Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-01-10

on his launches. His grasp missed
would have sent them all to the bottom
of the abyss together AS it was they
were safe, through his gallant action
CALAMITY performed; and however un-
pleasant his temper might have been
he had undoubtedly saved them all
from destruction.
But the contempt with which he
grasped the baron by the shoulder and
shook him as a terrier shakes rat!
the driver meanwhile having got to
the head of his horses, with whom he
was reasoning and arguing, pointing
out the error Of their ways and the
folly as well as wiclSedness Of which
they had been guilty; the superb
tone of disdainful superiority with
which he said: "Come, baron, pull
yourself together like a man! Your
precious life is in no danger-no thanks
to you for yourself or the others. You
were not too frightened, can see," he
added, turning to Ida and speaking
with more genuine admiration than he
had ever yet shown to her. "You are
English and know how to face danger
with couragew
st is well to be without nerves."
sobbed the princess. eve southerners
have susceptibilities which you cold
northerners want"
''They are inconvenient things at
times" said Gerald, significantly.
By now the baron had recovered and
could take part in things as they were.
II can face bullet" he said, quite
rs significantly. where my mother
and la signOrina are concerned con-
fess lose my head. Had been alone
You would have seen a different man"
Possibly" said Gerald, with q sheer.
t'Meanwhile the man we have seen he's
not contributed much to the safety of
the ladies fore whom he processes SO
much regard. We can judge of the I'M
seen only by the seen"
1--WE will speak of this again. said
the baron, with meaning lightly touch
ing his own breast.
''At your pleasure" said Gerald,
measuring him from head to foot with
eyes that spoke more than lips could
have done. 1t was as if they had said:
"Reluctant to meet you? I, the crack
shot of the African wilds and the In
dian jungles, afraid to face a nerveless
coward like your"
All that evening the Englishman
waited for the challenge which never
came. When dinner was over he
strolled about the hotel gardens and
made love to Ida in his domineering,
trenchant way. But the baron and his
mother did not appear. They had been
at the table d. hote dinner where Ger
aid had almost insulted the young man
where Ida had been now cool and
now sorry as her mind dwelt low on
her young lovers cowardice and now
on his charms. But after dinner they
had vanished into space, and no mes
sage came to any Of the group. Ida
was restless and Of uncertain mood.
She sometimes laughed almost hys.
terically and sometimes was near to
tears. The brutal strain in Gerald's
character had never rasped her as il
rasped her tonight, and in her heart
she hated him as if he had been q
murderer. When she saw that, for
sure, the Italians would not come back
this evening, she too slipped away
with an aching heart and tempe,
nearly Us bad as Gerald's.
THE one brute and the other q
coward" she said to herself: land the
coward the best of the two!"
The next morning mother and SOC
\ had gone, and a sweetly-worded note
to Ida from the princess told the
reason of this sudden fight. They
went, it said, because they saw how
things were between her, 10 signorinu
and Mr.. Frobisher. He was her lover
and she loved him. The baron's heart
was broken; he loved the signorina ia
distraction; but he was too delicate ia
interfere in thing already arranged