The Delta independent. [volume] (Delta, Colo.) 1886-19??, 1897-09-17
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copyright. 1896. BY }. B. Lippiaeost Col

inc bISSA upor.HSiHS WOuIu huNe
secuted such methods, but the secretive
nature of Demetrius, stimulated by ter
ror of Burlington, accounted satisfac-
torily for everything. The fellow was
an out-and-out poltroon.
Mark Gerard dined alone with Nancy
and me. He was in no mood to talk,
and gulped down his dinner in gloomy
silence. Since we parted in the stable
yard his manner Aad entirely changed.
From his gestures rather than from his
words 1 inferred that he was intensely
nervous q laid this to the charge of De-
netrius), and unduly irritable. Nancy,
too, seemed depressed and distracted.
She replied in moncsyllables to my few
questions.
Nancy, go TO your mother" said Ger
ard, as the coffee was brought in. II
wish TO talk with Mr.. Livingston"
We pushed our chairs from the table
and lighted cigars.
"Demetrius," said Gerard, sis not n
coward"
merely bowed, having resolved, for
the future, to curb my tongue.
''IIe proposes" Gerard spoke slowly,
watching me narrowly between half
closed eycs-''he proposes to take en-
tire charge of-of this mailman. You"
He rolled up carefully the loossned
wrapper of his cigar. and /, chatting ut
the delay, forgot my good resolutions
and blurted out:
What disposition does he make of
me?'
'Pshaw!" said Gerard, frowning;
what hot-head it is! The empha-
sized the pronoun Ctwas an effective
trick of hist, my lad, have pleasant
er work for you. Ishall send my family
20 Europe at once in your charge. Mrs.
Gerard needs complete change; the boy
must see something of the world; and
Nancy. of course, will be counted in.
What do you think of my plan?"
"Your plap," said, dryly, takes me
by surprise"
Surprise-the word but feeb.y ex-
presses the condition of my feelings.
Had pemetrius dared to make this sug-
gestion, in the teeth of what had &C.
Cured in the cave? And il so, in the
name of the Sphinx, to what purpose,
knowing, as he must know, that l
should refuse to become n party to his
infamous scheme? Was master in col
lusion with man? No. couldn't be-
liege that. What then? The scoundrel
was q consummate judge of character,
aud he had had abundant opportunity
to study the idiosyncrasies of Hugo
Livingston. lie probably counted upon
my promise of secrecy, and-by Jupi-
ter! thctruth flashed upon me-countcd
further upon my opposition, and my
subsequent dismissal from the service
of Gerard. 1 would try and balk him.
"If Dcmetrius," said i, lightly, els
ia the house, should like to talk this
over with him"
"Demetrius returned at once to
Mark"
How far is it to the island ?" asked.
Not more than two miles"
l rose 10 my feet.
'Mr. Gerard, must see Demetrius to-
night. within two hours you shall have
your answer"
lie nodded and pulled at his cigar.
"As you please" he said, indifferently.
The immortal Lincoln said that you
could fool part of the people all the
time, and all the people part of the
time, but that no man could fool all
the people all the time.
In considering the relations which
existed between Mark Gerard and the
Greek, this piece Of wisdom bubbled up
out of my memory and lent an agree
able efTervescencc to my reflections.
Gerard was brilliant man in his way,
but had conc to the conclusion that
Dcmetrius was the stronger, mentally,
OF the two, and exercised a potent in
/ flucnce upon his master. ] still chung
TO my theory in regard to the Greeks
| cowardice; otherwise 1 should hardly
have trusted myself alone with him.
lie had no intention, l was convinced,
of meeting or nursing Burlington. lie
was fooling Gerard lie should not, /
decided. fool Hugo Livingston.
The night was perfect, an idyllic
night for lovers. The moon lolled lazily
in the sapphire heavens. The air WINS
soft and odorous, languid with the per-
fume of n million flowers. And the
voice of spring whispered her old, old
story.
where are you going?"
1t was Nancy. She fitted towards
me. n slender. Naiad-like figure, IL
lumined by the silvery beams.
1 "Who would not wish to be abroad
such night as this, Miss Nancy? I'm
\ OIL for walk"
"fll 60 with you," she replied. "Mam-
ma is asleep, and my father'-her voice
hardened-'doesn't want me-"
] hesitated.
"If you don't want me, too"
My scruples fled.
& "Tm going to the island, Miss Nancy.
Perhaps you would like TO see Mark"
She made no reply, and we started,
side by side. not yard between US. In
silence We paced down the path to the
SEA and descended the steps which led
to the sands. forgot Demetrius, for