The Central Nevadan. [volume] (Battle Mountain, Nev.) 1885-1907, 1903-07-16
UNDER TWO FLAGS

tnre with which she dealt. venetii
Corona never moved, never gave a sigr
Of the amazement that awoke In her
but she put her hand out and clasped
the barrel Of the weapon. while hel
eyes looked down into the flashing
looming, ferocious ones that menaced
her with calm. contemptuous rebuke,
in which something Of infinite pity WA
mingled.
"Child, are you mad7" she said grave
~. Brave natures do not stoop to as
~sassination, which you seem to defy.
IL you have any reason to feel evil
against me, tell me what It Is. al
ways repay a wrong IL I car. But as
for those threats, they are most absurd
IL you do not mean them; they are most
wicked IL you do"
The tranquil, unmoved, serious words
stilled the vehement passion she re-
buked with a strange and irresistible
power. Under her gaze the savage lust
In Cigarettes eyes died out, and their
lids dropped owe them. The dusky
scarlet color faded from her cheeks.
For the first time in her life she felt
hum.liated, y~anquished. awed. If this
'saristocrat" had shown one sign of
fear. one trace of apprehension, all her
violent and reckless hatred would have
reigned on and, 1t might have been,
have rushed from threat to execution
She let the pistol pass into Venetia's
grasp and stood irresolute and asham.
ed. her fluent tongue stricken dumb.
her intent to wound and sting and out.
rage with every vile coarse Jest she
knew rendered impossible to execute.
The purity and dignity Of her oppo-
nent's presence had their irresistible
influence, an influence too strong for
even her debonair and dangerous inso-
lence. She hated herself In that mo
ment more than she hated her rival.
yenetia laid the loaded pistol down.
away from both, and seated herself In
the cushions from which she had risen.
Then she looked once more long and
quietly at her unknown antagonist.
"WellT she said at length. "Why
do you venture to come here? And
why do you feel this malignity toward
this m~orning"
Under the challenge the fiery spirit
of Cigarette rallied, though a rare and
CALLING sense of intense inferiority. of
intense modification, was upon her.
though she would almost have given
the cross which was on her breast that
she had never come into this woman's
sight
"Oh-he!" she answered recklessly.
with the red blood flushing her face
again at the only evasion of truth OF
which the little desperate, with all her
sins. had ever been guilty. 81 hate
you, miladi. because of your order. be
cause of your fine. dainty ways, be-
cnuse of your a~ristocrat's i%nsolence. be
cause you treat my soldiers like pau
pers. because you are n of those who
do no more to have the right to live
than the purple butterfly that files in
the sun and who Gust the people out OF
their dues as the cuckoo kicks the poor
birds that have reared 1t out of the
nest of down to which 1t never has
carried a twig or a mossI"
Her listener heard with a slight
smile of amusement and Of surprise
that bitterly discounted the speaker.
II do NOT wish to discuss democracy
with you" she answered. with a tone
that sounded strangely tranquil to Gig
after the scathing acrimony of
her own. II should probably convince
you as little as you would convince me.
and ! never waste words. But | heard
you today claim a certain yirtue-jus-
tice. How do you reconcile with that
your very hasty condemnation Of a
stranger of whose motives. actions and
modes Of life 1t Is impossible you can
have any accurate knowledge? | an
sure that the heroine of Zaraila has
something nobler In her than mere ma.
lightly against a person who a eve
have injured her, and | would endure
her insolence for the sake of awaken
ing her justice. A virtue that was SO
great In her at noon cannot be utterly
dead at nightfall."
Cigarettes fearless eyes dropped IN.
der the gaze of those bent SO search.
lngly, yet so gently. upon her, but only
for a moment. She raised them afresh.
with their old. dauntless frankness.
"Ah. you shall never say you wanted
justice and truth from a French sol
der and failed to get them! | hate