The Nezperce herald. (Nezperce, Idaho) 1900-1957, 1910-11-03
CHAPTER xII.-tContinusd.)

man were hurled az the black girl 3
ears. Meta pretended to understand
nothing Betty said to her. Tyoga was
absent. lie Malheureux apparently had
disappeared into thin air. and Betty
was like Gagged lioness. She was per-
mifted 70 wander through the castle.
for such the edlhce proved 70 be. but
with Meta ever at her side The ar
chitecture OF the castle was OF nom
descript type. and II was rudely fash
toned OF granite. moss and vine grown
and surrounded BY parked gardens
hlled with tropical foliage and flowers.
Al the end OF the gardens was q MAS
matte river thiclly green and vile OF
odor. nlled with rank reptiles and nau-
seous water plants. Beyond the river
stretched the desert. yellow and hard.
All this You could see from the upper
windows OF the castle. farther than a
radius OF fifty yards around the por-
ticos Betty nor her handmaiden was
not allowed to set foot. Within the
castle was a small sandpacked court
with an asthmatic fountain and heat
wrung plants. There Betty and Meta
sat and Betty read the few books that
were available, tried to teach Meta to
dance and learned dances OF her in re-
turn. tried. too. to learn Meta's gut
tural speech and failed sadly in teach
ing English 70 Meta. Which. along
with certain other occurrences that
happened as time went on. made Betty |
fairly certain that Meta already spoke |
English. OF else understood it 50 per-
fectly that the girl was under instruc-
tions TO betray no familiarity with the /
foreign tongue. A favorite game OF /
these two girls became a variation OF
lawn tennis. native game. which they
played seated. hurting over low net
celluloid balls OF light weight and gay
colorings.
The evening OF the third day Betty
grew overwhelmed with such an I'M
comfortable loneliness that she could
not help crying. Meta. who had just
brought her supper OF cocoanut fresh
" cut. mixed with plneapples and
guavas. a trussed pigeon. dgs. dates. !
and fell sobbing. too. and tried mar ,
ticulately to ind out what she want
ed n
'aTyoga. Tyogas- walled Betty Her ,
nerves were at breaking point and the /
iaclkal who hoWled In the hills to the
north was Grazing her with his yoWl-
Ing. and she was sick. 50 sick. OF It s
III. Of the mystery, the silence. the !
loneliness.
Meta hesitated and then ran away
Ike deer. She came back troubled
Ifter an absence OF a quarter Of an .
lour or 50, bearing In her hand a wax
ablet on which was written In an old
fashioned slanting hand.
Tyoga cannot come to you yet. win =
i -
3 very busy. She VIII try and come
D a few mornings.
Betty took the tablet to bed with /,
Ter. telling herself that she was get =
ing positively foolish
Meta went along. caressing her as
much as she dared Betty began to =
ose sight Of the fact that Meta's skin =
vas black She had already done this =
With Tyoga- As Meta aided Betty to =
lisrobe the slaves hand caught In the 8
lender chain Of the little gold Iociet 1.
hat Betty wore always round her :,
hroat, and snapped its links asunder. q
rhe chain fell to the floor. and as Il y
If the thing the locket few open.
disclosing Larry Morris face. Meta ..
licked It Up. sighted the face. and Y
iri-like. scented the trouble. She p
azed intently at Larry's counterfeit q
resentment. studying II closely. Then
be nodded her approval and shook an y
ccusing finger at Betty. which moved %
city to tears again ~
Meta laughed. and with much sim =,
sring began to finger around within =,
le capacious founces Of her striped =.
II With much Precipitation, and -
ith what might have been bushes. on -
fairer skin she finally produced an =.
ID little hand. palnstaklngIy carved - =.
ON ivory with inlaid nails and veins -
gold She held this high for Betty -
gaze at. then pointed alternately TO
.rself and Larry Norris picture with - -
Ich Illuminating pantomfmes that -.
city Immediately estimated that the -
Org hand was the troth-sign OF Meta -, =.
ID Of a somewhere dusky-belovedl
Tyoga was three days IN coming. -.
hen she was much dlstraueht ana -
oked like a ragged edition Of her {
zee buxom SELF First she called ~
eta aside and spoke with her long ~,
ID earnestly-Betty would have VOW -.
it was In French. Then Tyoea came ~
Betty -.
You are In danger Of your Iife." she ing
rry for this, Miss Lancey. We had
4 expected It. We had thought an
myers were well guarded aralnst ],
at all precautions had been faken arrf
u and Meta must be left alone here was
the castle for weeks But be nj bv
raid. Resides the secret entrance Ere,
Itch none knows but Meta, there 4 the
approach TO the castle save from ~ ,
At river on the south and TO cross npo,
at'-she shuddered-'to cross thai Il 49,,
swallow death. have promised inn,
y safe return to your people. ana 1 rejsr
now to make that assurance doublv ienr'
Re. Le Malheureux sends you his ne
q wishes, and Is sorry he cannot ne
ne IN person. and now. FAREWELL" n,
rhe negress turned and left the two ~
- together, Betty terror-striclren. br1ee
nealck. unnerved. Meta stolid. Inn rn,r,i
bile as the castle itself. &c.
'or several weeks the weather was tn RI
, almost supernatural IN lfs beauty ~ !,
glow Betty srolIed the castle over n =,