Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1902-02-11
CHAPTER II.
AN AFFAIR OF HONOR.
y 4 YHEN the carriage in which
AA( Burr Pendleton was pris
W oner arrived at its destina
CHAPTER II.

ed, but the serape which 80 efectually
hoodwinked him was not disturbed.
One of his captors took him by the arm,
and he was informed that II he would
walk along quietly no harm would be-
fall him. He complied without deiGn-
ing to speak.
He was conscious that his feet
crunched upon gravel paths which
wound in and out among shrubbery,
for the branches frequently brushed
against him, and once he thought 1t
probable that he was again within the
secluded garden of the Tacubaya gam
bling house This illusion was soon dis
PEELED, however, for after passing
across an extended court that was flag
ged with stone and thence into n Sec
ond- shrubbed and graveled inclosure
he was directed to mount q flight OF
three steps, and he knew that he en-.
tered an apartment Of some kind.
There was the yielding touch of soft
carpeting under his tread. and the
warm air was quite In contrast with
the chill without He was hidden cour-
teously to wait one moment and was
left standing in the middle Of the floor.
He heard the sound made by closing
door, and after what seemed an inter-
minable period, although 1t could not
have been more than minute or two,
he attempted to relieve himself OF the
binding serape.
There was no resistance, and upon
casting it aside he discovered that he
was alone. His conductor had disap-
peared.
For moment he stared around him
in amazement. This was certainly not
the sort of treatment he had expected.
He began to think that perhaps they
were not bandits after all; the sur
roundings of that moment did not sug-
gest such an explanation. The room
was richly, even luxuriously, furnish
ed, and his first quick glance told him
that it was the favorite living room OF
a lady; the pictures on the walls, the
chairs, the piano and the books that
Uttered the table all assured him OF
that much. The wide, low window,
through which he believed he had en-
tered the room, was open. Not so the
iron bars that protected it, but they
told him nothing, since every house In
Mexico has its windows so furnished.
He peered out through the grating. but
he could see nothing except the out
lines of tall trees showing against the
sky. There was nothing by which he
could determine his locality, so he turn.
ed back into the room again and cross
ed to the table, where one of the lamps
with which the apartment was sup,
piled was burning. His glance rested
upon slip Of paper with writing upon
It, and he read these words:
Senior Pendleton-If you are mystifed concern
ing the events OF this evening, read the letter
that last came into your possession.
There was no signature, but he rec
ognized the chirography as the same
as that he had received early In the
day calling him to Tacubaya. and he
added mentally. Where | was fool
enough to go to be trapped by wo'
man."
His cigars were intact, and he light
ed one. Then. after arranging the lamp
more to his purposes he dropped into
an easy chair near the table. produced
I'm h,an ,yixnn tn him
by his companion in the summer
| house, broke the seal and began:
crave your pardon. Senior Pendleton, for th'
| indisnity that am forced to thrust upon yon.
| have determined to prevent the meeting beiw'c'
| YOU and CAPTAIN Romero, and as ] have no h"?
| that YOU will consent to abandon all thought .
| it have prepared this in anticipation OF YOU
refusal You will not he detained longer than D
necessary-that is, only LITTLE longer. for I
will not be possible to liberate you during tn
| hours Of daylight. Twenty'forr hours vii b
the duration Of your imprisonment. In ih
| meantime you will be left entirely alone. You
| room is supplied with every necessity you WI
require during that time, and when 1t expires a
soon as you have placed the serape over your hea
| 50 that you can see nothing. you will be 'ake'
back to the city, at least as far as II Cabllito
| 10 New York tomorrow night. regret that vii
not be able to liberate you enough for you L
| carry out your plan The train leaves three hour
| too early for that. But YOU need not be pre-
vented from taking the carly morning tram o
| the other road. II you will leave your New ior
| address on the table, ] will communicate Wit
you again; also, should you care to communicat
| with your servant, II you will write the messa-
| and throw il through the grating at your win
| dow il will be delivered at once. II have place.
| you in false position concerning the duel an
your masculine conception Of honor. can assur
YOU that the day will come when you will than
me for what have done, IL the opportunity oc
curs. will sign this letter as did the one tina
brought you to Tacubaya. One who prefers. 10
the present, to be known to you only as
CARMEN.
Pendleton folded the letter and re
turned 1t to his pocket. Then he looked
at his watch and discovered that |
was not yet midnight. After that HI
paced moodily up and down the room
many times.
"Of course she means to read what
ever I write to James" he unused, "an'
IL I say anything In explanation or III!
/ ADSpUcc lIle uleSSdSS wiz NV 80
only thing l can do is to tell him to le
things stand as they are until later
and | must do that; otherwise he viii
be out of the city before | am out
here unless
There were writing materials on tn
table, and he indited the following
message to his valet:
You will extend the time Of waiting for N
twenty.four hours. Do nothing whatever unit
that time. II there should be callers, tell thel
all that will be prepared to receive eyerybod
at midnight tomorrow night-tonght OF the da
vo, ,.na;yo tb;s B.P.
He thrust the message through tn
grating, extinguished the lights In tn
room and stood on guard to see III
person who should come to take 1t, an
when that person appeared he recoe
nized in the graceful walk and carrias
the lady OF his nterview In the gan
bling house. Sh. kept her face turne
away Notwithstanding the fact that
was concealed by the lace mantill:
But he had already seen it twice sine
he came to Mexico. and he understoo
the act to mean that she did not wis
him to address her, SO he permitted he
! to depart In silence.
Burr Pendleton by reason Of his II
talIstic propensities might have been
good Moha hammedan, and he accepte
his enforced leisure with entire cain
ness. He knew that he could not brea
through the bars at the window. an