Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-04-05

SlSnOTlna.
"Is not that for me to Judge, and have
I not heard your story?
| Il am not yet worthy, signorina. II I
! live to tell the end of 1t, then. perhaps, I
may take your hand. But not yet"
| Heaven grant 1t may end as I would
J have it,
And with these earnest words ringing
in my ears and more moved than ever
before in my life. 1 set off after Ahmet
and his companions.
l chose the path by which she guided
me to the house. and by the horses 1
found Luigi waiting. Il thought you
would come this way. Beppo. and waited
to dissuade you from returning to the
island"
"You can't do that. Luigi
"There will be hill In Beltano's heart
after this business tonight. He was like
a mailman when he learnt the trick you
had played him."
Where is he?"
He crossed with us. but a messenger
from the Count met him at Solferino's
and he ordered us to come on here, saying
| that he would follow. He will have your
life if you go back.
"A man can only die once. If / stay
here there is worse-imprisonment for
life and / mounted.
But you could escape across the hills
to Trapani." he urged. as he rode after
me.
II am going back to the island. Luigi"
Of your life
"On the contrary I was never saner
never more anxious to live. l have a
purpose"
Later on, perhaps. but not yet. Where
is Ahmet?
Ridden on. He does not believe you
are coming. He is mad against Drake
for having bolted as he did. and declares
that we were only fooled by Masfta, and
that she had no one in the house save
her servants"
Let him return and see.'' I replied
drily. Come, let get after him.
We rode at a good speed, and Just be-
met who was nursing his injured arm.
How Is it between us, Ahmet?"
asked. riding up to him.
How should it be?''
you bear me malice for that hurt to
your ARM"
But that was not his way why should
I bear malice? Twas in fair fight I
should have done as much to you or more
had the thing gone otherwise, and should
have done as you did had l been in your
place"
"Good!" 1 said. and offered him my
hand
He took it with his left. she was
worth fighting for. Beppo, and another
time Beltano must send some one else
In my place on such an errand. She
fooled us cleverly. and for the moment
even believed she had those men in the
house."
1.-The place is full of Them" I replied
did not wish him or any one to think
that Masita was without protection.
But he shook his head Now per-
haps. But had that fool, Drake had as
much courage as mouse there would
have been another story to carry back to
Beltano."
There would not have been so many to
carry it, Ahmet"
by my fathers tomb. that is nothing
but the TRUTH He was silent for a few
seconds, and then, with dry. laugh.
added; If 1 bore you malice; Beppo. I
should be chuckling at your folly in COM
ing back with u.s. 1 didn't believe you
would dream of it,
II have done what I planned to do and
shall not run from the consequences. Are
you for or against me?'
II have never been against you, and
had I known that you were at the house
there / would not have gone"
And If Beltano is set upon my death.
what then?"
He is my leader not 1 his Beppo," he
replied, bluntly, and 1 questioned him no
more.
At Solferinos we were told that Bel
tano had left orders that we were to lose
no time in returning to the island, but I
did not learn whether he himself had
gone there or not.
Drake was waiting in the boat. and the
instant Ahmet saw him he uttered cry
of rage and. catching him by the throat.
shook him like a rat in his powerful left
hand, and flung him headlong into the
bows with a contemptuous curse at his
coWardice.
AS soon as we were we'll under weigh
Luigi came and began to question me
about what l meant to do on landing.
He had heard my talk with Ahmet and
declared that although the Turk might
obey Beltano without question. there were
many on the island who would not. Gu
seppe had enemies among the men; my
fight with him had made those my
friends, and he thought they would prob
ably stand by me In any trouble.
"They have always been against his
marrying Molta, Beppo, and will not
have him as leader" he added. "Some
of them are also against Beltano's marry-
ing Masita. They side with Agapa and
resent his treatment Of her. II you can
make your peace with Molta, therefore,
all may yet be WELL"
But this was precisely what I did not
mean to do. All the deceit of that pre-
tended lovemaking had become a thou
sand times more hateful than before
and l would not stoop to lie to her in
order to escape her brothers anger
did not tell Luigi this. but put him off
with some general reply. and said that I
wished to be left alone to think
On one point 1 was absolutely resolved
l would not speak one word nor commit
single act dishonoring the motive which
inspired my love for Masta. 1 recalled
with thrill of delight the change in her
manner toward me; the sweet solicitude
she mad shown. the light Of compassion in
her eyes, the risks she had faced to Sc
cure my safety. the desire for my conf
dence, the trust she had placed in me;
all these were as the suns brilliance
breaking through the gloomy mist of my
troubled thoughts.
1t was because of her and of the wild
nope of winning her that / had faced
the hazard of returning to the island
that might obtain the proofs OF my in
nocence and SO render myself worthy of
her. And what / had to do should be
done without the stain of lies and deceit
Had 1t not been for this love of mine
for Masita, my course would have been
plain enough-to fly the country. In the
disguise she had offered me 1 could have
reached Trapani In safety: a few hours
would have seen me in Naples or Rome
as Cuthbert Dalrymple; Beppo Serrano
would have been no more than a myth
and all that chapter of my life would
have closed for ever.
And when the light on the island
Mashed into view l had some misgiving
whether after all / had not taken the
wrong course. and whether it would not
nave been much wiser to have used the
influence and money which would have
been at my command to set others to dis
cover the truth about Vicino's death.
II Beltano had already returned to the
Island l should have to face a crisis at
once. Ihere would be no time to act
upon Luigi's Well-meant advice and try
to win Giuseppe's enemies to nv side.
And when we approached the landing
stage my heart quickened it's beat as