The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-05-06
How Don Q. Paid for His Cigarettes.

]
and threatening in the moonlight ran
the narrow country road connecting the
| Castillo Negro with the highway. Down
! this road the carriage of the old Du-
| quesa must pass as she drove from her
| house to the ball to be given that night
| in the city, but the deep dust remained
/ undisturbed in the windings of the lane
| as late as z o'clock on the Saturday
/ evening.
Perhaps the world held no more sur
| prised woman than the old Duquesa
! d'OraVa when her carriage pulled up
/ with a jerk in the shade of the lex
| grove. Perhaps also. she was fright
ened; but she was a high old
| lady, and she showed no symptom of
| fear she called out her strident com
! mandS to the COachman to go on
! Report says she was adding some
! full-faVOred remarks when the door
! opened and man in a cloak stood
/ bowling before her, his pallid face and
! bald head cleaning white in the dusk
| At the sight of him the Duquesa' S
! elderly maid began to scream.
Peace, fool! One Sits the throat Of
| a screaming hen" The sharp. sibilant
! May L beg of you. DuqueSa, to order
| this person to descend? must speak
with you alone"
| Certainly mott I am in a hurry.
| Drive on, Joaquin"
| Pardon me- said the figure at the
| door, and before the occupants of the
| carriage had any idea of his intention
! he laid a grip of steel on the maids
arm, and swung her adroitly out into
| the hands of a man behind him.
TT grieves me to the heart 10 put
you to this Inconvenience ilustrissima
| but for the sake of performing a hu-
name action, one would venture to
| plead for your forgiveness"
| The old lady listened amazed This
robber had the accent, the bearing of
her own class. Oddly enough, the fact
! further incensed her.
What does this mean," she cried
| fiercely. who are you? A foOtpad?"
| Hardly, Duquesa- Your eyes deceive
you in this dimness. Believe me, no
man has a more profound horror Of
fOotpads than myself. To the honorable
| brigand the fOotpad is unspeakably alb
| horrent."
Perhaps the fiery old heart sank at
this, but a laugh cackled on the night
air.
"A very courtly ruffian," she said in
| solentIy What is your name?
Il have for many years past been
| known as Don O." he answered cere-
moniously
You are the sequestrador?' she said
at last
such is the calling have the hon
4 have heard that you have never
held d lady to ransom"
All! you crafty me. Tt IS quite
/ true
Then, what is it you want of me?'
II came to beg a favor"
Tell me quickly what it is for l am
late and must proceed"
Il am desolated; but to proceed
that is impossible
What do you mean? I am then,
your prisoner" she asked brusquely-
/ BY no means Only my guest for
| twelve hours in a charming valley.
! where have made ready for so distin-
guished Wis tor. In the meantime !
will ask you to be so good As to lend
me your carriage
Most assuredly.I shall do nothing of
the kind" She brought her palms
sharply together to emphasize the re-
fusal.
1T will save a life"
Pooh! The life Of some baseborn out
law such as yourself? No. l say! To-
night I accept the hospitality of the
Santolallas. They fete our great Gen
Ubrique-Don EdmeIo Ubrque."
DO not fear t. accept mine, illus
trissima-" Don Q.'s courtesy remained
unruff1ed. MY birth is infinitely more
noble than that of Santolalla-'
He was about to move away as men
in the livery of the Duquesa emerged
from among the trees and took the
places of her servants. The sinking
moon was beginn 'ng to shine upon the
road under the lex trees, and the Du-
quesa's naughty old face peered out
keenly.
? These are not my people" she said
with imperiOus finality. I demand my
own servants and to be allowed to con-
tinue my journey to Castelleno."
, Don @. turned back.
THAT is impossible, my dear lady.
2 Within limits my men are quite at your
r service. They are not, believe me, as
2 Villainous as their looks would seem
to indicate. Tomorrow morning your
own servants and your carriage will be
! returned to you"
The gage of the duquesa's temper had
I by this time run up to high pressure.
= Il will not submit to this insOlence.
= Who are you that you should put your
D commands upon me?" she demanded.
t How dare you pretend to noble birth
A valet in his masters coat would cut
4 a better figure!"
t The chief stood before her silent.
e Il order you to let me got 1 shall
] have you whipped in the streets of
Malaga, thiefi'' and with the word a
T withered hand shot out into the moon
r beams, but Don c., with a slight move
= ment, avoided the fan meant to strike
q violently across his face
, He was aware of his mems eyes upon
S him. He bent forward almost into the
carriage and spoke to the duquesa.
e "Emilia''-the sudden whisper frOze
= her-''dO you forget two blows given
long ago-frst the fan. then the knife
and whose arms were round you after?
- The wind sobbed in the trees: the
V mysterious night noises made them
selves heard; while the Duquesa dora
va sat stiffly upright without a word OF
e sign How had this man, this brigand
:; | learned the secret of her tragic girl
= hood ?-and spoken in a voice she
y ! seemed to remember
Don Q. softly closed the door, and
d waved his hand to. the cOachman; then
as the wheels rumbled away into the
distance. he stepped into the shadows
= and once more the little road lay emp
| ty under the waning moon.