The Opelousas courier., 1890-03-15

SIlst6n TO me a moment DeIo-e you
threaten the man | love, Cola Alverez,"
she said, every word ringing clear through
the storm. stClarence and [ have known
each other since we were children. On
love has grown as we have grown. In
all the world there is nobody Lii him
my Clarence! Do you not remember now
it was that you and I first NETS lie
brought you here and said that you were
his dearest friend. He babe me so re-
card YOU. If [ have been kind to you
( / have never treated you as a stranger
that was my reason-Clarence called
| you friend. Now, let this interview end
here, and I will promise that Clarence
| shall never know of it-shall never m
agine that you have dreamed of becoming
his rival"
"Shall he not2' muttered the Spaniard
in his teeth-s'shall he not, my star-eyed
senorita?"
She looked at him timidly, fearfully,
as with down bent head and hands
clenched as il a CONFUSION he stood
there, his whole undisciplined soul seem
ing in harmony with the tempest that
crashed and shrieked and tore abroad.
Clarence, she knew, was some place IN
the house, for it was his home more than
hers, she being but a ward of his father,
and she trembled lest he and Alvarez
should meet ere the latter had somewhat
curbed the demon that looked out from
his dark eyes.
AS the fear smote her a clear musical
whistle in the hall without pierced
through the fury of the tempest, and IN
another moment the door opened, the
whistle ceased and Clarence Aram en-
tered.
He, perhaps, was not so handsome as
the Spaniard, but there was that IN his
frank, mirthful face which has won love
from women since Time was young-a
touch of poetry which did not mai Its
strength, a strength which did not scorn
the fairer, finer dreams of life, a sunny
temper under which slept force and
power, the Tightening in the summer
clond.
He and Cola Alverez had met first a
year before in a distant city. They had
crown into friends, and when Cola, whose
land had disowned him as too turbulent
a son after he had implicated himself in
a plot against the Crown, appeared IN the
neighborhood Of Clarence's home that
home had opened its doors to him and
for a month he had been an honored
guest there. -,
Yet as the heavy rains fell on the world
outside, and the fierce, frequent flashes
swept dazzlingly over him, he watched
Clarence enter as he would have watched
the most deadly foe of his life.
The young lover did not at first observe
him. but fastened toward Hilda, with
outstretched hands and eyes alight.
my dear love, are you all alone?" he
asked softly, drawing her into his en-
brace; s'does not this wild tempest alarm
/ yous Why, child, you tremble like
leaf. File! for a storm that will pass in
an hour to CULVER sol"
Smiling fondly, he stroked the fan
head of his afianced, which was very
near his breast. He had not looked be
yond her, had not observed the lean
dark, fierce face of the man whom he ha6
treated as a brother, as it glowered OF
him from the shadow of a curtain almos
at his very side.
Hilda was about to whisper him tina
she was not alone when Cola Alverez
darling forward, caught her by the shout
der and tore her from the circling arm o
Clarence.
So unexpected had been the move
ment, so fierce the grasp Of the Spainsrd'
hand upon her, that the girl gave a sharl
cry, while her lever seemed for a momen
too astonished to move.
sShe is mine!" cried Cola in a voic
that cut through the room like a rapier
although it was not loud; II love her
| would rather see her dead before M
than in your arms! Renounce her; sh
is mine!"
"Hilda, what does this mean?" asked
Clarence, his face suddenly set and stern
he did not look at the burning eyes ant
writhing lips of the man. but fixed hi
gaze on the terrified face of the girl, VIII
was striving vainly to free herself of th
cruel hand on her shoulder.
II do not understand" she faltered
sthe is hurting me, Clarence; make hir
release me: / am-am afraid"
ttLet her goin commanded the youn,
, maj to Cola.
J ~ love herw repeated the Spaniart
between his set teeth.
"Clarence!n
She put our her hands to him with th
hushed cry.
Again he commanded Cola to re1eas
her, and again the half mad Spaniard re
fused to do so.
With a muttered e~xecration, his tenn
per aroused at last, Clarence lifted hi
clenched right hand and struck a heav
blow upon the full lips of Cola Alvere
which made him stagger back and re
lease the trembling girl.
In an instant the hand Of the Spaniart
was thrust into his bosom, and with
mad spring and the 6ercest oath of th
Spanish tongue he was upon Clarence
n hand upon his throat, the othe
lifted high above his head, a sIende
knife grasped in the sinewy fingers.
Hilda gave ~utterance to q shrek tina
rang wild and loud through the building
then a weird, white flame seemed to en-
velop her, to fill the room, to stream, rel
and binding, upon the descending bad
of Cola's knife; a crash which seemed t
rend the world sounded about her, ans
she fell unconscious to the floor.
When she recovered Clarence wa
bending over the sofa on which she lay
his face as white as death, his form trem
ulous, but life still throbbed freely in hi