Los Angeles herald., 1906-07-15
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that Your lips are all pufed out, and black,
and Oh your eyes-you are, ugh! so ugly!"
Thanks drily. '1 won't need a mirror now
that you've told me all might see in it."
YES, you're dreadfully ugly, continued Mad.
anne, with quaint, sweet smile; "but it doesn't
alter me bit I still-ook away, Frank still
love you, dearl" The door closed upon her, but
next moment it opened little, and she peeped
shyly through the crevice her face charming
with expression of timid almost pleading CO.
quetry
"Say you don't love that girl Frankl"
Cressngham shook his head and Madame, in
terpreting in her own favor his equivocal re-
sponse, kissed her hand to him and departed with
beamng eyes.
In ten minutes Cressingham was sleeping like
dead, and he did not wake until eighteen hours
had spun their unseen fibres round his heart and
the stars Of another night were burning brightly
in the moonless heavens. The steamer had stop
ped. The cabin lamp was lighted, and his clothes,
nicely brushed and folded, rested the couch,
while deck chair by the bedside held tray Of
dainty edibles and flask Of wine. Dressing
quickly, often smothering groan in the opera
ton, he made hearty meal and drained the
flask
He tried the door afterwards half doubtino,S
but it yielded and he went on deck The night
was cloudless and marvelously mild and balmy
wind just famed the worlds surface with ten
derly caressing touch, laden with faint, sweet
memory yarousing odors. Cressngham noted with
surprise that the masts of the yacht had disap-
peared and that her funnel had been extraordi-
narily reduced in size. They lay in tiny har-
| Dor, scarce mile across, composed of two crcu-
lar, narrow and low-lying strips of land that
stretched out from the mainland like two en-
bracing, anxious arms, and almost met to sea
ward.
| The coastline in the bay minqling with the
waters deep in the shade, was indiscernible, but
half way up mountain close at hand a group of
| lights regularly arranged suggested the outline of
house of large dimensions perhaps castle.
| Cressngham, lost in contemplation and con-
lecture, was startled by the placing of a hand
upon his 1t was Madame. "Yonder is At
tala, she said; my home. What were you
dreaming OFF,"
"Of your father, Kate. How do you suppose
| he will receive me?"
"Iike the courtly gentleman he is. Do you
wish advice"
Indeed, L need it badly, don't you think SOL"
"Then treat my father he treats YOU. He
will receive you kindly in the first place but if
he should by chance continue kind pretend to
! like and to admire him. Like all great men, he
is very vain. All, you smile at the adjective, you
will not always--he is great at all events in
crime"
Forgive me, Kate, and thanks for your advice,
but tell me frankly is it likely he will do as you
suggest and take fancy to me?''
Madame surveyed him anxiously and shook
her head.
I'm afarid not, dear. I'd like to say yes-but
| think otherwise You see, he adores beauty
both in men and women, later you will under
stand and discover, but he hates ugliness or de-
formity just ardently, and he will not permit
a creature to approach him that is not near per
feet. If my internal husband had not SO brutal
| y ill-used your face. he would have been sure
to like you for he has weakness for all things
English, in spite of the fact that your country
gave a home to his old enemy"
81 see-well, I shall be prepared for his aver
sion, Do you think he will kill me?"
81 shall not allow him to if I can help it. Do
you think l want to lose you, Frank? Why,
may have to spend years this wretched little
island 1t would be death in life alone"
Cressngham smiled at the selfishness lying be-
meath her spoken thought, but the reply that
trembled his lips never uttered, for the
captain interrupting led them to a gangway and
thence into little steam launch that pufed
alongside the yacht
The water swayed gently with long, steady,
gliding swell, its surface unbroken by the slight
est ripple and the boat sped shorewards with
surprising speed. They landed at small stone
jetty, where Madame dismissed the sailors and
bade only Cressingham attend her. They climb
ed arm in arm a gentle slope for some short dis
tance from the sea, then came to a narrow stone
stairway leading abruptly upwards to the heights
Step by step they ascended toilfully until half
the height traversed they found resting ter
race and seats OF carven wood
Hating little while for breath they recon-.
menced the journey, and in twenty minutes
reached a fat ledge of rock, fifty feet square,
| from which the stone wall of an old half.ruined
medieval tower sheereA straight above them to
a dizzy height Behind the tower stretched a
struggling granite mansion that seemed built
right into the mountains heart, for huge crags
jutted threateningly above its castellated tops
crags whose fall seemed momentarily imminent
wide granite tagged path led from the steps
around the tower which brought them soon unto
a splendid marble porch
Madame advancing raped on the door 1t
opened wide and Cressingham stood amazed to
see stately classic columns of dazzling alabaster
in double rows down each side to the farthest
end, full sixty yards away where wide white
marble staircase mounted gently for twenty feet
then bifurcate 4, eacn fork leading to carven
marble balustrsded gallery supported by the col
umns underneath.
Immediately opposite the doorway in middle dis
tance stood a band of gorgeously dressed negro
servants, each marvel of physical perfection,
their black and shining faces being all in
telligent and although the faces of negroes, come
lv featured In the centre of this group reclin
ing on many-pillowed lounge, was figure that
once deserted arrested and irrevocably held the
glance however much inclined TO rove
A long lean figure it was the figure of tall
and thin but shapely gentleman attired in the
manner of a bygone age. He was old that one
might tell but nothing of his age, for his head
was covered with an oldworld powdered wig
carefully coiffured with its queue resting between
his shoulders at the back Behind the head Of
the lounge on which the old gentleman reclined
stood two small copper colored men who ap-
peared TO be slaves for they were chained to-
gether by thin steel gives about six feet long.
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