Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-22
MY i OS SELF.

DO you take his word that l nave
parted with my wits?
You have not denied 1t.
81 shouldn't have thought IT worth
while But if julius said ! told MN ,ila'
was going to leave the island ne iieo;
Is that plain enoush?' had not say ha
was to take Masita. Face him Win
me. and let him repeat it. if he dare
"Rut were you party to Masita's es-
caping?' :.
,tad bv the nuestion In the name OF
heaven. make an end of your questions.
Nolta, If YOU thinl-I am fool enough 10
LET her 90 i'm order that she may denouhce
me. think it; any other fooilshhess Sou
pleasa But don't plague me with II.
NV outbreak silenced her for a space.
and then she said. jealousy. "She may
have ceased to threaten III return ioi
your help .od,, :.
sooe.ed And took that shallow-pated
coward of a brother of hers into my con-
fidence to help me because l had hei'l.el
wit nor courage enough or my own io'
the venture. ,. x,,
you are but hiding something from
me. Reppo. and for her sake:
"your jealousy has already once lea
Won to give NE the lie. Moita. Are YOU
bent on making another quarfe.i ..,,o 70
You are hiding something sue
peated, dOgSedly. ana III 'iilo
mood she left me. ,, IS
| must have been mlseraoie chuil vi
a lover, and that she did not there any
then turn against me was mex plltao *
had treated her with such cooihess .l,a.
in NV conduct: we scarcely met now
without a passage of words and display
of anger on my side, and had purposeiy
endeavored to make her reallze 'hal
was not worth second thouehl iio
her. -. Ill
Women are women, however, ana all
her anger now was not caused by either
words or acts of mine. put spiahs sn
tirely from the jealous 1mpatience vi my
association with Maslta peheHe 'na.
love to her with some of the ardor winch
I must have displayed in my lrfesponsipie
mast she would even have nelpeo me ~
get Masita away. her brother oesires
notwithstanding. AS II was 1oweVei, en-
took a step which checkmated the scheme
altogether. .o,,,,,,
She sent that night to Beltano. telling
him to return instantly, ana "neh' on
the following day. l was competing .ne
arrangements for MasIa u a;n.. MI, Nit Il
that night, BeltanO arrived piihsihs "'
him the priest.
He was closeted with Molta for some
time after his arrival, and the hrst lhli-
nation I had that matters had peen ~
tered came when l Went uowH ~ @
boats. Luigi was posted there with strict
orders not to allow one of them 10 ne
used without Beltanos express permls-
sion. , ,
I did not want any trouble with Luigi
but as one of the boats was my own prop
erty could use the fact to get an eA-
planation from BeltanO; so l went OH a'
once in search of him.
I met him just as he was leaving my
hut, where he had been to seek me. "A
glance at his frowning face was enough
to show me he was in very ill-temper:
''What is this trouble between you ana
Molta. Beppo? he asked. sharply.
There will be trouble between me ana
you. Beltano, If YOU use that tone 10
me- I replied quite as hotIy. Lug,
tells me he has orders 10 prevent He
using my own boat. Why!
II have my reasons.
You are welcome to them. but ! shall
have my own boat when l want IT.
I'VE won't quarrel, beppo' pu. give
what orders / please on the island.
II don't wish to quarrel. but l shall
use my boat when'I wish.
His eyes flashed and an angry retort
sprang to his lips. but he checked II
and laid his hand On my snoa,uer fo wiz. von
hothead, but l had not time to explain
everything to Luigi.
..Then the sooner you do so the better.
I retorted. 1t was clearly my best course
to harp on the STlcSdiCc-
"Ill tell him. he replied ana now
what is this between you and Molta!
.You have her side. Let 1T go at that
"She declares you are altogether
changed toward her. DO you no longer
wish to we'd her?'
looked at him stolidly and sullenly and
shrugged my shoulders. Not in her pres
ent mood, Beltano, were she fifty times
your sister and thousand times as rlch
as she is. Twice within the past day or
he
that from neither man nor woman
"She is jealous of Masita. man. She
thinks YOU spend too much time In look
ing after her. The risk you took In go
ing to fetch that fellow, Julius. started
the jealousy, and now she thinks you
wished to leave us with Masita She is
only a woman, and such things might
we'll madden her. 1t was a great risk
you ran. too.
scribed?"
Eyes. the Count has found unexpected
difficulties. and he and his friends are not
vet in power. All will be well later, but
it will mean lifelong imprisonment II
you fall into the hands of the carabinieri
at present You are safe enough here,
however. under my protection. They
will not venture here. You know that OF
old"
That he was speaking with a purpose
could easily perceive, and l guessed That
his intention was to exaggerate the risk
and make me feel that my safety de-
pended upon his goodwill. You can give
me up when you will" l said.
"Why even talk of such a thing. Beppo?
Are we not friends? Come. man, shake
off your ill-temper. You are the last man
on The island l would quarrel with" and
again he laid his hand on my shoulder.
You have served me we'll in guarding
Masita Do you think l am not CRATE
ful?
How we'll you do not yet know. nor
at what risk Only yesterday Agapa got
to her in my absence. Giuseppe and
Drake having laid Breva by the heels for
the purpose, and had not climbed round
by the cliff. at the risk of my life. as
YOU know, there would have been mis-
chief, indeed. The worst. Agapa had
her knife drawn in readiness, and Ma
sta was at her mercy"
At the mention of Agapa he frowned
heavily and swore. You said nothing of
this to Molta.'
'Would 1t have pacified her to know
/ had rsked my life to save Masita?'
You were right" he exclaimed. and
gripped my hand What did you do
after?"
Il fought Giuseppe He'll think twice
before he tries such trick with me
again"
Il heard of the fight. but not the
cause"
They thought the change in me since
my hurt meant l had turned coward But
they don't think it now.
Giuseppe has long hated you. Beppo.
LAS Agapa hates Masita. and for some
thing of the same sort of reason. You
must watch her. BeltanO, or she Will kill