The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1899-05-19

L lC NSdl-
ifornia has few singing birds) had be-
gan their roulades, to which the staccato
notes of the gulls and the myriad-voiced
chorus of frogs from the marshes east
of the sand-dunes furnished a curious
and effective accompaniment. The
scent of the violet, heliotrope and
jasmines hung lightly on the breeze.
The lawn sparkled with dew. The
lanceolate leaves of the eucalypti quiv-
cred against an opalescent sky. Lean
ing out of the window, my tired eyes
rested upon the Pacific, which wooed
ME to its embrace with tender mur-
muir of welcome. For the multitude of
sea-birds could prophesy that the
mackerel and sardines were in the bay.
The cormorants were hard at work,
plunging with mighty splashes into the
water. | caught now and again the
CLEAN of a mackerel in their monstrous
beaks, and noted idly the parasites
swapping up the morsels Of fish care
iessy dropped by their patrons. What
a paradise! To me a garden of Eden,
with its tree of knowledge of good and
evil, its serpent, its Eve, and, alas! the
angel with the flaming sword.
1t falls to the lot of all sons of Adam
to wander once down the enchanted
glades of Eden. How many recognize
the place too late, when the gate is
closed against them foreverl
My thoughts were put to flight by the
sound of Nancy's voice. She beckoned
eagerly from the passage.
IAN extraordinary thing has hap
pened," she gasped. "Demetrius has
gone. He never went to bed at all. And
and ne has taken Mark with him!"
"Gone!" calculated. So the fellow
had turned tail. His nerves at the crit
ical moment had failed.
''He has left letter formamma. She
is reading it now. Unjust go to her."
Flinging these disjointed phrases at
my head she left me. and returned
thoughtfully to the bedside of Bur-
lington. AS yet he had shown no dis
position to talk. The doctors second
examination had provoked groans and
affirmative mods in response to impor-
tant questions. The man was terribly
bruised; but his bones. mirabile dictu.
were still intact. Quiet, of course, was
Imperative; and any excitement might
prove fatal. l led the doctor to the Win
dow and told him briefly that
Demetrius had left the house. ANY
thing you need, doctor, l can get. Pray
command me-" The doctor, however,
refused my services, and went himself
to prepare liniment. 1 accompanied
him to the door, and when turned con-
fronted the melancholy eyes of Bur
lington. The fire was out of them; in
its place was u question.
Am in the house of Mark Gerard?"
he asked, harshly.
you are in the house of Mrs. Ger
ard" I replied. 1t was futile to evade
the truth, but wondered how he would
take it.
He took it, as might be expected.
hardly-in silence. The hot blood
famed across his forehead, and ebbed
instantly, leaving the pale complexion
livid-a danger signal which quickened
my own pulses. The situation was in
tensely dramatic. His next question
gurprised me:
rs the Greek here?"
HE was here"
Curse him! Don't let him come into
this room."
He closed his eyes and said no mare.
After all. he had said enough. The
mere words, coupled with the tones OF
his deep voice, Mortified me. Manifest
ly, his appetite for blood was not yet
glutted. And this man was the father
of Nancy!
An hour later the letter of Demetrius
was placed in my hands. had finished
a hasty breakfast, and was sitting.
smoking, upon the veranda. The doc
tor and the nurse were with Burlington.
The letter ran thus:
Dear Madame: Acting in accordance
with the instructions l received from my
master. have been compelled to leave your
house and take your son with me- We can
camp at the hut on the island" Mark had
described this hut to me with enthusia SIN;
1t had been built by his father and was well
provisioned for the purposes of duck shoot
ing). land Mark, as you know. will be
safe and happy there with me. dare not
take the chances of exposing the boy to
the fury of powerful madman. Yours re-
spectfully. madame. DEMETRIUS."
fro BE CoNTINUED.I