Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-10-13

animated and general. and Concha dropped
| her voice TO the attentive ear beside her.
You were very successful today at tho
| mission. eycellency."
| May ask how You know
| never saw anything so serenely-ar-
rogantly. perhaps would be a truer desCrip-
| uot-trlumphant as your Gearing when You
walked down our humble sala tonight. You
| looked like Caesar returned from Gaul. bat
| suppose that all great conquests ara
| merely the sum OF many small ones
| Il do not regard the friendship Of SO
, shrewd a man ,aS Father Abeiie a trifing
conquest. And according TO YOURSELF dear
| senorita, IL is esserlis1 10 the success of a.
mission upon sshich many lir~s and nay
! Own honor depend
rs II really SO Aserous?' She a led vita
| n faint sneer.
He drew himself up stlfiIy and his light
! eyes slowed with anger 1T is subject
| l never should have thought of introduce z
at "A festivity like this ne said suaNels.
| senorita. upon your marvellous grace IN
/ the contra-danze? 1t quite turned my
head, and l am delighted to hear that yrI
viii dance alone after supper.
, Her face had flushed holly. She dropped
! her eyes and her voice tremhled as $40
replied: You hUmiliate me, senior. AMI
deserve 1t. my poor Rosa told 'ne sou'-
! thing of her great tragedy while dress Hs
me, and for the moment other things
seemed unimportant. What is hunger and
court favor beside broken heart and
attitude Of an ignorant girl" She raised
her eyes. They were soft and her voice
. softer. Il beg that you will forgive me-
senior. And he sure that | take even
deeper interest in your great mission than
yesterday. | have thought much about II.
and while | have told my mother nothing,
l have expressed certain peevish hopes that
ship would not come all the way from
! Sitka without taking hint more than ono
/ Boston skipper must have givcr. ana
brought us many of the things We need.
! She is quite excited over the prospect OF a
! new shawl for herself and OF sending
several as presents to the south; besides
! many other things, cotton. shoes, kitcheh
utensils. Have you any of these thngs'
excellency?"
Rezanov stared at her face barely tinted
| with color, duly wondering why IT should
! be so different from the one. rogulsh. pa
| thetically Innocent that had haunted h4m
| all day. He asked abruptly:
Which is the friend whose little ones
| YOU envy? You have made we wish To SEQ
| them and her
| THAT is Elena-beside Gervasio.' She
! indicated a young woman with soft patient,
| brown eyes, the dignity OF her race an"
| the sweetness of young motherhood, who
would have looked little older than herself
| had it not been for an already shapeleSs
figure. Il can take you tomorrow to Sc"
them IL you wish.
She had cast down her eyes and her Taco
was white. Still he CROPPED on.
| Pardon me il | say that ! am surprised
your parents should permit such a woman
| as this Rosa to attend you. w ny SH'uih
| your happy life be disturbed by the IA
mentatfons of an abandoned creature-who
can do you good and possibly .-.ucA
harm?''
Still Concha did not raise her eyes. II
do not think poor Rosa would do any one
| harm. But perhaps ii were as wen 81"
| went elsewhere. We have had htt long
! enough | have taken a dislike to her'
| reproach myself bitterly but cannot help
it. / should like never to see her again
What has she told you?" Concha glanced
up swiftly. His eyes were btazlng- She lrIt
| quite certain that he rolled n Russian oath
| under his tongue, and she made a sllght
Involuntary motion toward him, her hp-
trembling apart.
| know do not know. But | no longer
! wish her near me. She-life is very strange
and terrible senior. You know IT WE'LL. :"
little" IT.,
Rezanov felt his breath short and his
hands cold For a moment he made no
reply. Then he smiled charmlngIy ana sain
in the conventional tone that was eve az
| his command: "Of course you Know Iltue
of life in this Arcadia. one VINO hopes
to be numbered among the best OF Your
| friends prays that you never may. Yes
| senorita life is strange-strangely common
! place and disillusionizing-but sometimes
| picturesque Believe me when | say that
nothing stranger has ever betallen me IMAM
| 10 find out here the lonely BRINK OF q
| continent nearly twenty thousand Nersts
| from Europe a girl of sixteen with TIE
grand manner and the intellect without tHe
detestable idioSyncrasleS OF the ldShloiIto''
has bleus | have hitherto had the h4sloF-
| tune to encounter 80
| She was tapping the table slowly with
| her fork and he noted that ner soft. chlId-
| ish mouth was set. NO DOUBT You arc
| uuite right to put me off, she said finally
| and in voice even as hls own ana
| nv intellect would do We little good II Il
| did not teach me to ignore mysteries can
| never hope to fathom. There Is no such
| thing as life in your sense in this forgotten
| corner of the world, nor ever VIII be IN my
| time If you come back and VISIT us twenty
| wears hence you will find me fat and worn
! like Elena and busy every minute liEe my
| mother-unless indeed, | marry Don Neel-
| lam Sturgs and become great lahy III
| Boston. 1t would not be so mean ar ate.
| Rezanov darted look of angry contempt
| at the pale young man who was eating 1T
| tie and miserably watching the handsome
| pair at the head of the table. You Will
| NOT marry himl' he said briefly.
| II could do far worse Conchas lashes
| framed an adorable glance that sent me
| blood to the hair of the sensitive youth.
| you have no idea. how clever and good ne
| is. And-Madre de Dlos!-l am 50 'ieu u
California"
| But YOU are a part of 1.-THE very SYM
| boil OF its future, it seems to me visa
had a sculptor In my suite. l sh g,a,,
| make him model you, label the statue Cah-
| fornia and erect it on the peak of that Dig
| island out there"
That is very poetical. but after all you
| are only saying that L am a pretty savage
| with an education that will be more com
| mon in the next generation. 1t Is little
| consolation for an existence where the
| most exciting event in lifetime is the
| arrival Of a foreign ship or the mausura-
| ZION of a GOVERNOR And once more sne
| smiled at Sturgis He raised his glass I'M
| pulsively and she hers in gay response n
| moment later she gave the signal TO leave
| the table Rezanov followed her back 10
| the sala chewing the cud OF many rehec-
| (To be continued tomorrow