The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1906-10-06
"Ah. but you hare all my thoughts"
rpnliod for che uUas IonL;p0 oh a rrn;uv

thoughts" she said. Then, after q pause,
she went on. TITS very hot here, come
into the conservatory"
1t almost looked as though she had been
waiting for me, and followed in high de-
light into the long, narrow glass house.
High green plants hid us from the view
of those. inside, and we only heard dis
tinctly his excellency's voice, saying with
much genialty to the Colonel, well, you
must be lucky in love, Colonel" from
which l concluded that the Colonel was
not in the vein at cards.
The Signorina smiled slightly a. she
heard; then She piucked a white rose,
turned round, and stood facing me, slight
y flushed as though with some inner ex-
element.
81 am afraid those VITO gentlemen do
not love one another" she said.
Hardly" assented.
"And you, do you love them-or either
of them?"
81 love only one person In Aureata-
land" replied, as ardently as dared.
The Signorina bit her rose, glancing
up at me with unfeigned amusement and
Dl6aNlTes tuluk nave WCAt1OACu NAoS
she didn't object to honest admiration.
us it possible you mean me?" she said,
making me little courtesy. II only think
so because most of the Nottingham la
dies would not satisfy your fastidious
TASTE"
mo lady in the world could satisfy me
except one," l answered, thinking she
took it little too lightly.
"Ah, so you say" she said. "And yet
l don't suppose you would do anything
for me, Mr.. Martin"
cit would be my greatest happiness"
cried.
She said nothing, but stood there, biting
the rose.
Give it to me-" I said; "it shall be
my badge of service"
"You will serve me, thenw said she.
For what rewardT'
"Why, the rose :"
II should like the owner, too," ven
tured to remark.
''The rose is prettier than the owner"
she said land, at any rate, one thing at
time, Mr.. Martin! Do you pay your
servants all their wages in advanceY
My practice was so much to the con-
trary that I really couldn't deny the
force of her reasoning. She held out the
rose. 1 seized it and held it close to my
lips, thereby squashing it considerably.
Then she said abruptly:
"Are you a Constitutionalist or q Lib
eral, Mr.. Martini"
l must explain that, in the usual race
for the former title, the Presidents par
tt had been first at the post, and the
Coloners gang (as l privately termed it)
had to put up with the alternative desig-
nation. Neither name bore any relation
to facts.
"Are we going to talk politics7" said 1,
reproachfully.
"Yes, little. Tell me-"
(which are you, Signorina" I asked.
l really wanted to know; SO did great
many people. She thought for a moment,
and then said:
dent. He has been most kind to me. On
the other hand, 1 cannot disguise from
myself that some Of his measures are not
WISE"
l said had never been able to disguise
it from myself.
1.-THE Colonel, of course, Is of the same
opinion" she continued. about the debt,
for instance. 1 believe your bank il in
terested in it?'
''Oh, yes, to a considerable extent"
"And you?" she asked, softly.
"OA, l am not capitalist; no money
Of mine has gone into the debt"
mo money of yours, no. But aren't
you interested in it?" she persisted.
This was rather odd. Could she know
anything? She drew nearer to me, and,
laying a hand lightly on my arm, said
reproachfully:
do you love people, and yet not trust
them, Mr.. Martini"
This was exactly my state of feeling
toward the Signorina, but 1 could not say
so. l was wondering how far I should
be wise to trust her, and that depended
largely on how far his excellency had
seen fit to trust her with my secrets. l
said finally:
without disclosing other peoples Sc
crets, Signorina, may admit that If any
thing went wrong with the debt, my en-
pfoyer's opinion of my discretion would
be severely shaken"
OF your discretion" she said laughing.
THANK you, Mr.. Martin. And you would
wish that not to happen?"
Il would take a good deal of pains to
prevent its happening"
mot less willingly if your interest and
mine coincided?"
l was about to make a passionate re-
ply when we heard the Presidents voice
saying:
"And where is our hostess? I should
like to thank her before I CO."
"Hush," whispered the Signorina. 1--WE
must go back. You will be true to me,
Mr.. Martini"
Gall me Jack" said 1, idiotically.
Then you will be true, o Jack?" she
said. sitting laugh.
It'll DEATH" said l, hoping Il would
not be necessary.
She gave me her hand, which kissed
with fervor, and we returned to the par
lor. to find all standing about in groups,
waiting to make their bows till the Presi-
dent had gone through that ceremony. I
was curious to hear il anything passed
between him and the Signorina, but 1
was bounced upon by Donna Antonio, the
daughter of the minister Of finance, who
happened to be present as a guest of the
Signorina's for the night. She was
- IL L. 0~n-:~l