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

you are as beautiful as q sorceressI
There IL no wonder he loves your
"Hel WhoY"
'aThe nan who carves the toys you
give your dog to break All. how be
loves you! When he was down with
his wounds after Zaraila, he said SO.
But he never knew what he said, and
he never knew that I heard him. You
are like the women OF his old world.
Though through you he got treated
like a dog. he loves you! And you
think 1t insult, I will warrant-insulf
for a soldier who has nothing but his
courage and his endurance AMI his her
oism under suffering to ennoble him
to dare to love Nine. In Princess Coro-
ma! I think otherwise. l think that
Nine. la Princess Corona never had a
love of SO much honor. though she has
had princes and mobiles and all the men
of her rank no doubt at her feet.
through that beauty that is like a
spellr
"You speak wildly and at random.
like the child you are" the grande dame
answered her with chill. contemptuous
rebuke. 81 do not imagine that the
person you allude to made you his
confldant In such a matter"
"He?" retorted Cigarette. "He be-
longs to your class, miladi. He Is rs
silent as the grave. You might kill
him. and he would never show it hurt
| only know what he muttered In his
fever"
when you attended himg"
Not Iw cried Cigarette. who saw for
the first time that she was b~etraying
herself. "He lay In the scullion's tent
where l was. that was all. and he was
d~elirious with the shot wounds. Men
are often
"Wait. Hear me a little while be-
fore you rush on In this headlong and
foolish speech" interrupted her au-
ditor. You err in the construction
you have placed on the words. what.
eyer they were. which you heard. The
gentleman-he Is a gentleman-whom
you speak Of bears me no love. We
are almost strangers. But by a strange
chain of circumstances he Is connected
with my family. He once had a great
friendship with my brother. For rea-
sons that l do not know. but which are
imperative with him, he desires to
keep his identity unsupported by every
one. An accident alone revealed 1t to
me, and ! have promised him not to
divulge 1t. You understands
Cigarette gave an affirmative ges-
ture. Her eyes were fastened sudden
ly, yet with a deep. bright glow In
them, upon her companion. She was
beginning to see her way through his
secret-a secret she was too intrinsical-
ly loyal even now to dream Of betray-
ing.
Then you will cease to feel hatred
toward me for so senseless a reason as
that l belong to the %aristocracy that
offends you. and you will remain silent
on what I tell you concerning the one
whom you know as Louis yictorr"
Cigarette nodded assent. The sullen
fire glow still burned In her eyes. but
she succumbed TO the resistless infu.
ence which the serenity. the patience
and the dignity Of this woman had over
her.
"He is of your order. Them she ask
ed abruptly.
"He was. yes"
"Oh. he wasI" cried Cigarette. with
her cold irony. "Then he must hc al
ways. mustn't he? You think too much
of your blue blood. you patricians. to
fancy II ear lose Its royalty. whether II
run under a kings purple or q corpo-
rails canvas shirt. Blood tells. they say.
Do you want me to tell you why he
lives among us. buried like thisy"
Not IL you violate any. confidence to
do So"
mo. he makes no confidence. ! prom
Use you. Not ten words will monsci.
gneur say II he can help II about any
thing. He Is as silent as n lama. But
we learn things without being told 10
camp. and | know well enough be Is
here to i've some one else. in some one
else's place. 1t Is a sacrifice. look you.
that nails him down to this martyrlom.
Look you. miladi." said Cigarette half
sullcnly. half passlonately. for the
words were wrenched out of her gen.
crosby and choked her In their utter
ance. that mar suffers. His life here
Is a hell upon earth. | don't mean for
the danger, but for the indlgnlty, the
subordination. the license. the brutal.
ity. the tyranny. He is as II he were
chained to the galleys. He never says
anything. oh. no! He IS of your kind.
you know! But he suffers. Now. II
you be his friend. can you do nothing
for him? Can you ransom him in no
way? Can you go away out Of Africa
and leave him In this living death to
get killed and thrust into the sand. like
his comrade the other dayT
Il could not abandon one who was
once the friend of my family to such a
fate as you picture without very great
pain. But | do not see how to alter
this fate. as you think ! could do with
so much ease. | am not in Its secret.
| do not know the reaso Of Its SEEM
ing suicide. This gentleman has chosen
his W path. 1t Is not for me to
change his choice or spy into his mo-
tives. Meantime there Is n pressing