Los Angeles herald., 1906-07-15

asked Randolph. "You don't look much like it. "
Delighted of course; indeed, charmed" Cover
ton replied But it's so much more amusing to
hear you enthuse about your own happiness
"Oh, dates and the prophet, old man! You
needn't be sarcastic. Ethel's worth ravng over,
don't you think?"
Worth raving over! She was worth committing
any crime for! And here-there was he, Henry
Coverton, with fortune on his back to make her
topaz-colored eyes CLEAN with love-either Of him
or the money, he didn't care which-and his
laughing rival face to face with him-alone in a
far country, Just the two of them.
"She's all right" he said, with terrible calm
ness, and steady, beetng gaze at his friend.
Don't" exclaimed Randolph suddenly, don t
look at me like that. You're trying to mesmerize
me- but you--you cant do it, you know"
With wave Of the hand. Coverton relieved his
friend Of the incubus he had almost without in
tending it, set upon his brain. 1t was sometime
perhaps much-to realize that he had that old
power over Randolph II had been Of their
mutual Vaccinations, this hvpnotism, once upon a
time Both of them had the gift The discovery
had for months put them in the relationship to-
ward each other Of a couple of accomplished fenc.
ers.
1t was more than eighteen months since any
thing of the kind had happened between them.
81 won't have it, Harry" said Randolph family.
"No; of course not. It came on me quite unex-
pectedly-the inclination, 7 mean"
The vision of Ethel was before Coverton again.
more iercely tempting than ever. The agony of it,
And the iniustice She would marry him now. he
knew il. if Guest were to vanish from life And he
and Guest alone together in country-or
part of t-whch might innocently hide Sc
cret Why, what could be more simple than to
take his friend into the mountains behind Branca-
dha and have an accident?
waiter came in with the good China tea Of
Portugal. Coverton asked if there were any bad
characters in the house.
"No, senior; are all honest here now" said
the waiter. eve do not lock even the doors
There until this morning certain Pedro
Martinez who-but one must not speak i'll of the
departed. He lies this moment in the church for
his burial, with six candles by him. One does not
lock even the church door in Rrancadiha, you
understand, senior"
Coverton bade the waiter definite Good
night" and with respectful bow to both of them
the went to his bed.
At length Randolph rose, walked to one of the
windows, and commented on the starry beauty of
the sky.
Can we get breath of air. Harry" said
Randolph "a ten-mnutes' stroll wouldn't be a
bad thing before turning in
Nothing simpler. The window unlatched, they
had but to step out and rejoice in the balmy soft
ness The bulks of the sierra loomed in the
distance, and the faint yellow of three lighted
windows quite near them. Randolph pointed to-
wards those windows
"The church. no doubt" said Coverton.
keen and ghoush desire to visit the church
there and then possessed him. Randolph was
willing
All Brancadilha asleep apparently, when
they glanced into the little green centre with pol
lard trees around it at regular spaces The church
clock struck eleven in a cracked, careless way.