Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1895-06-01
COPYRIGHT 1884, sy cAssetLpu
CHAPTER TX.

lie was young man. and n Dutchman,
but not buchanan of tho stout, burly
typ" which | rad most commonly seen i'm
the county. He had, it Is true, tho usual
fair hcir and blue eyes and he was rather
short than tall. but his figure was thin
and Hcagcr, and he had pointed nose
and chin and scanty fair beard. took
him TO be neaTsightcd. At second
glance saw that he was angry. He was
talking fast to Dymphna-of course in
Dutcb-and my first impulse, in face of
his excited gestures and queer appearance,
was to laugh. But I had q notion what
his relationship to tho girl was, and l
smothercd this, and instead asked, as soon
as / could get a word in, whether 1 should
leave them.
''Oh, no." Dymphna answered, blush
ing slightly and turning to ire with a
troubled glance. believe she had clean
forgotten my presence. This is Master
Jan Van Tree, u good friend of ours, and
this" she continued still in Spanish, but
speaking To- him, lis Master Carey, one OF
my fathers guests
We bowed, be formally, for he had not
recovered his temper, and II dare say /
still had my Spanish ancestors in my head
with condcsccnsion. We dis,iacd enc
another ut sight l think / dubbed him n
mean little fellow, n trader, peddlcr,
and, however he classcd me, IL was not
favorahly. 80 1t was no particular desire
to please him which led me to say with
outward solicitudc, II fear you nrc an
noycd mt something, Master Van Tree"
II aInH' he said b!untly, meeting me
half way.
And am to know tho cause" asked,
Tor is it a secret"
at is 10 sccrctr' he retortcd. Mistress
IindstrOin should have been moro careful
She should not have exposed herself to the
chance Of being seen by those miserable
foreigners
Tho foreignC.B---in the boat" said
dryly.
Yes, of cGurse-in tho boat" he an
dwcr,d. ifc WAS Obliged to say that, but
he glared at me across her as he spoke
We had turned and were walking back to
tho house, the poplars casting long shad-
ows across our path.
They were rude, observed careless
Iy, my chin very high. But there is no
particular harm done that l can see, Mas
ter Van Tree"
Perhaps not, rs far as you can sce," he
rctortcd in great excitement. But per
haps also you Grc not very farsightcd
You may hot SEQ it now, yet harm will
follow"
Possibly" / said, and was going to
follow mp this seemingly candid admis-
sion by something very boorish when
Mistress Dymphna struck in ncrvously.
My father is anxious" she explained,
speaking to mo, THAT l should have as
little to do with our Spanish governors rs
possible, Master Carey. 1t always vexes
him to hear that I have fallen in their
way, and that is why my friend feels an
noycd. 1t was not, of course, your fault,
since you did not know of this 1t was
l." she continued hurricdly, who should
not have vcnturcd to the elm tree without
seeing that the coast was clear"
knew that she was timidy trying, her
color coming and going, to catch my eye,
tn appcaso mo as-thc greater stranger and
tn keep the peace between her i'll matched
companions, who indeed sta!ked along
cying one another much as wolf hound
and badger dog might regard each other
across "a choice bone But the young
Dutchman's sudden appearance had put
no out. / was not in lo.c with her. yet l
liked to talk to her, and grudgcd her to
him-hc seemed So mean u fellow. And
so-churl that l was-in answer to her
speech, let drop some snccr about the
great fear of the Spaniards which seemed
10 prevail in these parts.
"You arc not afraid of them, them"
Van Trcc said, with IL smile.
No; am not" l answered, my lip
curling also.
All" with much meaning. perhaps
you do not know them very wellv'
"Porhaps MOTEL replied. still, my
grandmother was u Spaniard."
80 should have thought, " he rctorted
swiftly, So swiftly that felt the words as
should have felt n blow.
What DO you mcan'" / blurtcd out,
haltin. before him, with my cheoi: Grim
son. In vain were all Dymphna' appeal
inr glanccs all her signs of distress. Il
will have you explain, Master Van Tree,
what you mean by THAR repeated
1icrccly.
II mean what said" he answered,
Confronting. me stuhhornly and shaking oil
Dymphna's hand. His blue eyes twinkled
with rage his thin beard bristlcd no was
the color Of n turkey cocks comb. AT
homo We should have thought him n COM
zeal little figure. but he did not seem 20
absurd here For one thing he looked
spitcful enough for anything, and for an.
other. though topped him by head and
shoulders. l could not natter myself that
hc WIS afraid of me On the contrary,
felt that in the presence Of his mistress
small and shortsighted rs he was, he
would have faced lion without wink
ing.
His courage was not to be put to th'
proof. was still glazing ut him, seeking
some rctort which should provoke hin
beyond endurance, when hand was lai(
on my shoulder. and turned to ind tina
Master Berthe and the duchess had joinet
us
$50 here arc the truants, the forme
said pleasantly, speaking In English ant
showing no Consciousness whatever OF IN
crisis in the middle Of which he had com
up though lac must have discerncd In on
defiant attitudes and in Dymphnas trou
hlcd face that something was wrong
.You know who this Is, Master Francis,
he continued heartily, ''or have you no
boon introduced 90 Master Van Tree, tn
bctrothcd OF our hosts daughter
Mistress Dymphpa has done me tina
honor" said stiii!y, recovering myself II
appcarancc. while ut heart sore and ansr
with everybody. But l fear the Dutcl
,,rntl,unan has not thanked her fer the In