Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-01
Copyright, 1908,
By Arthur w. Marchmont.
All rights reserved.

by pretending that she could go to the
police. just now?''
II wasn't fooling her. Breva. I meant
her to go If she wished"
WHY
"she had made vow to accuse me-"
He laughed. Are you suddenly tired
Of your life? 1t isn't much like you. She
meant trouble. The very devil was in her
eyes as she looked at YOU
But nothing happened. you see."
Not her fault" he retorted. drily. "She
believes you stabbed Vicino.''
We'll, didn't I?'
yourself man?''
Its deviish queer, 1 suppose, but I
don't know"
What do you mean by that?''
l reflected that had better stick to the
tale had told Beltano. 1t was the truth.
ana AS l should have to account to the
rest for the change which they would GER
tainly find in me. the truth was the sim
plest line. I could keep the fact OF my
identity, to myself. THE fact is. Breva.
that blow I got on the head has knocked
everything else out of it. l don't know
who struck me, nor when I was struck.
nor anything before the blow. / had for
gotten even that 1 was Beppo Serrano
until Masita yonder told me-
us it as bad as that? / am sorry" he
replied. and the arm with which he was
supporting me pressed me the closer as If
In sympathy. Il don't think 1t was you
who killed Vicino, for all that you are so
reckless. I told Beltano 1 thought you
were struck by Vicino, but that was lie.
believe Giuseppe did it; you know how
often l have warned you against him.
Ever since. you came to us he has hated
you on Molta'S account, and after that day
you fought Drake because of me the two
have Joined against you, and the hearts
of both have been black with murder
thoughts. I believe they have done all
| hirC
Tell me-" / urged, when he paused.
1T was my dagger that killed the man.
Il don't know things for certain; can
only guess. Vicino made a sturdy fight
for his life and in the struggle 1 could
see but little, but remember you calling
out that his life must not be taken. and
am almost sure you were down when he
was still fighting. And afterward, when
the thing was done, those two raised the
cry that the carabinieri were coming and
hustled me out Of the hut. AS we hur-
ried off I heard something which made
me think they meant to bring them there.
and jumped to the conclusion that they
had planned 1t so that you should be
taken. 1 got away, and Knowing that
Beltano was at Solferino's, ran there at
top speed and brought him.
You saved me, Breva, and have more
than squared the accounts between u.s.
said, referring to what he had said
about my having fought this Drake on
his account
Not by a long way yet" he replied,
and for Pepita. too, until you stopped
him and he'd have killed me to have her
to himself This is only little thing"
I remembered that Masita had spoken
of Pepita. and wondered who she was,
but thought it better not to ask. We
walked some way in silence, and pres
emily I heard voices and he said: '-The
horses are just here. You'll be strong
enough to ride?'
When we came up to the others Masita
was already mounted. and Beltano was
standing by her horses head holding an
other horse by the bride.
This Is for you. Beppo," he said. and
putting the bride into Breva's hand went
off with Masita. AS 1 was clambering
into the saddle I saw some figures NOV
ing on ahead in the gloomy shadows of
the night.
'Who are they?' asked Breva
"Ahmet and Luigi with Vicino's body
he replied. Are you all right?'
Yes" 1 said, and We started, Breva
striding out quickly by my side.
The cool air had served to revive me
considerably and I was now able to think
matters over much more connectedly than
before. l was beginning to get the hang
of things. 1t was clear that my former
surmise was correct. The blow I had re-
ceived in New York had in some way in
jured my brain and 1 had lost all knowl-
edge of my identity. and the blow tonight
had removed the obstruction. whatever it
had been, and restored me to myself.
In the meantime I had not been, as
had SO greatly feared, a lunatic in the
sense in which we commonly interpret
the term. had become this other man,
Beppo Serrano, and must have played the
part with all the semblance Of complete
sanity.
But every act and thought and word
during that interval was sealed book to
me. How had come to Sicily, why had
l taken the name by which was known
and how l could have become associated
with the desperate men who were now my
companions, was complete mystery.
l could hazard a guess at the reason
for my presence in Italy. 1t was in the
Italian quarter of New York that I had
been struck down, and when the ruff
fans who had attacked me found that
was not dead, but had no recollection of
my identity, it was possible that they had
considered it less risky to pack me across
the Atlantic as an italian than to kill me
and dispose of my body.
did not yet know how long time had
elapsed since that first attack, but gath
cred that it must have been many weeks
and perhaps months. My people at home
had no doubt come to the conclusion that
l was dead, and I tried for while to
think what could have been the reason
for the attack and who could have insti-
gated it.
l knew that my father had enemies
among the Italians. and that he had been
threatened more than once by the Black
Hand gang. He had only laughed at the
Idea of any danger from such a quarter
but 1 saw now that it was quite possible
the attack upon me might have come
from there.
The preent was, however, more impor-
tant than the past, and I had to decide
what course to take Should 1 let my
people know at once that l was still alive
or tempt first to ascertain If there was
any connection between Beltano and the
men who had sought my life?
The present was, however, more impor-
have been a few hours earlier-before I
had seen Masita in fact. 1 was eager to
learn more about her. Her glorious beauty
had dazzled my eyes and bewitched my
senses: 1 knew that she was in danger
from this Beltano and his men; it was
possible might save her, and in my pres
ent mood the thought of flight seemed
just miserable cowardice And far
stronger than my reluctance to abandon
her was the overpowering desire to
change her thoughts of me- to right my
self in her eyes, and to force her to look
upon me as far other than the scoundrel-
ly cuthroat she held me to be.
1t was quiXotic. If you will. To remain
member of Beltano's band was to run
the risk that she herself would be the
first to accuse me of crime of which
could not prove my innocence-of- which,
indeed, 1 myself did not know whether
was innocent or guilty. But l was In
love, and the mere thought Of being able
to help her and change her opinion of
mel dared not hope to do more-was in
itself enough to quicken my pulses and
set me gritting my teeth with resolve
I Cfav ot OF FOR