Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-04-09

/ - = r.
suppose I've said too much Well, well!
You are going to denounce the senior judge
o. the marine court Of Havana as a pirate.
I wonder who will believe you?' He went
Dehind the old Don's chair with the gliding
motion OF Spanish lawyer and slipped
down the open trap-latch near the window.
IT was the disappearance Of q shadoW, |
heara some cultural mutterings come
sen sal0uh h h va bath afld usnf a. hf e.
carried it off very we'll H. I apologized to
the young girl for having awakened her
father. Her color was very high. and her
eyes sparkled. If she had not been SO very
beautiful l should have gone away at once.
She said angrily:
He is odious to me. the Senior Juez. Too
long my father has suffered his insolence."
She was very small, but she had an ex-
traordinary dignity of command Il could
see. senior, that he was annoying you. Why
should you consider such a creature?" Her
head dropped. But my father is very Old
I turned upon Carlos. who stood all black
In the light of the window.
why did you make me meet him? He
may be judge Of your marine court, but
he's nothing but scoundrelly bog-trotter.
Carlos said a little haughtily. You must
not denounce him. You should not leave
this place If I feared you would try thus
to bring dishonor on this gray head, and
involve this young girl In public scan
dal." His manner became soft. FOR the
honor Of the house you shall say nothing:
And you shall come with US. l need you.
There was something deep there. Some
thing deep; something dangerous; some
the first notion of. But that Carlos wanted
anxiously to make use Of me for some
purpose was clear. I was mystihed TO the
point of forgetting how heavily l was COM
promised even in Jamaica, though 1t was
worth remembering, because at that time
an indictment for rebellion-under the black
act-was no joking matter might De
sent home under arrest; and even then
fHar aiyx h
saying persuasively, while your affair
here blows over, my n-and-ano-mak-
ing my last hours easy, perhaps.
] looked at him; he was worn to shad-
ow-a shadow, with dark, wistful eyes. Il
don't understand YOU" faltered.
The old man stirred, opened his LIDS, ana
put a gold vinaigrette to his nostrils.
"Of course l shall not denounce OBrien,
l said. Il, too, respect the honor OF your
house."
You are even better than Thought you.
And il 1 entreat you, for the love of your
mother-of your sister? Juan, 1t Is not
for myself 1t is"
The young girl was pouring some drops
from green phial into SILVER go o. S Sue
pa used close to us, and handed 1t TO her
father, who had leant a little forward IN
his chair. Every movement OF hers aHeeteo
me with an intimate joy; 1t was as II mao
the neck. lust that proud glance from the
eyes, just that droop of eyelashes upon the
cheeks, for years and years.
mo, 1 shall hold my tongue, ana tha'
enough" I said.
At that moment the old Don sat up and
cleared his throat Carlos sprang toWalu
him with an infinite grace OF tenoeI
obsequousness. He mentioned my nanne
and the relationship, then rehearSed the
innumerable titles of his uncle, ending ana
patron of the bishopric of Pinar del ITO.
1 stood stiffly in front of the ola man.
He bowed his head at Intervals, holdins
full yIyhit
rocked little. When Carlos mellow
voice had finished the rehearsing of the
sonorous styles, l mumbled something
about "transcendent honor
ly peremptory gesture of one hand, and
began to speak, smiling with contraction
of the lips and trembling OF the head.
His voice was very low. and quavered
ciated with the same beauty of clearness
that there was in his features, in his
hands, in his ancient gestures.
THE honor is to me-" he said, and the
pleasure. / behold my kinsman, who, with
great heroism, l am told, rescued my dear
ly loved nephew from great dangers; 1t Is
an honor to me to be able to give MIN
thanks. My beloved and lamented sister
contracted union with an English hidalgo,
through whose house your own very honor
able family is allied to my own; it is
pleasure to me to meet after many years
with one who has seen the places where
1t grew dark. The old Don fell asleep
again. Save for the CLEAN of the silver
buckle of his hat, he had disappeared into
the gloom of the place l remembered my
board the Lion, and moved to withdraw.
There did not seem to be any chance or
my talking to the young girl She was
once more leaning nonchalantly over the
lizard, and her hair dropped right across
her face like clusters of grapes. Carlos
came concernedly toward me as 1 looked
at the door.
But you must not go yet" he said lit
tie suavely; Il have many things to say.
Tell me"
His manner heightened my uneasiness to
a fear. The expression of his eyes changed,
and they became fixed over my shoulder
while on his lips the words, You must
come, you must come trembled, hardly
audible. l could only shake my head. At
once he stepped back as If resigning. He
was giving me up-and 1t occurred to me
that If the danger of his seduction was
over, there remained the danger of arrest
Just outside the door.
Some one behind me said peremptorIly,
ut is time" and there was a Pickering
diminution of the light I had a faint in
Simultaneous view of the old Don doing,
with his head back-of the tall windows,
cut up into squares by the black bars.
Something hairily coarse ran harshly down
my face; 1 grew blind; my mouth, my
eyes, my nostrils were filled with dust; my
breath shut in upon me became a flood of
warm air. had no time to resist. 1 kick
ed my legs convulsively; my elbows were
drawn tight against my sides. Some one
grunted under my weight; then was car
ried-down, along, up, down again: my feet
were knocking along a wall, and the top Of
my head rubbed occasionally against what
must have been the roof of low-stone pas
sage, issuing from under the back room OF
Ramons store. Finally, I was dropped
upon something that felt like a heap of
understandings. My surprise, rage and hor-
ror had been SO great that. after the first
stified cry. had made no sound. heard
the footsteps of several men going away.
CTo be continued.)