The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-02-21

HiodhtAAts tAitii uOloSot NoSH~~ ~ ~ ses's
speed, snatching at the head as they
passed. Reinaldo distinguished himself
by twisting it off with facile wrist while
urging his horse to the swiftness OF the
east wind.
II am going to dare more than Cali
fornian has ever dared before" said Es-
tenega to me as we gathered at length
about the tablecloth. IL am going to get
Dona Chonita off by herself in that little
canyon and have talk with her. Now.
do you stand guard"
II shall notr' exclaimed. lit Is un-
derstood that when Dona Trinidad stays
at home Chonita is in my charge. will
not permit such thing"
"Thou wilt, my Eustaquia. Dona
Chonita is no pudding Drained girl She
needs no duena."
thinking of. Suppose some one sees your
Thou lrnowest the inhexibility Of our
conventions"
"You forget that we are comadre and
compadre. Our privileges are many"
He abruptly dismissed the intimate
"thou." with his usual American per
versity.
"True; had forgotten. But whittier
is all this tending, Diego2 She neither
will nor can marry you"
"She both can and will Will you
help me or not? Because if not will
proceed without you. Only you can
make it easier"
always gave way TO him-everybody
did.
He was as good as his word. How he
managed Chonita never knew. but not
half hour after dinner she found herself
alone in the canyon with him. seated
among the huge stones cataclysms had
hurled there
why have you brought me hereY
she asked
ITO talk with you"
But this would be severely censured."
do you care?"
No"
She looked at him with curious feel
ing she had had before. There was some
thing inside of his head that she wanted
TO get at-something that baffied and
teased and allured her She wanted to
understanc~fiim and she was oppressed
by the weight of her ignorance; she had
no key to unlocl, "A man like that. With
one of her swift impulses she told him Of
what she was thinking
He smiled. his eyes lighting Il am
more than willing you should know all
that you would be curious about" he
said Ask me hundred questions,
will answer them"
She meditated moment. She never
had taken sufficient interest in man
before to desire to fathom him. and the
arts of the Californian belle were not
those of the tactfulls and impartially in
terested woman of today. She did not
know how to begin.
What have you readr" she asked at
length.
He gave her some account Of his
ibrary-a large one--and mentioned
many books of many nations OF which
she had never heard
lyon have read all those booksy'
There are many long winter nights
and days in the redwood forests of the
northern coast.
That does not tell me much-what
you have read | feel that it is but one
of the many items which went to the
making up Of you. You have travelled
everywhere. No? Was it like living over
again the books of travel?'
Not In the least Each man travels
for himself"
Madame de Stael said that travelling
was sad. Is it soT''
Ito the lover of history Il is like food
without salt; imagination has painted AN
historical city with the panorama of a
great time: it has been to us stage for
great events. We find it a stage with
familiar paraphernalia and actors as
commonplace as ourselves"
"It is more satisfactory to stay at
home and read about it?'
Infinitely, though less expanding"
"Then is anything worth while except
readingy"
Several things: the pursuit Of glory,
for one thing, and the active, occupied
life necessary for its achievement"
She leaned forward little; she felt
that she had stumbled nearer to him.
"Are you ambitious" she asked.
For what it compels life to yield; alb
stractly, not. Ambition is the looting Of
hell in chase of biting flames swirling
above desert of ashes. AS for postum
nous fame, it must be about as satisfac-
tory as draft of ice water poured down
the throat of man who has died on Sa-
hara. And yet, even if in the end it all
means nothing. if from hour to hour we
ripe and ripe and then from hour to hour
we rot and rot, still for quarter century
or so the nettle of ambition nagellating
our brain may serve to make life less un-
interesting and more satisfactory. The
abstraction and absorption of the fight,
the singing fear of rivals, the murmur
of acknowledgment, the shout of COM
pelled applause-they fill the blanks"
Tell me. she said imperiously, what
do you want?'
CONTINUED TOMORROW.
AMERICAN SUPPLY COMPANY