick, before it is too late, Give
me the papers.
Mr. Wood reproduced the file. Garcia raj
over it with trembling fingers until at last he
clutched the fateful document. Not content
with opening it and glancing at its text arc
signature, he took it to the window
1T is the same, he muttered with a sigh q
relief
"Of course it is, said Mr.. Wood sharply
1.-THE papers are all there. You're a fool
Victor Garcial"
And so he was And, for the matter o
that, so was Mr.. Saponaceous Wood, Of eoun
sel
Meanwhile Miss De Haro returned to Sai
Francisco and resumed her work. A day o.
two later she was joined by her landlady
Mrs. p. has too large nature to permit al
anonymous letter, written by her own hand
TO stand between her and her demeanor to he
little ledger. SO she coddletl her and hattereC
her and depicted in slightly exaggerated
colors the grief Of Don Royal at her suddeJ
departure 81 of which Miss Carmen re
ceived in demure, kitten-liko way, but still
kept quietly at her work In due time Don
Royals order was completed; still she hat
leisure and inclination enough to add certain
touches to her CHASTITY sketch Of the crumb
ling furnace.
Nevertheless, as Don Royal did not return
through excess of business, Mrs. Plodgit
turned an honest penny by letting his room
temporarily, to two quiet Mexicans, who, bu
for a beastly habit of cigarTito smoking whicl
tainted the whole house, were fair enougl
dodgers. If they failed in making the as
quaintanoe of their fair countrywoman, Mis-
De Haro, it was through that lady's pre-occu