The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-02-12

His father was employed by me for
years. and was faithful, but the son is
dangerous. 1 would gladly have for
hidden him to come here, but | knew it
would be unsafe, for he has the ear of
the captain-general, by whom he Is
trusted as an agent. Yet think not he
will willingly injure me if only" and
here a smile broke up the gravity of
his face. mo, it is at you he will aim.
1t may even be that he will represent
himself as having led you here; but how
to save you-that is the question"
The Don went on slowly talking,as If
thinking to himself and, in spite of the
near concern l had in his conclusions,
l found myself stealing glances at
Margarita, who still clung to her
fathers arm, as if in the hope of quick
ening his interest on my behalf by the
soft touch of her little hands on his
sleeve. He stopped and seemed to think
for a minute; and his daughter looked
round and frowned at me, when she saw
that my thoughts We're not fixed on
what he had been saying, and shook her
head at me with gesture of warning.
Yes" the Don began again, Il could,
indeed, get you removed in a vessel of
my own that leaves tonight, but, then,
how could we escape Tomaso? Then,
| indeed, he would divulge our connection
and be revenged on us, even If he could
not also stop you"
mot for the world, Don Castellano,"
I exclaimed. IF anyone is to suffer, it
must be me, and me alone"
Margarita grasped her fathers arm
more tightly, and looked up into his
70 l,iit oh
held up his hand deprecatingly to me.
| Stay" he said. Stay, children. Why
| is it that youth is ever so hot and
hasty?" He paused again, and his eyes
rested on his daughters face for mo-
ment. Then he spoke as if he had made
up his mind, at the same time laying his
hand softly on Margarita's glossy hair.
| "Yes, it will be best so. In any case, we
| must risk something. But there Is not
a moment to lose, You will stay here
while / arrange for safe men to get a
boat ready to go off to Cabellero,
and you will be ready to go the moment
l return" he added, glancing quickly
at me and then at his daughter.
In another moment the worthy Don
had disengaged himself gently and left
| the room. Can l attempt to tell what
passed between US? At first, indeed, l
| could not, if l tried. All l could do was
| to Soothe, by such instructive means as
| natural instinct supplies to lovers, of
touch and whispered word, which imply
| so little and yet so much, my companion
| who seemed for the first ime to feel the
| full bitterness of the disappointment.
| l tried to talk of the future, but the
| present seemed to swallow it up; / tried
to assure her that all would be well, but
she only shrank and trembled, as she
whispered, in little, futtering accents:
| "Juliano-oh, Juliano!"
But, Rita, you will be true to me
we will be true to one another-and
then nothing can really part us. 1t is
only If you shall love another-not now,
| of course but at any time hereafter
that l should really lose you" She
shuddered and looked at me with eyes
full of reproach.
"Ah, not Tomaso," / said; 81 don't
mean anything so low as that. But
years, perhaps long years hence, if some
man-not spy and a traitor-should
come; ah, then, Rita. if you should"
She seemed not to have heard the last
few words, for she drew herself erect
with a sudden motion, and her eyes
seemed to flash and blaze.
"Tomaso!" She pronounced the name
with a bitterness of contempt ano
hatred such as ] could not have sup
posed IT possible to throw into a single
word; "Tomaso! py-traitor-mur'
derer! Name not the base creature in
my presence. / abhor myself now thai
| l should ever have endured his hateful