The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1908-04-30


who are theyy" 7 muttered. 'rhs
..Oh. hush! husn!'t the girl pleaded.
She had reiterated behind me. And in-
deed i heed not have put my question.
for though / had never seen the Span
ish soldlery I had heard enough about
them to recognize them now. In the
year a565 their reputation was at Its
height. Their fathers had overcome the
Moors after a contest OF centuries. and
they 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,
bloodthirsty and licentious everywhere,
it may be imagined that in the sub
ject Netherlands. with their pay always
in arrear, they were indeed people TO
be feared. 1T was seldom that even
their commanders dared to check their
~excesses.
Yet when the tirst flush OF my anger
had subsidized / looked after them, odd
as II 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
10 call themselves the soldiers and gem
lemen OF Europe. I was against them.
Yet ! admired them with a boys admir-
alton for the strong and reckless.
OF course i said nothing OF this "a
my companion. Indeed, when she spoke
to me. l did not hear her. My thoughts
had flown far from the burgher's
daughter sitting by me and were with
my grandmother's people. saw. in
imagination. the uplands OF Old CASTLE,
as l had often heard them described
not In summer and bleak I'm winter.
4 pictured the dark, frowning walls OF
Toledo. with its hundred Moorish
trophies. the castles that W the
nils around. the gray olive groves and
me box clad slopes: I saw Palencia.
where my grandmother, Petronilla de
Vargas. was born: Palencia dry and
brown and sur baked. lying squat and
low on Its plain, the caves Of its cath
edral q mans height from the ground.
All this i saw. / suppose the Spanish
hood In me awoke n asserted itself
at sight OF those other Spaniards. And
then-then 1 forgot II am "a + heard
behind me an alien voice, and 1 turned
and found Dymphna had stolen from
me and was talking to a stranger.
CHAPTER TX.
He was a young man, and a Dutch-
man, but not a Dutchman OF the stout
burly type which / had most
~ seen In the country. He had. ii Il
U the usual fair hair and blue eyes,
'-o ~ ~ IAlIL nl1I
MS figure was thin and eager and
he had a pointed chin and a scanty FAIR
beard. l took him to be nearsIghted.
At a second glance / saw that he was
angry. He was talking fast to
Dymphna-of course In, Dutch-and
my frst impulse, In face of his excited
gestures and queer appearance. was TO
laugh. But I had a notion What his
relationship to the girl was, and /
smothered this. and instead asked AZ
Q as | could get a word In, whether
I should leave them.
on, no. Dymphna answered. blush
ing slightly and turning to me with a
troupied glance. l believe she had clean
forgotten my presence. This is Master
Jan van Tree. a good friend OF ours.
ana this, she continued. still in Span
ish, but speaking to him, 4" IS Master
Carey, n of my fathers guests"
We bowed formally, for he had not
recovered his temper. and II dare saw
4 still had my Spanish ancestors in
my head-with condescension. we dis
liked another at sight, / think 7
dubbed him a mean little fellow :
trader, a peddler, and, however he
elassed me, II vas not favorably. So it
was no particular desire to please him
which led me to say with outward
sollcltude, ~ fear you are annoyed at
something. Master Van Tree" NJ
II ami" he said bluntly. meeting me
hair way.
And am / to know the cause - +
asked, "or Is 1t a secret?'
1T is no secret" he retorted. mis-
tress Lindstrom should have been more
careful. She should not have exposed
herself to the chance OF being seen by
those miserable foreigners"
The ~foreigners-in the boat?" I said
dryly.
Yes, OF course-in the boat" he an
swered. He was obliged to say that.
but he Rlared at me across her as he
spoke. We turned and were walking
back TO the house. the poplars casting
long shadows across our path.
They were rude" ] observed care
lessly. my chin very high. but there
is no particular harm done that / can
see. Master Van Tree.
Perhaps not, as far as you car. see "
he retorted in great excitement. .But
perhaps also you are not very farsight-
ed. You may not see IT now. yet harm
VIII follow.
Possibly ] said. and I was going
to follow up this seemingly candid ad-
mission by something very boorish
when Mistress Dymphna truck in ner-
Yously.
MY father Is anxious" she explained.
speaking to me. that / should have
as little to do with our Spanish gov
errors as possible. Master Carey. II
always vexes him to hear / have fallen
In their way, and that is why my friend
fscls annoyed. 1t was not, OF course.
your fault. since you did not know OF
this. 1t was l." she continued hurried
ly. who should not have ventured to
the elm tree without seeing that the
coast was clear"
(contiaued Next Weekly
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