The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1890-09-24

return it, even when you knew to whom
it Belonged"
"There was one excellent reason why
did not return it," she persisted. mo;
I could not. My heart bled for you on
divining that confession. | could not
bear that you should humiliate yourself
before her. Dear Don Walter, you are
too high and noble to be an object of
Walter WINGED before this commenda-
ton, this touching of the sore spot even
by such as she.
GAS for me-" Dona Beatriz went on,
cit brings you but the nearer to me-
This painful secret needs no apology for
me. To know you have suffered makes
you only the dearer."
Surely here was strong appeal; there
was great sense of rest to him in know
ing his secret shared and yet no odium
falling upon him on account of it, but
more was to follow.
"You have suffered her to aid, and yet
it was who was far the stronger. Lis
ten, dearest Don Walter; you are in
want of very great resources; l now
know the reason why. Well, |, even l,
might give them to you. If I could
command a treasure sufficient for all
your needs, would you share it with me?"
"Does all the world think of nothing
else but treasure he cried, as if this
were only kind of specter conjured by
her out of his own thoughts. "And you,
poor Sister Beatriz, what have you to do
with such things?'' He looked at her
commiseratingly, and began to doubt her
sanity.
''It is in my power, poor and weak as
you think me. Nobody can hear us;
speak of the treasure of my convent,
buried securely away against the greed
of the selfish men who would have
robbed us Of that as Of everything else"
She no doubt saw his face change, and
went ON hurriedly, ardently, as if she
saw him yielding: II trust you at once,
though no one else knows it; can have
no fear of you. It is close by the spot
you cleared for us in our old garden of
Santa Rosa It is buried in the founda-
ton wall, and made part of it, so that
they might dig the whole place over and
never find trace of it,"
''Is it yours to give, Dona Beatriz?'
Again she flushed most deeply. ITO
use 1t for your mission would be right"
she replied. ''To whom, indeed, does it
really belong? It can never again be
used for the religious purposes for which
it was designed. The survivors Of the
convent-who are very few-have no
right to use it in luxurious living, even
if their inclinations did not forbid. If
it be seized it will not go to the service
of the state but to feed individual ra-
oacity. Then to what better end than
the one you have in view is it ever likely
to be devoted? Take me with you," she
pleaded. You have always been so
good to me, belong to you and not to
myself"
Walter was convinced that her state
ment was true; many small circum-
stances from the past wove themselves to-
gether to strengthen the conviction. It
needed strong motive, indeed, to resist
so dazzling Il temptation. Nor was it
purely mercenary, for the charms of
Dona Beatriz were great, and one could
foresee how she would develop under
freedom, which she would enjoy with
the zest of an escaped bird, and but now
he had thought Amy cold But motive
somewhere there was that gained the
victory even over SO many combined al
lurements. A crippled beggar, from the