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

trouble brewing. or know nothing OF
him or of those with him.
I let them talk as they would and held
my own counsel. And that afternoon l
carried my few belongings to the old fort.
held aloof from Molta. mingling with the
men at their work in the fields and try
ing to CLEAN some Of the information I
desired so keenly.
1 could learn nothing Of any moment.
and, on returning to the fort In the even
ing, dispirited and depressed at my fall
ure. found Molta awaiting me.
Il have not come in anger. Beppo," she
said. seeing by my look that she was not
welcome
What is It you wishT'
You have Stunned me these two
days"
What is it," repeated.
Il have thousand fears for you. You
1 was mad when we parted-mad with
rage and jealousy. But It is not too late
| to undo the mischief"
Il am armed and can protect myself"
"Oh, God. how can you look so coldly
at me! You will kill me, Beppo. And l
have but come to warn you there is a
plot against your lfe-to take it this
very night
How do you know this?" I asked.
doubling her.
Heaven forgive me. 1 have been a
party to it,
How can that be. when there is COM
mon talk that you and are reconciled?
Il spoke only with Giuseppe. I cast
my voice against you" she replied. slow
ly. her face paling and her eyes falling
before mine. But have rued, Beppo. I
| cannot bear that you should die. They
will come tonight when you sleep, Gu
seppe and Drake. by the cliff where the
path has been hewn and made easy"
q on n I
'They are both set on your death be-
cause Of your" She paused and looked
up leaving the sentence unfinished.
Because you let him make love to you
But more because Of Vicino's death.
Beppo.''
ment with which heard this. Does he
deem me q cur like himself that should
With an effort I repressed the excite
tell what know Of that?' I asked. with
q sneer.
You do know. then. that it was he
who killed Vicino?"
WAS I not there? How did you learn
From himself. When you were III you
bade me find out the truth from him."
And for his sake you have kept his
secret and saved him from me on the
night Of my return. He should be CRATE
full to you"
1 intended no more by this sheer than
the news for the first time. I was thus
utterly surprised by the effect Of the
words.
She rushed to me and seized my arms,
light in her eyes. and then with a sudden
and half-hysterical laugh she let her
head fall on my shoulder.
do you really believe I should have
cared had you killed him.
saw then she had mistaken my sneer
fOr a SIGN n foQ1nUSv I hor ryctc
to put her away from me. and again she
mistook my purpose. She let her hands
slip into mine and glanced up with a
smile.
have been. Oh. how 1 have suffered,
dearest. But do not really believe you
care for Masita. Forgive me. I cannot
live without YOU The days Of our quar-
rel have been more dark and drear than
any in my life. My heart was nearly
never. In all my life. If you will but love
me. 1 love you so. do. 1 do. with all
my soul and being. When thought
had lost you, could have killed myself
thought about me and Giuseppe will
show you. He is less than nothing to me.
swear that to you. Oh. God, this rea-
sonless jealousy. Don't let it part us,
Beppo: my Beppo. always mine. Whisper
that to me. dearest" and she chung to
me and gazed into my eyes. as If hun
gering for the assurance which l could
not give her.
or all the embarrassments Of that time
none was more disconcerting than this
That she cared for me I could not doubt,
and I knew that in the days of my lost
self had wooed her passionately and
with vows Of love! For that owed such
amends as it was in my power to make,
and there was but one course I could
take. must tell her the truth.
Her anger I could have faced without
caring, but this avowal, spoken with emo
tional earnestness and with all the evil
dence OF intense sincerity, appealed to
every instinct of chivalry in my nature
Ny silence perplexed and disturbed her
1T is because Of my great love that I
have warned you, Beppo." she said,. at
length. But you chill me with that look.
1t is SO strange, SO loveless. Is there
still trouble between us?''
Her voice, low and sorrow-toned, sank
almost to a whisper, and the yearning
misery in her white. drawn features and
shrinking attitude was thousand times
harder to witness than all her fury had
been.
Feeling the grip OF my hands relax she
withdrew her own with a weary sigh and
stood back a pace, her eyes wide in ques-
tioning fear. and her breath laboring as
she waited for the words I found so
difficult to speak.