Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1892-10-21
CHAPTER XXI.
TIE ENCOUNTER IN THE GAMBLING
HOUSE.

CHAPTER XXI.
THE ENCOUNTER IN TIE GAMBLING
HOUSE.
AS the planter uttered the terrible
threat, contained in our last chapter,
cheeks and lips Of Camilla MorauutOs.
leaving them pale and colder than
marble.
This morning You insulted me-to-
nl45t y0u are in ma pO'rer"
1t was then us she had eXpected-aS
She had feared. She was entrappcI--
cajoled-in the power Of a villain and
a hypOcrite.
She knew not even in what quarter
OF the city this mysterious house was
situated.
She was utterly IGNORANT of its char
acter or its occupants.
1t might be the den of Il band Of
thleveS-the haunt of Il gang of muir
dererS-and she was alone, alone with
q man who evidently hated her with
the Vengeful hate of a wicked and vim
dlctiVe soul.
Yet III this terrible emergency, her
courage did not forSake her.
Her high and noble spirit rebounded
after the shock which had, for one
She looked at Augustus Horton, gaz-
inc upon him with such Il glance Of
mingled horror and loathing, that the
meanest hound would have shrunk
from the contemptuOuS expression of
her superb countenance.
L thought You Il villain" she said,
with cold deliberatiOn, unmiXed with
terror; but did not think you were
capable of such a deed as this. There
were depths of black infamy which [
had yet to fathom. | thank you for
teaching me their black extent
You Shall thank me for better les
son ere we part, Camilla M0raquitoS"
Again the Spanish girl looked ut him
with the same cold and whitening gaze.
Il DO not fear You" she murmured
between her cilnched teeth: Il can Suf
1eI--Dut | can also dle."
Her small white hand wandered al
most mechanically to the bosom of her
Siillen dress. where, concealed by the
rich folds Of black lace, l,lrllcd the jew
eled hiIt of Il small dagger.
1t was a glittering toy, a bauble
which, after the custom of her Spanish
ancestry, she wore sometimes when
the Whim seized her-but, plaything
though it was, the blade was of the
finest Toledo Stcc! and workmanship.
Il can die" she repeated, rs her fin
gers entWined themselves convulSively
about the gGmmed hilt Of this tiny
weapon.
gay, lady" answered Augustus, with
the bitter irony Of some triumphant
iiend, you can die here, stabbed to the
heart With your own hand, that jewel
ed dagger buried i'll your breast. And
When your corpse is found here tO-mOr
row, by the aStounded police, what
think you will be said by the scandal
m0ngcrS of New Orleans? If you knew
them, Donna Camilla, us we'll as |, you
would be able to guess what they Will
say. They will whisper to each other
how the lovely and naughty daughter
OF Don Juan Moraquitos went to meet
her lover at midnight, i'll one Of the
secret chambers OF certain gambling
house, where, on beng pursued tnItn-
CT by her Infatuated father, the unhap-
81 girl overcome nv deSnair drew a
dagger from her bosom and stabbed
herself to the heart. This is what will
be said, unless | am much deceived i'll
human nature"
"On, misery" exclaimed Camilla.
"And even should the worthy citizens
of New Orleans fail to put this inter
probation upon her death, a few judi
ciouS whispers dropped by my chosen
friCndS-a smile OF triumph and d
snrug OF the shoulder of myself vii!
soon set afloat any report / please. So
think twice before you use that pretty
plaything, Donna Camilla" added the
planter. pointing to the hilt she grasp
ed in her hand; think twice if you are
prudent, and remember that death to-
night, and in this house. is not death
alOne-i IS q disgrace"
The young girl buried her face in her
hands. She shuddered, but she did not
speak.
Augustus Horton perceived that in
voluntary Shudder, and an eXclama-
ton of triumph escaped his lips.
"Ah, proud Spanish woman, you
whom the wealthieSt and most aristo-
cratic creole of New Orleans is not
worthy to wed. YOU no longer defy me
then. You tremble though those stub
born lips refuse to entreat = those
naughty knees cannot stOop to kneel-
you tremble! Now listen to mel"
lie pushed chair toward her.
She sank into it and, as if with an
effort, removed her hands from her
face.
Whatever struggle she had endured
n these few brief moments, she had
conquered llerSeII once more, ana HeT
face, though pale as death, was calm as
that Of Il statue.
Listen to me. Camilla Moraquitos,"
repeated the planter, resting his hand
upon the back of her chair and adj
dressing her with deliberate and icy
distinctness. Il sought to wed you for
your beauty. your arstocratic bearing
and your wealth. You amidst all the
beauties of Louisiana, were the only
woman whom / should have wished to
place at the head of my table-to make
the mistress of my house. Your beauty
would have been mine-a part of my
possessions; my pride, my boast. 1t
would have pleased me to see you
liaughty and capricious-treading the
earth us if the soil were scarcely good
enough to be trodded ON by your An
dallSian foot. Your wealth would
have swelled my own large fortune,
and made me the richest man in New
Orleans This, then, is why I sought
to wed you. This is why seek to wed
you still"
And more vainly than ever" MUIR
INJURED Camilla.
Not so fast, lady; we will test your
resolution by and by. have told you
why wooed you, but have something
yet more to tell you"
Il am listening, sir"