Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-05-09

when she had offered to throw every thing to the winds love, duty, obedi- ence--if he would only take her away. he had hesitated. With her, wom- an who had all Venezuela at her feet, held in his arms, he had repulsed her, refused her! He had heard the open confession of her overwhelming love for him, and he had resisted her! With the feel of her heart beating against his own he had strained her to his breast and prated of honor and duty!
 She was mad with anger and disap- pointment. She loathed him; she hated him; she ragged against him in her heart. Why had he not killed De Tobar where he stood, seized her in his arms, braved the anger of her father and galloped away-anywhere out into the mysterious southland where they could be together? We'll and good-she would marry Don Felipe. She would as- sume happiness that she could not feel and kill him with the sight of it.
 
 suffer in proportion to his love, such torments as he had made her suffer last night-shame, disappointment, in dignation.
 She had not slept the entire night, either, thinking these things, yet it had not all been pain. How nobly he had lied to save her-he to whom lie was worse than death! He had tried to as- sume dishonor for her sake. He loved her-yes, there was no doubt of it. | She closed her eyes with the thought, and her whole being was filled with ex- quisite anguish. He loved her, he was made for her, yet when he might have ] taken her he refused. De Tobar was l indeed brave and gallant gentleman, i but his qualities were as moonlight to the sunlight compared to those of AL varado In spite of herself, though the mere suggestion of it angered her, 1 she found herself obliged to grant that there was something noble in that po- sition he had assumed which so filled ] her with fury. It was not with him a question of loving duty and honor ! more than herself, but it was ques- 1 tion of doing duty and preserving hon or, though the heart broke and the soul was rent in the effort.
 l In spite of her careful avoidance of i his eyes, her cold demeanor, that morn i ing she had marked the haggard. pale face of the young soldier to whom she had given her heart, which showed that he, too, had suffered. She watch ed him as he rode, superb horseman i that he was, at the head of the little cavalcade. Tall, straight, erect, grace. l full, she was glad that he rode in ad- vance. with his back to her, so that she | might follow him with her eyes, her gaze unheeded by any but Sonora | Agapida, and for her she did not care. l As he turned at intervals to survey ! his charges, to see that all were keep 1 ing closed up and in order, by furtive 1 glances she could mark with exultation the pallor that had taken the place of the ruddy hue on the fair cheek of her lover. She could even note the black circles under the blue eyes beneath the sunny hair, so different from her own midnight crown.
 And indeed his thoughts were bit ter. What must she think of him? He had been a fool. Happiness had been bis for the taking. and he had thrown 1 it away. Why had he not brushed De I Tobar out of his path, silenced the vice roy-no, not by death, but by binding him fast-and then taken the woman he loved and who loved him, for she had proved 1t by her utter abandon ment of herself to him? Those old sol diers who had served him for many years would have followed him wher' ever he led. The viceroy's arm was long. but they could have found ha' ven where they could have been to \ gether. God had made them for each other, and he had refused. He had thrust her aside. He had pushed the cup of happiness from his own lip! with his own hand.
 He wished 1t was all to do over again Now 1t was too late. To the chains ol duty, honor, gratitude, had been added that of his plighted word. Knowing his love, De Tobar, his friend, had trusted him. Knowing his daughter love, the viceroy had also trusted him He was locked with letters, bound and sealed, helpless. And yet the tempta ton grew with each hour. He had sus pected, he had dreamed, he had hoped that Mercedes loved him; now he wa! sure of it. Oh. what happiness nigh have been his!
 What was this mystery about hii birth? He had been picked up bab, in a deserted village outside of Pana ma. He had been found by the Coun de Lara, who had led his troops to thu succor of that doomed town. which un fortunately he had reached only aftel the buccaneers had departed. Searci