Arizona republican., 1909-05-29
Continued fir om Thursday)


 T have no home, Kitty. The let ] ter is from a friend in Naples. MT. ] Hillard and MT. Merrihew, friends of 1 yours, are in Italy
 Kitty could scarce believe her ears. Where are they? Where are they { stopping?"
 That I do not know. But listen. l They have started out to find us. i When I tell you that MT. Hillard is ] the gentleman l dined with that night before we sailed, you will understand my reasons for wishing to avoid | him. From this time on we must never appear on the streets without our veils. If by chance we meet { them, we must give no sign. It will 1 be only for a little while. Your let ter will come soon, and you may re- new your acquaintance with these | two gentlemen when you return home. It may be hard for you; but if you i wish to stay with me, my will must 1 be law unto you.'
 Not to speak to them if we meet them?" urged Kitty in dismay
 No"
 But that is cruel of you. They i are both gentlemen" said Kitty, with fierce pride.
 T do not know Mir. Merrihew, but ] can say that MT. Hillard is a gen. tleman l have proved that As for | being cruel, I am not; only selfish" Are you not a queen who has run away from a kingdom?" asked Kitty bitterly. One reads about them every day in the papers"
 My dear, you are free to choose one of two paths. Sometimes l need you, Kitty; and the sight of you and i the knowledge of your nearness helps me. l shall not urge you one way or the other, but you must make your final choice at once"
 Several minutes passed Kitty | looked out to sea, and La Signorina closed her eyes. In her heart Kitty knew that she could no more leave , this woman than she could fly She was held by curiosity, by sentiment, by the romantic mystery.
 T have chosen" she said at length T shall stay with you"
 Thanks, Kitty. And now, the af- fairs of the company. We have played three days and have lost steadily. Tonight will be the last chance. Win or lose, tOmorrok We shall return to Venice. l do not like the idea of go- ing to Monte Carlo at night; it is not exactly safe. But since beggars musn't be choosers, we must go. Again l warn you to speak to no one while l am playing; and under no cir cumstances raise your veil. They have begun to notice us, but it will end tonight I was mad to think that l could win. And by the way, Kitty, we shall not go back to the Campo Formosa."
 Kitty accepted this news brightly If there was one place she hated, it was the Campo. She had never been so lonely in all her days as in that evil-smelling tenement in the Campo Santa Maria Formosa.
 Now run and dress" advised La Signorina. Let me dream a little more, while the sun sets. I can dream pleasant dream sometimes"
 And indeed the dream was not un- pleasant for her thoughts went back to that night in New York. Did he really think of her, then? Was it pos sible for a man to forget so bizarre an episode? Rather would it not leave a lasting impression? She liked him. He had a clean, kindly face and hand some eyes. How she had played with himi How she had tempted him, And yet, through it all, a gentleman, a witty, interesting, amiable gentle man, who never approached the in- nuendO, or uttered a double-meaning. On her part she had taken great risks; but the fun had been merry and harmless:
 She recalled his liberal minded pat riotism and his sensible comparisons. Surely he was right: the race of gen. tlemen had not yet died out in far America. With what mystery had he invested her? She smiled gently It was pleasant to be made a heroine even for the small space of two hours. He was an idle young man, after a fashion; that was because he had not been walked up. But under his jest and under his laughter she was sure that there was courage and pur- pose and high emprise. Take care, she thought. Take carei Might not this little dream carry her too far out to sea? To have met a man like this one in time! How gracefully, how boyiShly he had kissed her handi More than this, there had been an artless admiration in his upturned eyes, an expression which a gentle man of the Old World would have lacked. Why had she sent him that mask? Had it been a challenge, an indirect challenge, daring him to fol- low and seek her? She really could not answer. It had been one of those half-conscious whims which may be assigned to no positive cause. Be- sides no sensible man would have accepted such a challenge. She knew men tolerably well: after thirty they cease to follow visions; they seek tangible things. No, they must never meet again. It would not be wise Her heart, lonely. disappointed, galled as it were by disillusion, might not withstand much storming And she had no wish to add this irretrievable folly to the original Dlunder. Too late, too latei Decidedly they must not meet again. She was afraid.
 The red rim of the sun sank quickly now, and the sea turned cold and deeply blue, and the orange tinted sails grew drab and lonely. And with the sun the brightness of her dream went out. Would she never cast out the life which was false, though color ful and fantastic? Would she never accept real life dull and sober? RO-