The Washington times., 1904-08-21

I y
| replied rather curtly
To return would have been impossi-
BILE" l explained. You do not consider
| the danger that it involves. It Will be
| all my neck IS worth-aud ny men"
! Il am in your power" was the brief
reply, showing not the least sign that
she appreciated the situation I was in.
/ 'Senor Harvey" broke in the duenna,
who had remained silent until now.
! that YOU will go no further, 1 beg of
you. Ii is all my fault that this trouble
/ has come to my mistress. I trusted you.
might have given you over TO the
guard when you broke into my room
but let YOU see my mistress. l brought
you the nOte-it was wrong of me to
J have done so. 1 beg of you to let her
return. 1 promise no harm shall be
done you. We will give YOU money
You shall be yell paid"
| | listened to her in Amusement. Had
! this woman who had trusted me- now
turned against me? The girl who had
at the risk Of her own honor had
/ bravely aided me to escape-she who
had looked into my eyes so tenderly,
/ and seemed to trust me as she would
have trusted her own brother now
| scorned and despised me.
What had / done? Did ! deserve this?
| After all. was she satisfied with her
lot, and did she desire no change from
| it? 1 could reach no explanation of the
mystery.
Il am sorry that 1 cannot do as you
would have me do; but what you ask
is impossible" I replied. firmly.
I'VE will ask no favors from Senior
| Harvey" said the senorita. ignoring
me, and speaking to the duenna. I'VE
will wait our opportunity. l am certain
we will soon find some way to be re-
lieved of his presence.
Have 1 acted ungentIemanly?" 1
asked.
You have" she replied.
Il will ask you. Senorita Teresa, to
! give me some explanation. I do not un-
Iderstand."
There is nothing to explain"
Then can ] not do something to add
to your comfort on the journey? Shall
I not see If 1 can obtain refreshments
a cup of coffee while we waltz"
mo. l ask nothing further than what
1 have already asked. I do not care for
! refreshments-at least for such as you
would be likely to find at this place"
| Again the duenna was about to say
something. but the senOrita babe her re-
main silent.
Il shall be only too glad to serve you
In any way that circumstances may per-
nit 1 said, but she did not appear to
hear me, so I turned away.
I had given Pedro my horse to hold
and now walked back and forth along
the road.
The night was cool, but I was burn
! ing. To receive in the moment OF my
success the rebuff that the senorita had
- - T.
could not account for her strange con-
duct.
L could easily have believed that I
| had made a mistake and carried off the
wrong person, so changed was she All
my dream had faded-my hopes were
suddenly dashed TO the ground. l felt
a reckless, nervous feeling that made
me care little what happened now.
! There was no romance In the affair 1
had undertaken. 1t was a plain matter
1 Of business-uncongenia business at
/ that. My mental conflict ended In q
! grim determination to keep my promise
| to Philip Melrose. whether his fair
niece would accompany me willingly or
not.
Jose soon returned, having been sue
! cessful in finding a driver-one who said
he knew the road. I informed the Ia
dies that we were now ready to Start.
but received no reply from them.
We soon left the village far behind
us. The horses kept up a good trot.
Martin occasionally ventured a remark,
! but I was in no mood to talk.
1t was somewhere about midnight, or
little before, when we halted at a mail
hamlet. where there was a wayside
house. Martin went in to see il we could
he a. 10 II
short rest, and I stepped to the car
riage door to assist the ladies TO alixht-
Why should 1 leave the carriage?"
asked the senorita.
You must be chilly" I said, FOR the
night Is cold. II we can find accommo-
datiOns here we Will rest for an hour
or two before we proceed on our Jour
ney."
I'VE will receive poor entertainment
and the house is cold" she replied.
But short rest and a cup Of coffee
will do you good" pleaded.
Il will get out" she replied. after
some hesitancy. and, disdaining any as
sistance from me, she sprang To the
ground; but either from being numb bv
the cold or from having remained so
long in one position as to become
cramped. she would have fallen had
llOL NduBAl utI. / dLLerWdTQ assisted
the duenna to alight
The senOrita allowed me to take her
arm as we went into the house, and as
she did 50 l noticed that she trembled
The room We entered, the only public
room the house afforded, was low
posted, meanly furnished. smoky and
dirty and cold. as the senorita said it
would be There was a table at one
end and some chairs.
1 noticed two men lying on the floor.
wrapped in their serephes The man
who came to the door and told US 10
come in offered the ladies chairs. 1 did
not at all like the appearance Of things.
and directed Pedro to remain with the
ladies while l went 10 give some direc-
tons as TO the care Of the horses.
/ was detained longer than 1 expected
for I made some inquiries OF the stable
boy regarding the road and the proba-
bility OF its being held by the forces Of
either party. What / learned was not
very reassuring.
Numerous guerrilla parties had in
Tested the country, operating more as
outlaws and desperadoes, and for the
sake Of robbery and plumber than any
thing else; but Il wac what l might
have expected. A party Of traders had
been attacked n day or two before, two