Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1895-08-08
=N copYRleAr 1892 BY RAND. 1eNALLY CO.


the fountain alone was audible within
the enclosure.
"GrandpapaP Open the gate for me.
You will be sorry if you refuse"
Still there was no reply vouchsafed
by the obstinate old man. The APP
peal of Dolores, more piercing and as
sured this time, only served to arouse
the echoes Jacob Dealtry gave no
sign of life. Did he hear the appeal?
Had he shut himself up in the towerP
Fear again smote on the heart Of
Dolores a chilling, indefinable dread
of the coming night and darkness
She must seek the convent as ashelter,
or become beggar, fugitive. What
other refuge could Malta offer her?
Terrible alternatives of poverty and
friendlessness.
She wandered away from the gate,
and crept into the ruined temple,
where Lieut. Curzon had first found
her grandfather lying insensible on
the pavement Her instinct was to
hide herself from the light of day and
the scrutiny of her fellow creatures.
She was only conscious of cowardly
impulse to put off the fatal hour of re-
turn to the convent until evening and
when no other course should be
possible to her.
She crouched in the most obscure
corner of the ruin, holding Florio in
haY. Tho 1itkla IAr. !, iv,oA f.Orvn
time to time and licked her cheek
Florio evidently realized the full peril
of the miserable situation.
Her glance strayed around the rude
interior Of the temple with WEAKNESS
and Indifference She knew the place
WELL She had often visited it with
her grandfather and DIR. BusattL The
altar rose before her and fragments of
sculptured blocks lay scattered about
on the ground.
If the past appealed to her at all, it
was when q sunbeam slanted in a
golden shaft athwart the entrance, re-
calling to her the night when she had
personated the Phenician maiden in
the tableaux.
She buried her face in her hands and
wept Hunger and thirst assailed her.
and then her faculties became grad
ually dull, coldly benumbedL Perhaps
she slept.
A light and jaunty footstep aroused
her, a masculine voice hummed
strain of the song, my Pretty Brown
Maid"
Captain Blake looked into the tenn
pie.
Dolores held her breath, and
shrank back further into the shadow.
Florio was mute in sympathy.
The girl felt overwhelmed with
shame. She did not wish to be seen
in her disgrace, just then. What as
sistance could this stronger give her?
She hated him, with Sudden caprice of
unreasonable luminosity. If he dis
covered her retreat, he would laugh
and jest at the whole dilemma. Dol
ores could not endure laughter and
jesting in her present plight
What .beastly holer' remarked
Capt. Blake, aloud, as he lighted a
fresh cigar
Then he strolled on.
The minutes passed slowly and
monotonously. Dolores wished she
had detained, claimed the human sym
pathy of the gallant soldier once he
had departed He had been kind on
former occasion. Why shonld she
shrink from him now? Hope, expec-
tation, thrilling anxiety of waiting,
were all awaked in her breast by the
incident of Capt. Blake's taking
country walk. If no thus
rambled forth from the town,
why not another? All, she watched,
not for him, but for another!
Surely Arthur Curzon would come be-
fore nightfulL If he loved her, he
must be aware by some unerring in
tuition, of her need of him. OF course,
he loved her. Had he not repeatedly
sworn that he loved her? She doubted
this much needed tenderness no more
than she feared the sunshine would
be withdrawn by some cruel within of
nature from her island home
At length her quick ear heard an
other footstep approaching, She rose
to her feet with bound, and Florio
rushed out of the ruin with joyful
bark of welcome. Oh, swift divina-
ton of feminine coquetry! Arthur
Curzon had sought the Watch Tower,
with new fan in his pocket to atone
for his misdemeanor of the previous
night
Good morning, Dolores" blithely.
Good morning" falteringly.
Were you watching for me here,
little girl3 Bless you! Why, this
rum old temple would serve as a good
trysting place"
YES" said Dolores, with q sigh.
She grew pale, and her eyes sought
the ground.
"What is amiss, Dolores2" quickly.
She few to the young mans side,
and clasped both of her hands on his
arm.
II should have soon died If you had
not comel" she moaned. "Grandpapa
has driven me away He is in one of
his fits of bad temper He has them
occasionally. l did nothing to offend
him, except to hide the broken fan"
Arthur Curzon's features darkened,
while a CLEAN of anger shone in his
evea