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

| 'Santtago!' Whispered Concha. DO not
go down to the ship. Take me for walk
have much to say"
Santiago, who had not been asked to
| form one of the escort upon the return OF
the Russians to the Juno for the night.
| felt injured and sulky, and deigned no
reply.
| eff you do not, I'll not braid your hair
tomorrow" said his sister, giving his arm
| a little shake; and he succumbed. The
luxuriant tresses of the male Arguellos
| were combed and braided and tied with a
| ribbon every morning by the women of the
| family, and Concha's fingers We're the gen.
| tlest and deftest. And Concha and San
| tiago were more intimate than even the
.rest of that united family. They had stud;
| led and read together, were equally dissat-
| isfied with their narrow existence. ambi-
| tious for a wider experience. Santiago
| consoled himself with cards and training
| roosters for battle, and otherwise man
| may. He was out fifteen. this naughty,
| severe looking young hidalgo. but while
| in some respects many years older than
| his sister, in others he was younger, for
| he possessed none of her Illuminating in
| stinct.
| She led him through a postern gate round
| the first of the dunes, and they were alone
| in waste of sand. Then she demanded
| abruptly:
What do you think of our ilustrous
vistor?"
Il like him. He would wiring your neck
| if you got in his way, but has q kind heart
| for those that call him master. l like that
sort of man. l wish he would take me
| away with him.
He shall-one of these days Santiago
milo, let me whisper She pulled his
down to her lips; He will marry me. feel
| whole day. He has told me grave secrets.
| Not even to you would 1 reveal them. So
many have loved newly should not he?
| shall live in st. Petersburg, and all
| Eur0ne'-thOuSaQCS of DeODle-DiOS miOi
| Dios mio,'
| Indeed" Santiago, still unamable,
sponded to this confidence with sheer.
| You aspire very high for little girl of
| the wilderness. without fortune, and only
| half a coat-of-arms, SO to speak Do you
| know that this Rezanov-Dr. Langsdorf
| has told us all about him-is a great noble
one of the ten barons of Russia, and
| chamberlain not merely by the accident
| of birth in Austria or Germany, but
| in accordance with a decree of Peter the
| Great that court titles should be bestowed
| as reward for distinguished services
alone? He got a fortune in his youth by
marriage with a daughter of Shelikov-
| that Siberian who founded the Russian
colonies in America. The wife died al
| most Immediately, but the barons infiu-
| ence remained, with Shelikov for his infiu-
| ence at court was even greater-and after
| the older mans death. with his mother
in-law, who is uncommonly clever. She
| likovs schemes were but sketches beside
Rezanov's, who from merely courtier
and a gay blood about town developed
into great man of business. with an am
bition to correspond. 1t was he who got
the imperial ukase that gave the Russian
American Company its power to squeeze
all the other fur hunters and traders out
of the northeast. and make ReZanov and
everybody belonging to 1t SO rich your
| head would swim If I told you the num-
| Der of doubloons they spend in a year.
Nobody has ever been SO clever at man
aging those old beasts Of autocrats as
he. They think him merely the accom-
plished courtier. brilliant dilettante.
condescending patron of art and letters,
| he is pulling their befuddled old intel
| lects about to suit himself. The Tsar
| Paul was lunatic and they murdered him,
| but meanwhile he signed the ukase. The
Tsar Alexander, who Is not SO bad nor
| SO silly as the others. thinks there is no
| man SO clever as Rezanov. who addresses
him personally when sending home his
| reports Do you know what al that
a chamberlain at court, a privy counsel
| lor, and the tsar himself on this side
| of the world. but when his inspections
and reforms are concluded and he is one
| of the wealthiest men in Russia, he will
return to ST. Petersburg and become so
| high and mighty that princess would
snap at him. And you aspire! never
heard such nonsenSe!
His excellencey told me much of this"
replied Concha imperturbably. And 1 am
| sure that he cares nothing for princesses
ana Will marry WHONl lie NlOSt duIlli cS
He would not say, but know he cared
nothing for that poor little wife, dead
so long ago. 1t was a marriage de con-
| venance, such as all the great world is
accustomed to. He will love me more
| than all the fine ladies he has ever seen.
| feel it, I know it! And 1 am quite
| happy"
DO you love him?" asked Santiago.
| looking curiously at his sisters flushed and
glowing face. 1t seemed to him that she
| had never looked so young. Many have
loved you. had begun to think you had
no heart for men. no wish for anything
but admiration. And now you give your
| heart in day to this Russian-who must
| be nearly forty-unasked."
"I have not thought of my heart at all.
| But l could love him. Of course. He is so
| handsome, so kind, SO grand, SO gay! But
| love is for men and wives-has not my
| mother said so? Now I think only of st.
| Petersburg! OF Paris! of London! Of the
| beautiful gowns and jewels shall wear at
| court-a red velvet train as long as
/ Queens, and ala embroidered with gold.
| white veil spangled with gold, q head-dress
l-l,l ln~r <ar