Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-10-06

been sailed with pique had he guessed that
He was the first man Of any world more
considerable than the petty court of the
viceroy of Mexico that had visited Cali
fornia in her time, and excellent as she
found his tall military figure and pale cold
face, the novelty of the circumstance aut-
tered her more
Dona '.Concha" Arguello was the beauty
of California. and although her years were
but sixteen, her blood was Spanish and she
carried her tall deep figure and fine head
with the grace and dignity of an accom-
plished woman. She had inherited the
white skin and delicate Roman-Spanish
profile of the Moragas. but there was an
intelligent fire in her eyes, a sharp &C
centuation of nostril and full mobility
of mouth, childish. half-developed as that
feature still was, that betrayed strong
cross-current forcing the placid maternal
flow into rugged and uneXplored channels.
while assimilatng its fine qualities of pride
resembled their sister in coloring and pro-
file, but lacked her subtle quality of per-
sonality and divine innocence. Luis was
more the mothers son than the father 8
saving his olive skin: grandee, modified
by the smplicities of a soldiers life,
amiable and upright. Dona 1gnacia rec
ognized in Concha the quintessence of the
two opposing streams, and had long since
ceased to impose upon a girl who had little
else but her liberties the ordinary restraints
Of the Spanish maiden. Concha had al
| ready received many offers of marriage
and regarded men as mere swingers of In
cenSe. Moreover her cultivated mind was
filled with ideals and ideas far beyond any
thing California would yield in her day.
AS ReZanov upon Don Ignacia's retreat,
walked directly over to her, she smilingly
seated herself sofa and swept aside
her white voluminous skirts. She was not
sure that she liked him, but in no doubt
whatever of her delight at his advent.
Her manners were very simple and art
whom nature has gifted with completely
and depth.
ut Is now two years and more that swe
have been excited over the prospect of this
visit" she said. But II you will tell me
what you have been doing all this time T..
at least, will forgive you; for you will
never be able to imagine. senior, how |
long to hear of the great world. l stare at
the map, then at the few pictures we have,
l know many books of travel by heart; but
I am afraid my Imagination is poor one.
for 1 cannot conjure up great cities filled
| with people-thousands of people! Dios de
mi alma! A world where there is some
thing besides mountains and water, grain
fields. orchards. forests. earthquakes and
climate! WIFI you, senor?'
For quite as many hours as you will
listen to me. 1 propose a compact. You
shall improve my Spanish. will inpart
curiosity reaches that far"
Even of Japan?" There was a wicked
| sparkle in her eye.
II see you already have some knowledge
| of the cause of my delay" His voice was
| even, but a wound smarted 1T is quite
| true, senorita, that the first embassy TO
| japan, from which we hoped SO much, was
| humiliating failure, and that was
| played with for six months by people
whom we had regarded as a nation Of mon
keys When my health began to suffer
| from the long confinement on shipboard-
we had previously been fourteen months at
sea-and 1 asked to be permitted to live on
| shore while my claims to an audience We're
| under consideration, I was removed, with
my suite, to a cage on strip or land
| nearly surrounded with water, where ha 4
| less liberty and exercise than on shipboard.
| Finally, had ridiculous interview with a
| great man. in which I accomplished Moth
| ing but the preservation of what personal
| heels; the superb presents Of the tsar were
| returned to me, and l was politely told to
| leave: Japan wanted neither the friendship
| Of Russia nor her gimeracks. That, seno-
| rita, is the history of the first Russian en-
basy-for the tentative visit of Adam
Lanxmann, twelve years before, can be
dgnified by no such title-to oriental wa
| tiers. 1t is to be hoped that Count Golotkin,
who was to undertake a similar mission tc
China has met with better fate
Underneath the polished armor of : man
who was a courtier when he chose and the
| dominating spirit always he was not and
| quick of temper His light cold eyes slowed
with resentment a the dancing lights IN
| hers. as he cynically gave her bald 40
stract of the unfortunate mission. He re-
fected that commonly he would have fitted
| different mask to the ugly skull of fact.
| but this young barbarian, ds he chose to
regard her, excited the elemental truth in
| him. defying him to appear at his worst.
He was astonished to see her eyes suddenly
soften and her mouth tremole
1T must have been hateful experience
hateful!' Her voice, beginning on its usual
low soft note, rose to a hoarse pitch of In
dignation II should have killed somebody!
To be man, and strong, and caressed all
ones life by fortune-and to be as helpless
as an Indian! Madre de Dios!'
II shall take my revenge" said Rezanov
shortly; but the wound closed, and once
more he became aware of the poignant
sweetness of Castilian roses. Concha wore
one in her soft dusky hair, and another
where the little round jacket Of white linen,
gayly embroidered with pink, met on her
bosom. But If sentiment tempted him, he
was quickly poised by her next remarks
She uttered them in a low tone, although
the animated conversation of the rest of
the party-Davidov alone romping on the
piazza with the children-would have per-
mitted the two the sofa to exchange the
vows of love unheard.
But what a practice for your diplomatic
talents, Excellency! Poor California! At
least let me be the first to hear what you
have come for?" Her voice dropped to a
soft cooling note. although her eyes twin
killed. For the love of God, senior! SO
bored in this life on the edge Of the worldi
matte intrigue! have read and heard of
many, but never had 1 hoped to link my
No