The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1909-08-19

Mis- went dioht VI III NOAuldhy W NHS
Casa Fuerte the detective could only
surmise. He couldn't tell whether his
object would be mere blackmail. or
robbery of the cipher. or assassination.
Perhaps he found the insensible man
in the patio and was tempted by the
grisly opportunity; victim and weapon
both absolutely 10 his hand; for II
was established that the dagger had
been shown Tracy by Mercer as a
curio, and left on the stone bench.
Perhaps he had not found the dag
ger, but had his own means to make
an end OF his enemy and his own ter
ror. Birdsall believed that he had ac-
completes. or at least one accomplice,
with him. He conceived that they
had lain in ambush watching until
they saw Kito go away. Then an
entry had been made. Most like"
Birdsall concluded. he Jest flung that
dagger away for you folks TO find and
suspect the domestics. say Kito, cause
he was away" But this was not all
that Birdsall had 10 report. lie had
traced Atkins to the haunts OF certain
unsavory Italians; he had struck the
trail, in fine. To be sure. II ran under
ground and was lost in the brick
walled and slimy-timbered cellars of
Chinatown which harbored every sin
and crime known to civilization or TO
savagery. What matter? by grace OF
his aunt's powerful friend they could
track the wolves even through those
noisome burrows.
Yes" sighed the colonel. stretching
out his arms. with a resonant breath
OF relief. we're out OF the maze: all
we have 10 do now is TO keep from be
ing killed. Which isn't such a plain
proposition in Frisco as Ia Massa-
chusettsl But ! reckon we can tackle
81 And then-then. my darling.
shall dare be happy,"
He found himself leaning on his
windowsill and staring like a boy on
the landscape. lost in the lovely hal
lucinations of moonlight. II was no
scene that he knew. II was a vision OF
old Spain: and by and by from yonder
turret the princess. with violets in her
loosened hair and her soft cheek like
satin and snow. would lean and look
Y 81 te meuve a lastima mi otsrno pa
decor
Como te amo. amame. belilssima mujeri
"Ah. no, little girl" he muttered
with a shake OF the head. Il like IL
better TO have you a plain. American
gentlewoman, as Aunt Becky would
say, who could send me 10 battle with
nice little quivery smile--sweet-
heart Oh, I'm not good enough for
you, my dear. my dear" lie felt an
immense humility as he contrasted his
own lot with the loneliness Of
Keatcham and Mercer and the multi
tude of solitaries in the world, who
had lost. or sadder still, had never
possessed, the divine dream that is
the only reality OF the soul. AS such
thoughts moved his heart, suddenly in
the full tide Of hope and tbankfulness,
II stood still, chilled, as IL by the
glimpse of an iceberg In summer seas
Yet how absurd; Il was only that he
had recalled his stoical aunt's most
unexpected touch of superstition.
Quite in Jest he had asked her II she
felt any presentiments or queer things
in her bones tonight. He expected to
be answered that Janet had driven
every other anxiety out OF her mind;
and how was she 20 break II TO Mill
cent?-or with some such caustic re-
partee. Instead, she had replied test
lily: yes, | do. Berthe ! feel--hor-
rid feel as IL something out of the
common awful we're going 10 happen.
It isn't exactly Atkins. either Do you
reckon II could be the | Suey When,
that bamboo-shoots mess we had for
dinner?"
Although they spent a good 20 min
utes after that. Joking over super
stitions. and he had repeated TO her
some Of Tracy's and Arnold's most in
genious "spooky stunts" to make the
neighborhood keep it's distance from
Casa Fuerte, and they had laughed
freely, she as heartily as he. never.
theless he OWNED that her smile was
a pretense. Suddenly, an unruly tremor
shook his own firm spirits Looking
out on the stepped and lanterned
arches of the wing, he was conscious
of the same tragic endowment OF the
darkened pile. which had oppressed
him that night, weeks before, when he
had stood outside on the crest OF the
hill; and the would-be murderers
might have been skulking In the
shadows Of the pepper trees. He tried
vainly to shake on this distempered
mood. Although he might succeed for
a moment in a lovers absorption, 1t
would come again, insidiously. seep-
ing through his happiness like a fume.
After futile attempts to sleep he rose,
and still at the bidding Of his uncanny
and tormenting impulse he took his
bath and dressed himself for the day.
BY this time the ashen tints of dawn
were in his chamber ana on the
fields outside. He stood looking at the
unloveliest aspect of nature. a land
scape on the sunless side, before the
east is red The air felt lifeless;
there were no depths in the pale sky;
the azure was fiat tint, Opaque and
thin. like a poor water-color. While