Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1906-03-02

rather hard time Of it. He arrived in
Farls on Sunday morning, and the we'd
Ding was to take place on the following
wednesday. This gave him but three
GEAR days to get to the obscure Spanish
town-of which he did not even know
Ine eabouts-hunt up the evidence
OF MS niece's death, and telegraph the
news In time to stop the ceremony.
AFTER a weary two days struggle with
railway officials and time tables. he
reached Madrid on Tuesday in the cool
blush of the early morning, very tagged.
put determined to go on. He had made
friend OF the guard, glad to find some
one who spoke French-for his Spanish
was doubtful from long disuse-and on
the arrival Of the train they went off
together to the inquiry office to find out
means to reach the obscure town of Villa
Silentio. $50
The station master, half asleep, and
wholly angry at being routed out of bed
at such an early hour In the morning, at
nrst denied all knowledge of a place of
that name; but when the guard re-.
minded him that such things as reference
DOCKS OF the railway routes were issued
lor 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 a 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 a half by coach over not the
very best Of roads,
MI. Mallett looked at his watch. 1t
was quarter to six he would have time
Tor three hours rest Thanking the
friendly guard for his good services he
tossed his small bag and rug on the near
est .hack7earriage and drove of to a
hotel.
At one o'clock Mr.. Mallett, feeling as
II 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 beforo.
4 am afraid made a mistake in COM
ing myself" he said to the market clock.
~ he stood in front Of It, "YOu see 4
man OF hfty-Seven is not 20 quick and |
apt IN adapting himself to circumstances
az q younger man would be-"
For two or three minutes Mallett stood |
Listening to the distant rumbllnR Of the |
coach WhSSls, and, great a. had. been ehlrs /
suffering during the drive, he almost |
wished himself back again ON the awful
machine, instead Of here In this death. |
like place.
He shook OF the dreamy feeling Of I'M
reality that possessed him, and crossed
to deserted looking house ON the shady
side OF the square, where a 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 II swung
to behind him without noise, He was
in large stone-Aagged room which oc-
eppied the whole depth Of the house. the
opposite end opening on to a crazy veran-
da crumbling under the weight of luxuri-
ant creepera, through which there were
glimpses Of a weed-grown inclosure be-
yOnd. He stamped up and down the
stone hoOr, and shouted until the stones
echoed his voice. At the end OF ten
minutes sallOw face, surrounded nv
turbulent masses of frizzy black hair. 4
leaned over the hand rail of the stairs
that led up to the next floor. In about
hVe 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 laxative lady took 1t over to the
light and spelled it out laboriously, and
then turned again to Mr.. Mallett. and
ratified OF another little incomprehensi-
BILE speech, interpreted with numberless
calculations Of establishment. Seeing at
last that he did not understand a 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, motioned 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 recoR-
nized the voice of the woman and the
tones of a man.
Presently there came to him an elderly
Spaniard, with something of the dandy
still clinging to him In the shape of
waxed mustaches and perfumed hair.
Still, the signs of decay that abounded
throughout the place showed themselves
even here in the ancient fop's frayed
Jacket and well-worn shoes. To Mr..
Aallett's surprise and relief he at once
opened the conversation in passable
French.