Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-15

Breva I'll deal with the thing in the
| morning. Let them question me-.
| The reason for the action of the cara
bineri was now clear. Giuseppe had by
| some means succeeded in setting them or
my track, and 1t was to that / owed the
narrow squeak 1 had had at the last mo-
ment.
| Why was the man bent on my cap
| ture? Had Breva been right in his sur
| mise that all that scene on the night OF
| Vfcino's death had been planned to Sc
| cure my arrest on the charge of murder
Had it been by him that 1 had been
struck down? If SO, who had killed
| VicinO?
| If vicino himself had struck me. then
as l had said to Molta. 1t was sheer
! impossibility that l could have killed him
afterward. Yet, if had killed him, who
! had struck me afterward. and why?
The only answer to these perplexing
questions all fitted with the theory that
Giuseppe himself, or Drake. his firm
! friend and ally. had attacked me. 1t was
! possible. of course. that l had killed vi
| elmo. and that the two had afterward
] rendered me unconscious SO that l should
! fall into the hands of the police.
| But against that there was the fact
/ that Beltano's orders had been clear and
definite-that Vicino should be captured
not killed. and Beltano himself had ad-
mitted that | was not likely to go counter
/ to his order
! lie more 1 thought TOuHu the tHlIS Tie
more certain became my conviction that
Giuseppe his ally had done the i'll
deed. and finding that | had no recollec-
ton of what had passed had put it all on
me. But how to discover the truth and
secure the proof of it baffied me.
| ! went over the ground again and again
many times but without seeing any
means of obtaining this proof. Molta
could. perhaps. get it. but to trust to her
| involved the continuance of this hypo-
/ n,.tt <>f liz ,ocs
lively detestable prospect.
All through the hours of my watch
tina: night / chewed the problem
harassed by the difficulties and maddened
by the thought that until the proof was
i'm my hands / must remain in Masita s
eyes an ASA ssin. 1t had become my one
consuming desire to clear myself to her:
to quench the light of alternate fear and
loathing with which she looked upon me,
and implant in its place those signs OF
trust and confidence for which my heart
was hungering.
When Breva returned in the morning l
gave him the little packet l had brought
from Masitas house and the letter from
her brother. saying that Pepita was to
hand them to Masita without a hint that
A la few s hours t sleep refreshed me and by
noon | was at the farmstead Molta met
me with black looks. and I observed that
! Agapa had taken Pepita's place in the
house.
Molta let me proceed with my meal in
silence for a time and then said. You
were away from the island yesterday,
Beppo?'
Yes I nodded
why did you go and where?'
"BeltanO would have wished it. You
refused Masita's request. l complied
with it,
WHO rules here in Carlos placeo'
mo one rules me, Molta. Don't be I'M
reasonable
II would not believe 1t when they told
me- she burst out, angrily. Has that
woman bewitched your
"Ah, you have been listening to Agapa
again. 1 see you have her in the house
now in Pepitas place. You are always
trying to quarrel with me since you be-
gan to heed her gossip"
1T is you who make the cause for
auarreling. Beppo. You think you can
treat me as you please You cannot. You
shall not. What did you do yesterday on
the mainland?''
You saw the list of things Masita
needed l fetched them. and found that
young fool. julius. and told him his sister
wished him TO come here"
That was not ALL You are trying to
blind my eyes. Whom else die you see ~
/ smiled. Some of the carabinieri.
had a long talk with their captain, a
man named Murito."
You admit it. then. You went to seek
their help for that woman. They told me
as much 1 could not believe it, You
went to betray u.s..
"Ah. your anger dulls your wits. Molta, "
I replied. impatiently Some one sought
to betray me. News was given to these
police that / was over there and only by
| a hairsbreadth 1 escaped capture. I sus-
pect Giuseppe and Drake. But the thing
failed and here l am again.
II don't believe you
| 1 rose. You mean that l am lying?' /
asked coldly.
Il mean that that woman has bewitched
you and set you against me and against
| all of u.s..
''Then / am not fit to be in your pres
| ence. Molta.' and l turned to leave.
Don't dare to go like that. Beppo," she
cried. furiously, her face paled and set.
and her lips pressed tightly together in
passion.
! | threw her glance and went out.
| slamming the door behind me. / caught
! glimpse of WOman'S skirts disap
pearing out of the house. and saw Agapa
running in the direction of the men
| nuts. ! guessed she had been listening
| She stayed only a few seconds in one
! of the hutS and met me as | passed
She greeted me with a smile. Good
morning, Beppo. You were away yester-
| day?'
with a result that should please you,
Agapa.'
''Tell me-
Julius is coming to the island today"
| She was a handsome girl. but at times
| she would part her lips. while her white
! teeth were shut. in sort of snarl which
| greatly disfgured her. She did 1t now
| at my news. Did you tell him it was ]
who wished him to come? / gave you no
message"
Don't you want him."
1T was at Masita's bidding you went
Beppo." At the mention of Masita her
! eyes hardened.
Don't meddle with matters that are
nothing to you. Agapa.'
1T is my matter. You know that, as
| all on the island know. Why do you let
this woman come between us all in this
way? You know what / mean well. Have
not you and Molta quarreled because of
| her? Was it not well enough with us un-
til she came? What is she to you to
| Beltano that you should let her make
! this trouble? Am / not woman as fair
as she, and shall I suffer myself to be
! tossed aside like a withered olive that
she may take the place which is mine by
right"
do what you will. 1t is none of my
! affairs" l replied CURLY, to provoke her
| to palmer speech.
| She grasped my arm and looked search
ingly into my face.
us 1t true, then. that she has changed
you? Have you forgotten your pledge
when sought to win my brother to your
/ side at the time of your quarrel with
Giuseppe-that you would help to hold
Beltano to keep his faith to me? Or are
you like other men. eager for woman &
cast her aside when the help is no longer
w MT cd