The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1909-08-06

|
here this s2ternoon?" he asked, somewhat
suspiciously.
1.-The same"
You are welcome he answered, and l
could not help smiling at his assumption
of ownership
He shook hands with me as l came on
board, waved to the vacant chair, and
poured me water in one Of my own
glasses.
Il must apologize that 1 have no wone
20 offer you," he said in such a manner
that my likings instantly went out to
him. Il should not even have had the
pleasure of offering you this but for the
fact that you yourself provided it"
"Will you smoker" l handed him a ci-
gar. which he accepted, and lighted with
match 1 furnished. For the first tine
noticed a pair of heavy pistols on the
| table.
You travel we'll guarded" said I, look
ing at them.
81 have need" he answered, ''grava
need" l looked closely at him. He was
in perfect earnest, his pale face absolute
| y serious his deep eyes set beneath black
brows. He pushed his somewhat long
hair back from a fine, broad forehead. II
do not know you you are, sir, but l take
you for friend-one l assure you of
! class now sadly small"
Il live near the beach," 1 explained,
| and my name is Seldom. l imagine that
you are stranger to this shore"
IAN absolute stranger. l come from
| the other side of the ocean. This is the
| first time l have ever been to America"
l waited, but he would vouchsafe moth
| ing further. So we sat and smoked 81
lently, while felt his keen eyes studying
| me.
May l ask your age, Mr.. Selden?" he
said at length.
Certainly. Twenty-eight."
"Ah! You are very much younger
than l. l am somewhere between 40 and
50, one who has seen much, and so almost
an old man.
l could not imag inc what was coming.
1T is in reference to this afternoon"
he said, as though in answer to my
| thoughts. when 1 hear a woman in
distress l am water, l cannot but inter-
| pose. Still, as l returned here this even
ing 1 thought that possibly you might
feel aggrieved. Believe me, Mr.. Selden,
at the time had eyes only for the lady
He paused, then went or "!f you will
pardon a much older man, l would give
you bit of counsel. Never contend with
woman; let her have her way. Above
ALL never contend with woman who
cares for you"
Il have the least reason in the world
to think that this one does?" 1 answered
IN >lvy h,rf 1xaI
fully. l suddenly found his further 81
lence uncomfortable.
What are your plans, sir?" I asked
abruptly. For 1 do not suppose that
you dropped down here entirely by chance,
and intend to stay until chance again
moves you away"
NO. did not arrive solely by chance"
he answered, although that had much to
do with it. But expect to stay until
| fortune, be it good or bad, summons me-
| That is, always supposing, Mr.. Selden,
that you do not drive ME away from your
| beach,"
81" l said, much surprised "How
can your stay here hurt me?"
My new acquaintance let his eyes rest
upon my face moment, then smiled as
though at a passing joke of his own.
| You have saying that where ignor-
ance is bliss tits folly to be wise; will
not explain, therefore, and only hope that
you may never know; but''-and his eyes
shifted for a moment from mine to the
pistols on the table-"if you do know. it
will not be very pretty piece of infor-
nation
| 1 clenched my pipe between my teeth /;
the night wind was stirring; the flavor
of strange adventure hung over the Ship
as strongly as the salt breeze from the
sea. l felt myself indescribablv fasci-
mated. Duponceau drew his cloak som :
what closed around him, and mufaed it
about his chin, so that all of bis face
could clearly see was his long, wonderful
black eyes. Indeed, they were wonderful
those eyes of his. The moe l looked
into them, the more they held me, and
yet the less l knew about the man him
self.
| 1 was just wondering if this Duponceau
was not something of hypnotist when
| found that he was speaking in soft, low,
almost ruminative voice.
II like you, Mr.. Selden, like you ex-
tremely. and so I would not bring you
into any harm; and yet if you are my
friend l shall most likely do so, for that
curse was laid upon me in the past.
have had many friends and even more
enemies. and some of the friends have
turned enemies. but none of the enemies
friends. l tell you this so that you may
the better judge, because you must be
one or the other. Nobody has ever been
Indifferent"
l could not detect arrogance; simply
the statement of facts.
II would rather be your friend" an
swered.
He was silent again, gazing at and
through me with his dreamy, speculative
vision. I had the feeling that 1 was in
a measure spellbound-th l could not
start conversation for myself, could not
act without his volition.
There are reasons" he continued in
time. while l cannot tell you much, If
l am not one of the worlds great men by
birth. am by achievement. There was
a Corsican born in the last century whom
all the powers Of Europe sought for years
to bind and silence; there are many men