The Monticellonian., 1904-09-22
KISMET By EARL MARBLE
tooryrieht. lg0a. by pa.ly stort ru6. eol

Copyright 19o4, by Daily Story Pub. Col
 NI HEN Henry Appleby went dowr
 w into Mexico to superintend the working of one ofthe biz mines in whieH be had an interest. he left behind him q lovely girl, Estelie Marston, between whom and himself q tacit understanding existed of future engagement; though no formal love-makIng CT positive en- gagement had been reached. Appieby had been a college athlete. built almost l ike a gladiator. and Lad dark gray eyes and dark brown hair firm, but kindly mouth. a positive chin. and manner which was usually reserved. but which could be aggressive fl occasion author ] ized or warranted He was man among men, but was inclined to weakness when 1 the wiles of women eEcompassed him.
 Estelle Marstou was spiritual dream, Blue-eyed, liFht-haired fair-skinned, yet healthy, volatile and happy, as hap piness goes. she was the ideal of more than one young man and many were the smiles of satisfaction when Appleby went away and as many of them thought, left a better chance for them to win the fair Estel!e.
 But she was the star of Appleby' : thoughts and her spiritual nature ap- pealed 10 him constantly acting as a lodestone to keep his heart true to the magnet. She appealed to his better na- ture. as a pure woman of that type in- variably does when m&n becomes in terested in her
 So matters rested between them Though no engagement existed, each eS- pected the other to be as true and faithfu! till they should meet again.
 Appleby attended strictly to his work in and for the mine and by his manage ment the output was large and profita- ble. He saw and heard but little of whaI was going on in a social way. except among the half dozen American and English families who lived in the VI cinity. all of them interested with him in the mine There were few young people among them. and these not at all to his liking. Somehow he had got the habit, whenever he met lady, of comparing her with the fair Estelle. of course invariably to the detTiment of any of those thus compared with her. He was agreeable, and that was all He made polite calls, played outdoor games when asked. and was looked upon as a desirable but impossible young man.
 There came a change. at which his i'm mediate circle was dumbfounded. and the rest of the population shrugged it's shoulders and awaited developments.
 He had attended native ball one evening. and noticed q figure rather tall CT than the usual squat and dumpy ones surrounding her and had inquired about her.
 "Hispano senorita. he was told
 His informant took t for granted that an introduction was desired, where one took the trouble to inquire, and. seizing him by the arm, took him almost by force to a group of which the girl was the center, and Introduced him.
 What followed, Appleby himself scarcely remembered afterward He danced with her. he walked through the courtyard conservatory with her. he talked with her, he Gpplauded her ard his heart leaped with delight as she danced fancy castanet Spanish dance. and he had eyes, ears and tongue for no one else during the evening.
 That some of the young natives mut- tered imprecations on him for his mo- nopoly of her did not concern him
 T do not care. he said, recklessly. "She is worth taking desperate chances for"
 He asked permission to call and see her. which was granted, rather more than willingly, he remembered after ward
 Il am live With distant relatives" she told him when he called. Do not mind them-they are nobody-I not introduce you. My father one fine grandee; my mother, Hispano senora-Santa Maria! both dead. poor souls He was so tall and stately, like you senor. only more slender; she was graceful. like what you call it-a willow-and l with such canaillei"
 Nothing could have been more certain to win Appleby's attention. if not indeed his love, than this sort of talk He had theory, that, like parent. like child The law of heredity, in his eyes, was one in which he most devoutly believed While he could amuse himself at ball. or in filtration. either innocent or oth- erwise, with such a person as this Sen orita Mercedes. he could not think of going any further with one of the race If her father was squat and her mother fat and dumpy. The senorita had fath- omed him-whether unconsciously or otherwise may not be known. But prob ably this was not her first love affair. and possibly the opinions and acts of some other Americana had opened her seemingly innocent eyes very wide
 And those eyesi
 How glorious" exclaimed Appleby often to himself, as he contemplated