Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-10-05

| launched into enthusiastic praise of the
virtue characteristic of la Senorita Coneha
I'm addition to which she is very pretty,
added Etienne significantly.
Rollo stopped with the semi-indignant
air of horse pulled up short in full career
But in moment he had recovered him
self.
Yes. he said doggedly. "she is very
pretty"
Not that you are man to care 70,
beauty-you never WERE" persisted Etienne
with a side look at Mortimer. You have
always said so yourself, you know" 80
mo, 1 never did care Rollo agreed, a
little hastily But yonder is the farm
house. l wonder If We shall find our horses
as We left them?'
Here Etienne laughed sardonicalIy for NO
reason at all.
II am in hopes that they will be fed and
refreshed" continued Roilo, imperviousIy.
I'VE must let them have feed of corn,
too. before they start
La Giralda. who had been leading the
| queens white mule, at that moment gave
up her post to Concha and fell back in
order to whisper something to the sergeant.
All" he said aloud, as soon as he had
! listened to her. that is well thought on.
1t falls out well. La Giralda and have a
little business Of our own to attend to,
which may occupy US a few minutes. With
your leave, colonel we will go on ahead
and arrange matters for the queens re-
1t may be as well to avoid entering the
house."
So the queen regent, with Concha in at
tendance and the little Isabel riding de-
| murely alongside on her diminutive donkey,
delighting in the unexpected excursion,
found that large barn and granary, cool
airy and with a roof Of stone arched like
the vaults of fortress had been prepared
for them. The horses of the party had
been fed and watered. Cloaks had been
| unstrapped and laid on piles of straw for
the ladies to rest upon-that Is, for her
majesty the Queen Maria Christina-Con-
cha being one Of the comfy and little
Isabel dancing everywhere after her as her
inseparable slave. So constant was the
companionship Of these two that it was
with the utmost difficulty and after sew
eral failures that Rollo managed to ex-
change a word with his sweetheart
You have been very brave" he whis-
peIed. Il should have failed but for YOU -
Ccncha blushed hot with swift pleasure,
but on this occasion her usual readiness of
speech seemed to have deserted her and
she stood silent, like a tongue-tied maid.
greedy for the first time In her life of her
own praise.
Before either could speak again the ser
geant was back to report that La Giralda
and he had dinner ready for the party.
You must not expect much" he said.
There is little available for the pot which
may, with safety. be cooked"
But, indeed. in such weather there was
need for nothing better than the arroz con
pollo-the chicken with rice, together with
the abundant gazpacho, for the first of
which he had found the materials in the
store chamber and barnyard of the desert
ed farm house.
The sergeant's hurriedly prepared lunch
was prodigious success.
The great folk partook as heartily as
any, and (perhaps owing to their extreme
youth the pollos tasted much more tender
than could have been expected, considering
the fact that the sergeant had found them
industriousiy pecking and scratching in the
dust of the farmyard upon his arrival
Rollo ate but little, for he was intensely
excited. He had succeeded beyond expecta-
ton so far and now he was beginning to
see his way past all entanglements to the
successful accomplishment of his mission
His plan was to proceed by unfrequented
paths, such as were, however, perfectly ia
miliar to his adjutant. Sergeant Cardono,
along the northern slopes of the Guadar-
rama till he should be able to look out
across the fertile plain of the Duero to-
ward the mural front Of the Sierra de Mon
cayo.
Thence by forced marches across the val
ley, undertaken at night, he might hope In
two stages at most to put his charges UNI
der the care of Gen. Elio. the immediate
representative of Don Carlos, who had es-
tablished his headquarters there. Small
wonder that Roilo grew excited. The worst
was over-the myriad adventures the peril
GUS passes, the thousand enemies. Now
the plains lay before him and-Concha
loved him.
If only this weight Of responsibility were
once on his 'mind-ah. then.
Kind In general. How often the wind falls
to breeze. heat-tempering, grateful,
which comes in fits and starts net severe
enough to chill. yet long enough to cool the
body, weafied by the summer heats with
sense Of grateful relief.
nd n y,roS l1v fri I,xk noAA