Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1906-03-03

ohe VINO spoke French-for his Spanish
was doubtful from long disuse--and on
the arrival Of the train they went of
together to the inquiry Office to find out
means to reach the obscure town Of Villa
| Silentio.
The station master half asleep, and
wholly angry at being routed out of bed
at such an early hour in the morning at
hrst denied all knowledge of n place of
that name; but when the guard re-
minded him that such things as reference
books OF the railway routes were issued
Tor his especial enlightenment. his man
ner changed, and he proceeded to do his
best on Mr.. Mallett's behalf.
1T Is here, you see" he said In Span
ish, putting his fat finger on spot in
the map. "Senor cannot leave Madrid
until half past nine; he will then have
two hours railway ride. and then an
hour and half by coach over not the
very best of roads"
Mr.. Mallett looked Mt his watch. 1t
was quarter to six; he would have time
for three hours rest Thanking the
friendly guard for his good services, he
tossed his small bag and rug on the near
est hack-carriage and drove off to
hotel
At one o'clock Mr.. Malett feeling as
X his sense had been shaken out of him
by the last hour over that never to-be-
forgotten road, found himself standing in
the market place of Villa Silentio, with
the hot midday sun beating down on
him. feeling more completely alone and
helpless than he ever remembered to have
felt before.
Il am afraid | made n mistake in COM
ing myself, he said to the market clock
as he stood in front of it. "You see a
man Of fifty seven is not 80 quick and
apt In adapting himself to circumstances
as younger man would be-"
For two or three minutes Mallett stood
listening to the distant rumbling of the
coach wheels, and, great as had been his
suffering during the drive, he almost
wished himself back again on the awful
machine, instead of here in this death
like place.
He shook off the dreamy feeling of un-
reality that possessed him, and crossed
to deserted looking house on the shady
side of the square, where sign board
from which all vestige of paint had long
since passed away hung over the door,
seeming to denote a house of entertain
ment
He pushed open the door and it swung
to behind him without noise. He was
in large stone-fagged room which &C.
cupied the whole depth Of the house, the
opposite end opening on to a crazy veran-
da crumbling under the weight of luxuri-
ant creepers, through which there were
glimpses of weed-grown Enclosure be-
yond. He stamped up and down the
stone floor. and shouted until the stones
echoed his voice. At the end Of rem
minutes a sallow face, surrounded by
turbulent masses of frizzy black hair
leaned over the hand rail of the stairs
that led up to the next floor. In about
five minutes the sallow face and frizzy
hair reappeared, and the woman began
to apologize profusely.
Mr.. Mallett stood politely silent, hat in
hand, until she seemed to have ended her
speech, when he presented the envelope
given him by Babette, with the name
and address of the photographer of the
gravestone.
The talkative lady took it over to the
light and spelled it out laboriously. and
then turned again to Mr.. Malett, and
ratified off another little incomprehensi-
BILE speech, interspersed with numberless
calculations of astonishment. Seeing Mt
last that he did not understand word
of what she was saying, she pointed to
the address In her hand, and said slowly
in Spanish:
MY father"
Mr.. Mallett understood that, for point
ing in his turn to the envelope, he asked:
"WhereT'
She smiled pleasantly. motoned to him
to reseat himself, and went upstairs look
ing once or twice over her shoulder to
nod and smile at him reassuringly. Could
it be that the man he was in search of
was here in this house? He could hear
an animated conversation going on some
where in the rooms above, and he reeop
nized the voice of the woman aud the
tones of a man,
Presently there came to him an elderly
| Spaniard, with something of the dandy
still clinging to him in the shane of
waxed mustaches and perfumed hair.
| Still, the signs of decay that aboupded
throughout the place showed themselves
even here in the ancient fop's frayed
! jacket and well-worn shoes. To MIR
| Malletts surprise and relief he at once
opened the conversation la passable
| French.
Monsieur wishes to see me? He has
evidently come long way for that pur-
pose. l am charmed, fattered and abash-
| ed all at one time-charmed and flat
tered to receive any one who comes a
distance to pay homage TO art"
lie put his hand on his heart and how
ed with the air of prince His belief
that Mr.. Mallett had come to visit and
compliment art in his person was so evil
IDENTITY genuine that the sensitive gentle
man felt almost unhappy to have TO I'M
deceive him; but time was pressing. He
had none for the observance of unneces-
sary politeness. He took the little photo
graph from his pocketbook and held il
toward CASTELAR,.
believe you took that picture. Now.
want you to tell ME where the grave
OF which this is a picture is to be found,
now you came to take the photograph.
whom you took 1t for. and any other cir
cumstanees you can remember in connec-
ton with It,"
The Spaniard leaned forward with his
hands on his knees TO look at the nho-