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

She declared that she had prevailed with
| Julius. and that IL I would but keep
out of the way he would take Masita
across
But there was something in her man
ner as she told the story which did not
4 ring true. She was so eager to have mo
| believe her. SO unlike herself when speak
! ing of Masita, so solicitous that l should
not be mixed up in the thing to my hurt
with Reltano. that I could feel she had
! some hidden purpose. and was lying IT,
hide from me-
/ determined TO relieve Breva earlier
than usual that evening, and was start
ing for the fortress when Molta called ma
! into the farmstead. She wished to carry
our own peace negotiations a step farther.
| found. and she was urging a complete
! reconciliation when julius entered.
He had been drinking / saw that at q
/ glance. His eyes Were bleared and he
/ lurched as he came I'm and smiled vacu-
ously. I'm going to be married. Molta."
| he said. with leer. "Agapa and I are
| going to the mainland to he married.
When asked Molta. The same aues-
/ ton was on my tongue.
Tonight. She's gone 10 Masita now to
tell her. She said as they're going to be
sisters they must get to know one anot her
better. l think so. too he added. with
! the inane grin of intoXication.
! / waited to hear no more. Agapas
| eagerness that 1 should keep out of the
way began to assume very sinister
!
/ afoot. I knew that she had no more in
/ tention of becoming this drunken little
! fools wife than l had. and she had only
] told him the tale in order to use him
in some way SO that she could get to
Masita.
Molta had kept me SD long with her
that the dusk was now falling. j blamed
myself for having delayed SO long. and
as l hurried to the fort l kept sharp
lookout for signs of trouble.
| / did not look in vain. Some yards be-
! fore / reached the opening of the rocky
! path leading up to the fort / came upon
Breva lying bound and unconscious on
the ground. I unfastened his bonds
! quickly. but could not restore his senses.
and l was rushing to the mouth of the
path, when the thought occurred to me
that the thing was q trap.
Agapa would be certain 10 bring her
! brother into the affair. and Giuseppe
was probably with them: these two had
almost certainly overpowered Breva. and
were most likely waiting for me either
inside the fort or by the entrance. while
| Agapa herself would be with Masita.
! / recalled her threat-that Masita should
not live to become Beltano's wife. and my
blood chilled as / recognized she was
quite desperate and reckless enough TO
make that threat good.
To have trouble with Giuseppe and his
companion at such a juncture would be
madness. Even If fought and beat them.
the fight would but be the signal for
Agapa to do what she had gone to do.
| For aught / knew, the deed might have
been already done. I did not know how
! long the Greek had been In the place, and
! the thought of Masita at the mercy Of
! the Infatuated woman craZed with jeal-
ousy set my pulses throbbing with fear
/ for the one and rage against the other.
Dusk though it was there was still light
enough for me to risk the way round by
! the cliffs. and. with a prayer that might
| yet be in time. l dashed away and sprang
with the reckless haste OF a mailman
! from point to point Of the rocks. Once l
| tripped and all but fell to the shore be-
| low, and my thought at the moment was
not care for my own life, but despair that
my failure would bring such disaster to
| the woman / loved.
| i recovered myself by a miracle Of luck.
as it seemed. and with no greater hurt
than scratched hands and a bruised knee.
1 and dashed to the window by which
had before gained an entrance. creeping
! in as stealthily and noiselessly as / could.
| lest the sound of my arrival should drive
Agapa to deal the blow before / could
reach Masita.
| Then l stood and listened.
| All was as still as tomb.
| My heart sank. Was l too later