Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1898-07-06
copyrigh ted by the J. u. Lippincottcu
CHAPTER III.-CoNTrNUED.

the curiosity-rooin. followed by Prof.
Mcschincs, and by a dashin9 Young
Mexican senior, whom Freeman had
met the previous evening, and who was
called Don Miguel de Mendoza. The
senior, to judge from his manner, had
already fallen violently in love with
Grace, and was almost dislocating his
organs of speech ia the effort to pay
her romantic compliments in English.
Freeman observed this with upalloyed
. satisfaction. But the look which Grace
bent upon him and Miriam, on enter
ing, and the ominous change which
passed over her mobile countenance,
went far to counteract this agreeable
impression.
One story is good until another is
told. Freeman had really thought
Grace fascinating girl until he saw
Miriam. There was no harm in that:
the trouble was, he had allowed Grace
to perceive his admiration. He had al
ready remarked that she was o creature
of violent extremes, tempered, but not
improved, by thin polish of subtlety.
She was now about to give an illustra-
ton of the passion of jealousy. But it
was not her jealousy that Freeman
minded: 1t was the prospect of Miriam's
scorn when she should surmise that he
had given Grace cause to be jealous.
Miriam was not the sort of character
to enter into q competition with any
other woman about lover. He would
lose her before he had chance to try
to win her.
But fortune proved rather more "a
vorable than Freeman expected or per
haps, than he deserved. Grace's attack
was too impetuous. She stopped just
inside the threshold, and said, in an
imperious tone, Come here, Mr.. Free
man; l wish to speak to you"
"Thanls you," he replied, resolving
at once to widen the breach to the
utmost extent possible, 81 am other
wise engaged"
"Upon my word" observed the pro-
lessor, with chucl1le, you're no di-
plomatist, Harvey! What are you two
about here? Investigating antiqui-
ties?'
THE remains of ancient Mexico are
more interesting than some of her re-
cent products, " returned Freeman, who
wished to quarrel with somebody, and
had promptly decided that Senior Don
Miguel de Mendoza was the most avail
able person. He bowed to the latter as
he spoke.
"You-a-spol1en to mc?'' said the
senior, stepping forward with polite
grimace. II no to quite compre-
hend-''
"Pray don't exert yourself to con-
verse with INC ont of your own Ian
guage, senor," interrupted Freeman,
in Spanish. II was just remarking
that the Spaniards seem to have degen-
Grated greatly since they colonized
Mexico"
"Scnor!" exclaimed Don Miguel,
stiffening and staring.
'Of course" added Freeman, smiling
benevolently upon him, 81 judge only
from such specimens of the modern
Don Miguel's sallow eountennnce
turned grcenish white. But, before he
could make a reply, Meschines, who
scented mischief in the mir, and OWNED
that the gentler Sex must somehow be
ut the bottom of it, struck in.
"You may consider yourself lucky,
Harvey in making the acquaintance of
gentleman like Senior de Mendoza,
who exemplifes the undimmed virtues
of Cortez and Torquemada. For my
part, l brought him here in the hope
that he might be able to throw some
light on the mystery of this embroid-
cred garment, which see you've been
examining. What do you say, Don
Miguel? Have these designs any sig
nifcance beyond mere ornament? Any
thing in the nature of hicroglyphics?"
The senior was obliged to examine,
and enter into discussion, though, of
course, his ignorance of the subject in
dispute was as the depths Of that abyss
which has no bottom. Miriam, who
was not fond of Don Miguel, but who
felt constrained to exceptional courtesy
In Wow of Freeman's unwarrantable
attack upon him, stood beside him and
the professor; and Freeman and Grace
were thus left to fight it out with each
other.
But Grace had drawn her own con-
illusions from what had passed. Free
man had insulted Don Miguel. Where
fore? Obviously, it could only be
because he thought that she was flirt-
ing with him In other words, Free.
man was jealous; and to be Jealous is
TO love. Now, Grace was so constituted
that, though she did not like to play
second fiddle herself, yet she had nc
objection to monopolizing all the mem.
bers of tho male species who might
happen, at given moment, to be in
sight.
She had, consequently, already for
given Freeman for his apparent un.
faithfulness to her, by reason of hi:
manifest jealousy of Don Miguel. As
matter of fact, he was not jealous
and he was unfaithful; but fate had de
creed that there should be, for the mo-
ment, game of cross-purposes; and the
decreee of fate are incorrigible.
II had no idea you were so savage"
she said, softly.
I'm not savage" replied Freeman
sT am bored"
"Well, don't know as I can hlam,
yon," said Grace, still more softly: sh.
fancied he was referring TO Miriam
81 don't much like Spanish mixture:
myself"
''One has to take what one can get,
said Freeman, referring to Don Miguel
"But it's all right now," rejoine'
she, meaning that Freeman and hersel