Evening star., 1901-10-26

door as II a gust OF wind had been rioting
through the corridors
Where is Concha?" he cries, al soon as
''Herer' replies q voice. a little muffied.
/ Is true, from neighboring room. mo
stay where you are! I shall be back in a
| moment"
"Ah. Etienne-John. how are your Have
| they given you any b-eakfastf Etienne.
| girls in the Plaza Villarasa. / saw them
| on the balcony as rode through with the
Sagunto regiment the other day"
Trust him for that!' comes the voice
| from behind the curtain.
| MY lord duke" says Etienne in a mas
| ter-of-ceremonies voice, $50 long as I am
permitted daily to gaze upon the beauty
OF your Incompatible wife, how can this
| heart turn from that to the admiration
or any meaner object?'
What nonsense is he talking now?"
asks Concha, returning demurely. 81 know
| at least three girls OF this city of Valencia
| who have the best reasons for expecting
NJ de Saint Pierre to make proposals for
the honor Of their hands But what can
You expect Of such a wretch"
| Wen, Master Etienne," says Rollo you
win now have chance to forget Mistress
Concha and make some fair Castilian hap
py. For L must send you Immediately with
shese & aispatches spa to Madrid. You will stay
| week and return with the answers That
VIII give such lady killer ample time to
bring matters to a head with the most
| hard-hearted of the, senoritas of the can,.
| tal." r-
| An, signs Etienne, kissing a hand to
Concha as he appeared to take his leave
your husband wrongs me- He who hath
so much misjudges me who have so littlel
| Truly, 1 shall soon be able to saw. turn
| ing about the old catch:
My soul is in Valencia;
| My body is in Madridv
Well. John. this is great seeing" said
aho: no1,o, Wnen Etienne had departed to see
ABOUT horses and an escort, what in the
world has brought you hither? Surely
your rather cannot want you to make an
other 1000 In order that you may have
the right to attend his twirling spindles
from $40 every morning to $50 every
night?"
"Oh, l am a partner now" Mortimer
answered: even though my father insisted
upon pocketing every penny of the profit
on the abbots priorato. Strict man OF
business my father! He said 1t would
teach me in the future to be spry about
getting my goods shipped. And when L
explained. he only said that what had been
possible for him here in England, sitting
at ease in his arm chair, ought to have been
possible for me on the spot, and with money
In my pocket"
'And what did you do?" asked Rollo,
smiling
We'll. at any rate, 1 struck him for a
and the convent onions were good for the
rest. So now 1 am a partner in the firm
with good quarter interest"
And what are you doing here? More
onions?" laughed his friend.
John blushed and looked down at the
carpet. They had carpet at the govern
or's house-though in her heart Concha
always wants to have it up when any one
comes, lest they should tread upon 1t.
NO." he said slowly. 1.-The fact is 1 think
you spoiled me a bit for staying at home.
for mill hours and-that sort Of thing. So
now 1 am to be foreign agent and buyer.
I've been taking lessons in the language.
and if you can put any business in my way
l shall be glad
do you see those fellows?" he demanded.
AS he spoke he pointed to a detail of the
wiry little Valencian soldiers in their white
undress blouses and bragas.
Now, john" he went on, II can't get
stuff here that won't tear the first time
they do the goose-step or even sneeze ex-
ira hard. The contractors are thieves, every
man Jack What can you do for me? L
have O000 of these fellows and lots moro
coming on, down in the huertas and rice
fields"
an order indeed. Wait! L will let you
know my best possible in a moment
And he pulled out note book crammed
with figures.
deed" he said, after a moment. Concha
jumped to her feet and clapped her hands.
"Oh.'' she cried joyously. ''and 1 know
Senior de Mendia the head of the customs
And, Oh Rollo, you and he can arrange all
about getting 1t through and all my dress
stuffs as well. It will be quite an addition
to our income If Don Juan sells you the
stuff cheap
For an instant Rollo looked little in
dignant and then went up to his wife and
kissed her.
my dear" he said, ''you can never un-
derstand. We don't do these things in our
country"
At which John grinned incredulously.
Il have done business in Glasgow" he
said, suggestively.
at any rate" said Rollo, nettled, Il
don't do them
Here Concha pouted adorably and kicked
footstool with her slippered toe which
certainly was not doing her any harm.
II am sure We are very poor,' she cried.
II wish that wretch Ezquerra, whom they
more than he did. l think you should write
to him. Rollo.'
Better keep in with Ezquerra.' laughed
the governor, you and l are rich enough.
Concha, and baby shall have an ivory ring
to cut his teeth upon. You shall have one
new dress a year, and there are always
enough vegetables in the garden with which
to toss up salad. Oh we shall live sDoiIt
one, we shall live!''
And he kissed her, not needing the others
But why must we keep in with Ezquer-
raj" said Concha, still unsatisfied, "he was
an executfoner once.
"Well," said Rollo, 'the fellow has been
at his old trade again, 1T seems. He may
be dictator any day now. They say he
mas enQeQ the war IN the nOrth-murdered
fourteen of his own brother generals and
bought fourteen of the other side. Bravo,
Esquerra, 1 always knew he would do some
thing In the fine old style one of these days
But fourteen at time is epic, even for
Spain"
And so the war is ended. Well that is
always one good thing. anyway" said
Concha, careless Of the means
Come. Dolores, let us go and look at
the babes. These people want to talk poll
tics. They don't want US. It's easy to
see that"
So. taking the arm of Dolores Garcia
(who had glanced once at her husband
when he came in and never looked at him
again) little Concha walked to the door
sedately, as became a matron and the wife
OF a grandee. Then In her old flashing
manner, she turned about swiftly, and