The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1909-07-18
Ell DORADO
The Lost Land and How 1t
Was Found.

fragrant scent of dollhouse flowers
hung in the air, and the strains of the
famous Ell Dorado waltz foated out
from the ballroom.
He was tai, determined-looking
man; he had a strong chin and good
honest brown eyes. His was the face
of man who had fought a hard bat.
tie and conquered.
The woman-tne woman who didn t
want to danee-was slight creature
with a pair of haunting gray eyes and
a cloud of fair, exquisitely silky hair.
There was something indesczibably at
tractive and alIuring In her whole per
sonaity 1.-The Ell Dorado, - muir
INJURED Vanessa. listening to the music.
She gave slight, delicate laugh, then
she turned to her companion.
Do you think there is an FL Dorado
such country?', she asked medita-
lively, .'or is it a fairy tale, like the
rest ~
Her sigh was infinitely pathetic. It
was difficult to realize for the moment
that an eminentIy successful woman
was asking the wistful question, a
woman whose art had made her famous,
and who played the violin as none other
could or would.
Curious, too, that she should ques-
ton David Royant on the subject. If
there was man on earth who had
found the land of lei Dorado this man
had, for Royant was a millionaire, and
A. ! -bo
had built up a miraculous fortune, as
it were, in the twinkhng of an eye. He
had stumbled on gold mine by pure
accident.
son, no, I believe in FL Dorado. OF
course there is such land-there must
be, - he continued, otherwise all the
poets and dreamers have been mad
all the singers, all the musicians. And
it would be rather pity to believe
that, wouldn t it?''
This was not the first time he had
met Vanessa Leasing by any means, for
they were friends now of long stand
ing; but the woman interested him.
For all her fame. for al her magnificent
success, and her curious and indefnable
beauty, her face was not the face of
a happy woman. The eyes were hungry
eyes.
.sSome people -Vanessa spoke slow
" and very softly some people hold
that Ell Dorado is a land of gold. It
is the city of the rich man, and no one
can enter it unless he has great
wealth.
David Royant shook his head.
'TDon t believe that story" he said
decidedly; cit is fable. I am rich
man myself, but he spread out his
hands-s.I haven t found the land you
speak of, though / came near to find
ing E-once.
His strong, rugged face ssftened. A
new look came into his eyes.
s.Tell me, she leaned forward,
how did you come near to the coun>
try: how did you lose your chance of
landing in it?'
sit is very ordinary story he
smiled, then crumpled his program up
into a hard ball; .'iust the story of a
young man passionately in love with
a young woman, who goes abroad to
try and make fortune for her. He
comes back years after with his for
tune. but the girl
Yes. the girl9' mnrmured Vanessa.
"she's the mother of girls herself, "
he answered simply, "a sparkling
young matron of thirty. Happy enough,
I've no doubt, even though the man
she married doesn t happen to be quite
so wealthy as l am. Oh, [ DON It sup,
pose she cared much for me, really
he added with dry laugh, "else she
would have waited as other women
have waited
ssThings are better for you than they
were for me- she muttered.
osTell me. = He was gently insis-
tent. .sWhat' IS your troubled"
..Mv troubIe2' She smiled, but a
tear 1iekered on her eyelashes. 'tOh,
/ brought all my trouble on myself. I
of the artist, and now, now, when it is
too late, the woman is stirring in her
grave clothes.,'
She shuddered as she spoke.
'sYears ago, when / was young, bare
" eighteen, she went on, 81 was en-
gagged to be married. He WAS a strug-
Cling young barrister, and | wac one of
a family of many sisters. There was
no earthly prospect of our being mar
RED for years; but that didn t matter
in the least, we were quite happy. And
then, one afternoon, when l happened
to be playing my violin at small af-
ternoon party, big musician heard me,
and told me that if / chose to work
hard / should have a future before me
"a great future. Of course, I was
exeited-flattered. Then, later on, when
the big man S opinion was eorroborat-
ed by other great musicians, it seemed
natural that should accept the great
offer made me by liberal patron of
musician offer TO pay my expenses in
Paris if I chose to study music there,
and definitely take it up as a profess
sion. My kind friend made one stipu,
lation, however; was TO break off my
| engagement-for a time. For an artist
cannot serve two gods, she said, and
/ suppose she was right. For music
demands everything life, one s
soul. -
"You broke off your engagements
Royant spoke CURLY.
81 broke it off in a sort of way. but
it was an understood thing between u:
that when / had finished my studies
and was beginning 30 take my plac,
in the musical world, cur engagement
should come on again
"What happened?' Royant looket
at her serutinizingly. How pale, hov