Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-06-03

Y
and embraced her; and the eyes of
/ both of them swan in tears.
You will be happy, at any rate.
Kitty"
Poor girl" cried Kitty. Prin-
cesses were mortal like other people.
How love you! Come back with us
| to America
II must live out the puzzle over
here
| When Hillard and La signorina
were at length alone, he asked:
When shall l see you AGAIN."
Who knows? Some day, perhaps,
when time has softened the sharp
edges of this moment, the second bit
terest | have ever known Tomorrow
shall write, or very SOON Now, give
me your promise that you will no
more seek me till send for YOU
"You will send for me?" with eager
ness and hope.
Why not?" proudly. There Is
nothing wrong in our friendship and
| | prize it. Promise
Il promise. Good by, If l remain
any longer ! shall be making mad, re-
grettable proposals For a little while
have lived in paradise. Wherever l
may be, at the worlds end, you have
but to call me: in month, in year,
a decade, shall come Good by!"
Without looking at her again, he
rushed away.
She remained standing there as mo-
that all animation was suspended,
~ hot e.lo ,o+
she had tried By and by she gazed
round the room, fast dimming; at the
suttering candles, at the empty chairs.
and the vacant doors and hollow win
dows. = He had not asked
her if she loved him. and that was
well. But there was not at that mo-
ment in all the length and breadth of
Italy lorelier woman than her
Hiehness the Principessa di Monte
Blanca.
| Meanwhile the prince raging and
out of joint with the world mounted
his horse He would have revenge for
this empty scabbard, or he would re-
sign his commission. His throat still
! ached and pointed lights danced be-
fore his eyes. Eth, well! This time to-
morrow night the American should
pay dearly for it. His short laugh had
an ugly sound This American was
Just the kind of chivalrous fool to ac-
cept a challenge. But could he handle
foils? Could he fight? Could any of
these damned American heretics fight
save with their fists? 1t was the other
mans lookout, not his. He put the
duel out of his mind as thing accom-
plished. Shortly he would have COM
pensation commensurate for all these
five years chagrin. To clude him all
! this time. TO laugh in his face. to defy
him, and then to step deliberately into
his power! He never could understand
this woman. The little prude. But for
her fools conscience he would not
have been riding the beggar's horse to-
day She was now too self-reliant, too
intelligent, too cunning; she was her
father over again. soldier and diplo
mat. Well, Tho mystery of her actions
remained, but he was no longer the
broken noble. So why should he pug
zle over the why's and wherefores Of
her motives? All! and would he not
dig his hands deep into the dusty
sacks of gold and silver? Life again,
such as he craved; good cigars and
good wine and pretty women who were
no ardent followers Of Minerva. To jam
part of this money down the throa1s
of his yelping creditors to tear up his
paper and fling it into the faces Of the
greedy Jews! Fla! this would be 10
live! Paris, or Vienna or London
where he willed; for what hold had
the army now?
He was an expert horseman, but,
like all Italians, he was by nature
cruel. AS he passed the gates, mis-
horse slid and stumbled to his knees;
he was up instantly, only to receive a
hard stroke between the ears. This I'M
expected treatment caused the animal
to rear and waltz. This was not the
stolid-going campaign mount, but his
best Irish hunter, on which he had
won many prizes in many a 5ymk-
hama. There was brief struggle, dur
ing which the man became master
both of himself and the horse. They
were Just passing the confines Of the
villa when a man darted out suddenly
from the shadows and seized the bri-
die.
| cat last, my prince!"
lIlOVannl
Instinctively the prince reached for
his saber, knowing that he had need
of it, but the scabbard was empty. He
| cursed the folly which had made him
| lose it. This encounter promised to
| be bad one. What mouth of hall had
opened to cast this beggar of all men
in his path? Oddly enough his thought
ran swiftly back to the little casa in
! the Sabine hills. Bah. Full
of courage, knowing that one or the
other would not leave this spot alive
| he struck his horse with a purpose
this time, to run his man down. But
Giovanni did not lose his hold; hate
and the nearness Of revenge made
him strong.
mo- moi" he laughed "She is dead
my prince. And l, was not going tc
seek you; was going to Lev he'll
claim you in its own time. But YOU
rode by me tonight This is TIE end.
Let go, fool roared the prince
slashing Giovanni across the face with
the heavy crop.
Giovanni laughed again and drew