The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1903-01-08
CONTINUED

Pendleton folded the letter and re-
turned 1t to his pocket. Then he looked
at his watch and discovered that it
was not yet midsight. After that he
paced modify up and down the room
many times.
''Of course she means to read what
ever I write to James," he unused, ''and
! IL say anything in explanation Of my
absence the message will not go. The
only thing can do is to tell him to let
things stand as they are until later,
and must do that; otherwise he will
be out of the city before / am out OF
here unless
There were writing materials on the
table, and he indited the following
message to his valet:
You will extend the time Of waiting for me
twenty-four hours. Do nothing whatever until
that time. II there should be callers, tell them
all that I will be prepared to receive everybod,
at midnight tomorrow nght-touisht Of the day
you receive this b P.
He thrust the message through the
grating, extinguished the lights in the
room and stood ON guard to see the
person who should come to take it, and
when that person appeared he recog-
nized in the graceful walk and carriage
the lady Of his interview in the gam
bling house. She kept her face turned
away Notwithstanding the fact that it
was concealed by the lace mantilla.
But he had already seen it twice since
he came to Mexico, and he understood
the act to mean that she did not wish
him to address her, so he permitted her
to depart in silence.
Burr Pendleton by reason Of his ia
talistic propensities might have been
good Mohammedan, and he accepted
his enforced leisure with entire calm
ness. He knew that he could not break
through the bars at the window. and
even if he might have done SO he
would doubtless be recaptured. He
had thought out the predicament in
which he found himself while he was
pacing up and down the room before
+ he wrote the message to James, and he
had arrived at the Zenoesque decision
that what could not be cured must be
endured. Intensely annoyed and deep
down in his heart intensely angry, he
only shrugged his shoulders, smiled
cynically and wondered, not without
amusement, what Captain Agramonte,
Romero and others would think and
say of him when he should fail to ap-
pear on the dueling ground at the ap-
pointed time.
Then, still standing at the window in
the dark and putting leisurely at his
cigar, he began to plan his conduct
after his liberation. 1t was not an
easy thing to do, for he realized that
even Agramonte, his friend. would find
1t hard to believe that he had been for
gagement. He knew that Romero and
his second would lose no time in brand
ing the American as a coward and that,
according to the code duello Captain
Romero would have the undisputed
right to refuse another appointment.
In concentrating his mind upon these
perplexities he also unconsciously con-
centrated his gaze upon a given point
among the shrubbery at spot where
two paths parted at an acute angle,
both to disappear in the darkness, and
suddenly at the apex of the two paths
he discerned motion.
At first he believed it to be an animal
of some kind, but it seemed larger, and
presently he decided that it was a hui
man figure stretched at full length
upon the ground and slowly, but sure
~, approaching the window where he
stood. Instantly his perplexities were
forgotten, and he watched the ap-
preaching figure curiously. 1t was a
man clad in the charro costume of
home tanned leather affected by ru-
rales, indescribable in color and almost
invisible at night. Pendleton realized
that he would never have discovered
the figure had it not happened that his
gaze was concentrated upon 1t at the
very instant 1t appeared. Two men at
the same window engaged in CONVEX
sation and not intent upon anything in
particular might have looked upon it
dozen times without seeing it once.
Quite naturally he asked himself the
reason Of the mysterious visit. He
thought of an attempt at assassination,
but dismissed the idea at once, and aft
er conjecturing upon many possibili-
ties, all of which were improbable, he
gave it up and waited. The true rea-
son did not once occur to him. The
Mexican nature is naturally chivalrous,
all critics to the contrary notwithstand-
ing, and Pendleton was soon to have
ocular proof Of it.
The stranger glided up the steps
with the silence and grace Of a ser
pent, and when at last he had disposed
his full length laterally against the
building, with his face close to the
grating, he Kissed very much like one.
Pendleton In the meantime had re-
manned motionless and silent, but when
the man Kissed he replied in his natu-
raj tones by asking in Spanish what
was wanted.
"Silencer' commanded the man in a
sharp whisper. 1T was who brought
you here tonight, senior. l have re-
turned for the purpose of serving you.
If you will take the trouble to get
down on the floor as close to me as pos
sible, there will be no danger of being
overheard. IL 1t should be discovered
that ] am here. my power to serve you