Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-03-17

II Shall ask captain" poute
BY LOUIS TRACY,

II Shall ask the captain" pouted
Isobel, rising.
The count twisted his mustache. He
knew that both ladies were in the for
hidden territory of the bridge when
the fracas occurred.
You perhaps are good sailor" said
he, addressing Elsie.
Il am afraid to boast" she answer
ed. Il have been in what was called
No gale, whatever that may mean,
and weathered it splendidly, but 1 am
older now"
1T cannot have been, long ago, seeing
| that you recall it so exactly"
1T was six years ago, and l was
seventeen then" said Elsie, her eyes
wandering to the purple and gold of
the faroff mountains.
But you are English. You are there
fore at home on the rolling deep" muir
INJURED NJ de Poincilit confdentially.
| She did not endeavor to interpret his
| expressive glance, though he seemed
| to convey more than he said.
Not so much at home at sea as you
are in my language" she replied. and
| she turned to DR.. Christobal, whom
she had already known slightly in
Valparaiso.
Are you coming on deck?' she in
quired. II aEl sure you are mine of
information on Chile. and l want to
| extract some of the ore while the land
! Is still visible. 1t is already assuming
| the cemblance of dream"
You are not saying n last farewell
| to Valparaiso, 1 hope" said her elderly
companion as they quilted the salon.
Il think so. l have no ties there
save those of sentiment l shall not
return unless, If a doubtful fortune
permits, 1 am able some day to revisit
! two graves which are dear to me-
There was little catch in her voice,
| and the doctor was far too sympa-
thetic to endeavor forthwith to divert
her sad thoughts.
81 knew your father" he said gen.
tly. HE was most admirable man.
but quite unsuited to the environment
of new country, where the dollar Is
god. and an unstable deity at that. He
was swindled outrageously by men
who stand high in the community to
| day. But you. Miss Maxwell. with
your knowledge of Spanish and your
| other requirements, should do better
here than In Europe. provided. that is
| you mean to earn your own living"
Il am proud to hear YOU speak we'll
OF my father" she said. "And l am
well aware that he was badly treated
1 IL, I,,-g IL. =
vocacy of the rights of the indians
| brought him into disfavor. OF all his
| possessions the only remnant left to
| me is n barren mountain, with a slice
| of fertile valley, in the Quillota dis
| trict. 1t yields me the magnificent
| revenue of $500 per annum."
How in the world old he come to
own land there?"
1T was gift from the Naquilla
tribe. He defeated an attempt made
to GUST them by big land company.
| The company has since asked me to
sell the property and offered me a
fair price, too, as the cultivable land
! is very small strip, but it would be
almost like betraying the cause for
which he fought would it not?"
Yes, indeed" agreed the doctor,
though his heart and not his head die
tated the reply. May | ask you to
tell me your plans for the future?" he
| went on.
"Well, when Mr.. Barring heard 1 was
going to England he was good enough
to promise ne employment in his Lon
don agency as Spanish correspondent.
That will fill in two days a week. The
rest l can devote to art. paint a
little and draw with sufficient prom
/ Use to warrant study, am told. Any
how, 1 am weary of teaching 1 pre-
fer to be pupil"
81 cannot imagine what the young
men of Valparaiso were thinking of to
allow a girl like you to slip off In
this fashion, said Christobal, with a
smile.
Most of them hold firmly to the be-
lief tislt a wife's wedding dress should
be made of gilt edged scrip"
Poor material-very poor material
out of which to construct welded hap
pinsss. And as to my young friend
! Isobel-she joins her aunt in London
hear?'
THAT is the present arrangement
She means to have good time, espe
cially in Paris. l should like to live
: in Paris myself. Dear old smoke laden
London does not appeal so thoroughly
to the artist. Yet 1 am content--yes
quite content"
Then you have gained the best
thing in the worldr' cried the doctor
throwing out his arms expansively.
: The two became good friends as the
voyage progressed Christobal was
exceedingly well informed and delight
ed in a thoughtful listener like Elsie
: Isobel, firing at times of the count
would join in their conversation and
J display spasmodic interest in the
topics they discussed. There were
: only six other passengers Baptis
missionary and his wife, three mining
engineers and an English globe trot
ter. q singular being who appeared tc
have roamed the entire earth, bu
: whose experiences were summed up il
one of two words-every place he hat