The Irish standard., 1896-04-04

"a'eo, ooSCul GU tue piOSi'cCC duu Ab'
vored his design. He reached the low
adobe wall of the corral in safety; look
ing over he could detect in spite of the
darkness that number Of the horses
were Of alien brands, and even recog-
nized one or two from the Santa Inez
district.
The vague outlines of buggies and
carryalls filled the long shed beside the
: stables. There was company at the
casa-so far Susy was right.
Nevertheless, lingering still by the
walls of the old garden, for the deepen
ing Of night, his nervous feverishness
was again invaded and benumbed by
sullen memories. There was the OPEN
ing left by the old grille in the wall, be-
hind which Mrs. Peyton stood on the
morning when he thought he was leav-
ing the ranch foreyer--where he had
first clasped her in his arms. and
stayed; turn of the head, a moments
indecision, single glance of languor-
Gus eye, had brought this elimination.
And now he stood again before tina t.
ruined grille, his house and lands, even
mis- name, misused by a mad, scheming
adventures, and himself creeping
spy Of his own dishonor.
He turned with bitter smile again
to the garden. A few dark Castilian
roses still leaned forward and swayed
in the wind with dripping leaves. 1t
was here that the first morning of his
arrival he had kissed Susy; the per-
fume and color OF her pink skin came
back to him with sudden shock as he
stood there; he caught at the flower.
drew it toward him and inhaled its
odor in a long breath that left him faint
and leaning against the wall.
Then again he smiled, but this time
more wickedly-in what he believed
his cynicism had sprung up the first
instinct of revenge!
1t was now dark enough for him to
venture across the carriage road and
make his way to the rear Of the house.
His first characteristic instinct had
been to enter openly at his own front
gate--but the terrible temptation to
overhear and watch the conspiracy I'M
observed-that fascination common to
shame-had grown upon him. He
knew that word or gesture Of expla
nation, apology, appeal, or even terror
from his wife would check his rage
and weaken his purpose.
His perfect knowledge of the house
and the security of its inmates would
enable him from some obscure landing
or gallery to participate in any secret
conc1ave they might bold in the patio
the only place suitable for SO numerous
rendezvous. The absence Of light in
the few external windows pointed to
this central gathering. And he had al
ready conceived his plan of entrance.
Gaining the rear wall of the casa he
heg;ln cautiously to skirt it's branbly
base, until he had reached long,
oven-lil1e window, half obliterated by
"a monstrous passion vine.
It was the window of what had once
been Mrs. Peyton's boudoir; the win
dow by which he had once forced an
entrance to the house when it was in
the hands of the squatters; the window
from which Susy had signaled her
Spanish lover; the window whose graf
ing had broken the neck of Judge Pey-
tons presumed assassin.
But these recollections no longer de-
layed him; the moment for action had
arrived. He knew that since the trag-
edy the boudoir had been disrnantled
and stunned; the servants believed it to
be haunted by the assassin's ghost.
With the aid of the passion vine
che ingress was easy. The interior win
dow was open; the rustic of dark
leaves on the bare floor as he entered
and the whirr of a frightened bird by
his ear told the story of it's desolation
and the source of the strange noises
that had been heard there.
The door leading to the corridor was
lightly bolted, merely to keep it from
rafting in the wind. Slipping the bolt
with the blade of his pocketknife, he
peered into the dark passage. The
light streaming under the door to the
left and the sound of voices convinced
him that his conjecture was right.and
the meeting was gathered on the broad
balconies around the patio.
He knew that a narrow gallery, faced
with Venetian blinds to exclude the sun,
looked down upon them. He managed
to gain it without discovery: luckily
the blinds were still down. Between
their Stats, himself invisible, he could
hear and see everything that occurred.
Yet even at that supreme moment the
first thing that struck him was the al
most ludicrous contrast between the ap-
pearance of the meeting and it's ire
mendous object.
Whether he was influenced by any
previous boyish conception of cloudy
and gloomy conspiracy, he did not
know. but he was for an instant almost
disconnected by the apparent levity
and festivity of the conclave. Ocean
ters and glasses stood on small tables
before them; nearly all were drinking
and smoking.
They comprised Is or 20 men, some
whose faces were familiar to him else
where as southern politicians; few,
he was shocked to see, were well-known
northern democrats.
Occupying a Enthusiastically CEN
trail position was the famous Col. Star
bottle. of Virginia. Jaunty and youth
full looking. in his mask-like. beert!less
face. expressive and dignitied I'M his
port and carriage. he
,aIcne retained something Of the inn
-portance-albcit slightly theatrical and
affected-of the occasion. r.
Ts1nro,,co in h;s r. ret hlIrr1pf1 ,xEi:enc,