St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-03-25

Eoyohs laughter of the beauties of the Coast
Range.
'fThere are scores of men below there"
muttered Ralph, as he gazed down at the
brilliant and ever-moving throng, s'but there
is not one L could hit upon as Albert Howard,
and certainly not one I should suspect to be
Leonard Martin. Well, I am for the present
The slave of circumstances, and there is
nothing left but to remain quiet until such
! time as this remarkable man chooses to
reveal himself
He placed the two notes in one envelope,
laid it carefully away in his trunk, and then
went down TO the piazza, where there were
merry crowds of promenaders, for the band
was resting.
Although his thoughts were bewildered
they came back to one object, and among the
throng he was looking for one figure. He
saw her walking away on Lord Pelham's arm,
while Captain Almedo, with two devils gleam-
ing out of his black eyes, and luminous hate
on his swarthy face, looked after them.
Ralph was far too Weli-bred to show his
feelings, or to neglect the other fair girls, to
whom he had been introduced. He found
that his name and much of his history had,
in some mysterious way become known
to the guests. and he selected a partner for
the next dance, and was apparently the hap
piest of the happy.
1t was one O'Clock when the carriages began
to drive up and the young people, all decar-
ing that they had chad a perfectly delightful
time" returned to their homes on the many
fine estates near by.
Many of the young men came on horse
back, with their evening dress in their saddle
bags and now as they rode away they sent
up cheers for the belle of Buena Vista, whose
birthday they had been celebrating AS they
passed out of the grounds, songs were started
and these were heard echoing along the hills
Cor many minutes afterwards.
- Ralph having congratulated Dora on the
0uccess of the fete, was about to go to his
room for the night, when he found himself
face to face with Captain Almedo.
Not going to bed so early hope Sit
down and let us have a last smoke" said the
captain, and he led the way to corner of
the gallery screened in by vines.
From the first, Ralph Holmes did not like
this man. There was tigerish grace in his
movements and a devilish sort of beauty in
his olive face that might be dangerous with
women, but which was sure to arouse the
opposition, if not the hate, of men.
Ralph did not smoke and so said. neither
did he feel like sleeping, so he yielded with
apparent grace and went down to the corner
where there was a covey of easy chairs on
which fecks of silvery light sifted through
the clambering Cherokee rose wisteria and
eonvolvus.
Speaking in a voice not unmusical and
with an accent decidedly Spanish, though his
language was in the main well chosen and
correct, Captain Almedo threw himself back
in his chair with the air of man quite
fatigued or much bored, and asked:
els this your first visit to California.
senor-beg pardon, I should say Meestar
Holmes?"
'Yes, my first visit" replied Ralph.
I t'And you like it, eh?" ~
i ooh, very much, indeed though as have
been on this coast only few days and am
not an Englishman,' laughed Ralph, 81 am
hardly well enough informed to go back
home and write a criticism of California and
a travellers guide to the state'
st AS Captain Almedo showed no sign of ap-
preciating this bit of sarcasm, it is safe to
infer he did not understand it. With equal
5luntness he asked
care you going to remain long?"
81 really do not KNOW" said Ralph, nettled
and ON the defensive.
''Out for pleasure or for business?"
t'Both.''
"Ah you are lucky; and shall you be here
longf"
81 don't know"
'And Judge Davidson-he is your friend
t'Yes my uncle's friend.
''Oh. Almedo Lit another cigarette, which
he had been rolling, Mexican fashion, during
the talk. and continued: Judge Davidson is