Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-04-28

we picked it up again We among trees now,
and the mountain sides green with oak and
poplar though as we dropped the landscape dark
ened into desoaton. The bleak corner of the world
toward which we were speeding had that formess,
featureless look which one common faces as
if had been shaken together caelessly by the great
Creator in absent minded moment
My map, which l consulted Dick drove, said
that we had passed out of Navarro into Alava; and
suddenly noticed that we had crossed the water
shed Here and there my longing for the strange
and picturesque was gratihed by the tragic grace of
tall, ruined watch tower browning a desolate HILL
a vivid reminder of days when red fire signals flashed
from hill to hill to call good Christian
against the Moors Sometimes creamy pillows of
Pyrenean sheep surged round car, graceful and
beautiful creatures with streaming banners of WOOL
and faces only less intelligent than those of the gray
dog that rallied them to order, and the brown
shepherd IN tiutterlng garments of red and blue
The sun had welcome for to-day. We
npped by the bitter wind, which struck us the
more coldly as we were hungry; and about two
o'clock not sorry to in the middle of
wide stretching plain large town which we knew
to be Vittoria.
Luncheon there might be counted upon 1t was
too chilly for picnic meal to be feasible with ladies'
therefore CarmonaS must stop for an hour or
two, and it clear that he would go by way
of Burgos; consequently, it was on the cards that
Angelo de la MOles letter would be delivered by hand
We sneaked stealthily into Vittoria glancing fur
lively about for large gray Lecomte; but it was
not long before we caught sight of in the distance in
the main street. drawn up before the principal hotel
| would have given good deal if | could have
got word to Monica; for, if she had happened
to the red following since run, she prob
ably miserable in the thought that had been turned
back at the door of Spain OF course, in the fear of
disgusting her. Carmona ght have kept the cur
tain down on the little drama which he had managed.
ConCealment would have been difficult however as
he must have 81 gned his telegram to the police; and
arriving at the custom house, of the facts
would have been likely to leak out in Monica's
hearing 1t was hard that she should be distressed
for my sake well as her own but my first fencing
bout with the Duke had warned me against rashness
and | decided that nothing could be done till we
reached Burgos. There, somehow, | would find
way to let her know that it L. and not the Duke
who had come out best
Before joining Dick at lunch engaged a small boy
who sold newspapers in the street to let know
when the other car started This was to prevent our
being given the slip by any chance; but it proved
needless precauton, scrambled through a
Spanish menu, and still the gray car slept in its
coat of grayer mud before its chosen hotel Therefore
Dick and boted a hasty impression of Vittoria as
we had bolted our lunch
Another wild, April storm was boiling up, and
where we stood in the square, below the
long flight of stone steps, the high cathe- -
dral above seemed built against cloud e.
wall of ebony. A long saber of sunlight e.
struck upon the tower and threw ray ~
of reflected gold on the white Virgin in
/ !
her niche Over all the town there was r
other CLEAN of light, and so had the
afternoon darkened that it was as if G5s{SSS=
a mourning veil hung between our eyes 49, q,
and the solemn sky. Suddenly the deep MyS3
toned bells of the cathedral boomed W. 4
and, the doors opening, hundreds of Y@@f
women clad in black with close folded EwyEcySS
black mantlllaS, poured out. S2snHl
For single instant l forgot even
Monica, in TIE tingling sensation that
the life of 81 in throbbing round
me; but touch on my brought
back to her with bound.
The gray car is getting ready to start, senor,"
murmured a Spanish voice, as two Spanish eyes
looked up, hopeful of pesetas into mine
CHAPTER X