Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1908-05-07

other way until the tapping Of its sails
as it tackled drew our Eyes toward It..
Even then in the boat itself I saw noth-
ing strange, but In its passengers I
did. They were swarthy. mustachioed
men. who in the hundred poses they
assumed. as they lounged on deck or
leaned over the side, never lost a pc
culiar air Of bravado. AS they drew
nearer to us the sound Of their loud
voices. their oaths and laughter reached
us plainly and seemed to jar on the
evenings stiffness. Their bold. fierce
eyes. raking the banks unceasinRlv-
reached us at last. The girl by nv
side uttered a cry of alarm and rose
as II to retreat. But she sat down
again: for behind us was an open
stretch of turf. and to escape unseen
was Impossible. Already a score OF
eyes had marked her beauty, and "a
the boat drew abreast Of us I had to
listen to h ribald jests and laughter
OF those on board: My ears tingled and
my cheeks burned. But I could do noth-
Ing. l could only glare at them n
grind my teeth.
cowardly knaves!"
oh. hush! hush!" the girl pleaded.
She had retreated behind me. And i'm
deed l need not have put my question
for though l had never seen the Snan.
ish soldiery I had heard enough about
them to recognize them now. In the
year 1915 their reputation was at it's
nelght. Their fathers had overcome the
Moors after a contest of centuries, and
n themselves had overrun italy and
lowered the pride OF France. As a re-
suit. they had many military virtues
and all the military vices. Proud.
bloodthtrsty and licentious everywhere
1T may be imagined that in the sub.
!ect Netherlands. with their pay always
IN arrear. they We're indeed people to
be feared. It was seldom that even
their commanders dared to check their
excesses.
Yet when the first flush Of my e
a subsidized I looked after them. odd
as ~ may seem. with mingled feelings.
with all their faults they were few
against many, a conquering race in a
foreign land. They could boast Of
blood and descent. They were proud
to call themselves the soldiers and gem
tlemen OF Europe. I was against them.
YET I ADMIRED them with a boys admir-
alton for the strong and reckless.
or course I said nothing Of this to
my companion. Indeed. when she spoke
TO me. I did not near her. NV thoughts
mad flown far from the burgher's
daughter sitting by me and were with
Imagination, the uplands of Old Castle.
as l had often heard them described.
In summer and bleak in winter.
l pictured the dark. frowning walls OF
Toledo. with its hundred Moorish
trophies, the castles that crowned the
mus around, the gray olive groves and
the box clad slopes. 1 saw Palencia.
where my grandmother. Petronilla de
vargas. was born: Palencia dry and
brown and sun baked, lying squat and
loW on Its plain. h eaves OF its CATH
e AuiI,a a mans height from the ground.
Al TINS l saw. | suppose the Spanish
oIood IN me awoke and asserted ftself
at sight OF those other Spaniards. And
.nen-then I forgot 1t all as I heard
Denind me an alien voice, and I turned
ano round Dymphna had stolen from
me M was talking to a
CHAPTER TX.
He was a young a and y n,,tch.
man, but not a Dutchman of the stout
purify type which I had most common.
~ seen IN the country. He had. II IL
true, the usual fair hair and blue eyes.
ana ne was rather short than tall. but
his figure was thin and meaeer and
ne had a pointed chin and a scantv fair
oeard took him to be nearsighted.
Al q second glance I saw that he was
angry: He was talking fast to
Dympnna-of course in Dutch-and
NY nrst impulse in face OF his excited
gestures n queer appearances. was to
laugh. But l had a notion what his
r~elationship to h girl was. and I
smothered this, and instead asked. as
soon as could get a word in. whether
! should cave them.
,nr On; no. Dymphna answered. blush-
ing slightly and turning to me with q
trOuDled glance. I believe she had clean
1orsotten my presence. This is Master
q q Tree. a good friend of ours.
ana THIS" she continued, still in Span
ism. out speaking to him. " is Master
carey. one OF my fathers guests"
we bowed formally. FOR he had not
his temper, and II dare say
stili had my Spanish ancestors in
ny ,, nead-w1th condescension. We dis
,ke n another at sight, I think.
a tsa him 2 mean little fellow. .
ciassed me. It was not favorably. So it
was no particular desire to please him
wM.cn !ed me to say with outward
sollcitude. Il fear you are annoyed at
someIning Master Van Tree"
half way. Ae
And am, I to know the cause?" I
asked. o 10 1t a secret?"
IT - no secret!" he retorted. "Afis-
tress Lfndstrom should have been more
carefu!. She should not have exposed
nerseH to b chance Of being seen by
miserable foreigners"
.Ine foreigners-in the boat" I said
Yes. Of course-in the boat. he an
swered. He was obliged to say that.
spoke. We turned and were walking
pack to the house. the poplars casting
% shadows across our path.
Tine were rude" I observed care
!essly. my chlnsvery high. but there
10 no particular harm done that I can
see. Master Van Tree"
Perhaps not. as far as you can see."
ne retorted in great excitement. but
perhaps also you are not very farslght-
eo: Q may not see 1t now. yet harm
will follow.
ssI1n~~at~N.,e D = 49,. =