Mexico weekly ledger., 1889-06-06

along the way, she babe him stand still
Medji. who GENE to nave an unwonted at
lection for his mistress, stood ohetliently
still at her word. Her 1.-THE and graceful
form, whose full, rounded curve betokened
health aud frequent exercise, lightly swung
itself into the saddle. At the word Of COM
mand. Medji bore off lis beautiful rider,
who disappeared III the direction from which
the young man had just come-a glorious
creature whom the very gods might have
loved.
Motioniess as q statue, daring scarcely to
breathe and gazing after her with straining
eyes, stood the Young stranger.
SO deep had he been in thought, SO far
away from the present, that he had been
taken at unaWares. The vision burst upou
him like a shock.
Had II, at last, arrived-the fatal moment
That long looked-for turning point in his
career. And that, too, when he least ex-
pectcd ita
Among those of his own kith and kin there
occasionally appeared Il strange, ung0vern-
able spirit which, sometimes. drove its pos
SCISSOR to great extrayagancics; or mado
him a man of but one UverHheImingly-ab-
sorbing idea; and that idea so absurd, SO i'm
practicable that, after the spirit left him, no
one could be more amazed at its evil spell
than the unfortunate person himself.
The young man knew well thiss sudden and
always-unexpected, B~crsefklike frailty of
those Of his own blood. Once or twice he
had even himself experienced it, in a mild
form, and had, hitherto, been victorious in
his conflicts with il.
He felt the spirits sudden awakening
now. In the first fear of his struggle with
it, he groaned aloud, and exclaimed:
N God What shall | G0!'
Slowly ana with difficulty collecting his
scattered senses, he was about to rush he
knew not Whithcr-a@gghcTe to rid himself
of this ECllnigh Irresistible impulse, that
was filling him.
At this moment, there fell upon his ear
gay peals of laughter, floating down the
road a bass and treble in pleasant accord.
He drew further back into the bushes to
conceal himself. They soon appeared-cyi-
IDENTIFY servants of the more intelligent type.
The W0man carried, with great care, q
frame on which was stretched d canvas
bearing the first touches Of d sketch in oil.
TIL man had charge of the easel. The two
were casting affectionate glances, L at
the other; quite clearly u pair of lovers
who had arrived at a happy understands
ing. So simple and open were they in as
summing the role, supposed to be natural
~ J"A|S P~SINS AUS %AA@tNAA. t4A3G LhN14
unseen watcher could hardly refrain from
smiling at the various delicate little evil
denccs of fondness each showed for the
other.
They passed out of sight, but not before
the young man perceived their relation to
the first conner. She had been sketching,
probably; and these two, no doubt, were her
maid and her groom. Sunset fastening on,
very likely, she left her easel and sketch in
their charge and mounting her horse
| gall0ped on ahead, towards home.
But, who wa shc? Some one of high
rank, evidently. He must, and would dis
| cover.
All meditation now fed from him. A
fierce desire for action stimulated his whole
being. The old man spirit began to awake.
His previous bitter reflections, his plans
for the morrow-in fact, whether there
were any morrow, at all; even his contest
with the dreaded insanity-every thing was
banished from his mind, save one allah
sorbing and burning thought, and that the
irresistible desire and iuconquerable re-
solve to learn who she was, where was her
| home, and ~thcn-wfat! Even his extrava-
| gance did not dare say.