The San Francisco call., 1910-10-02


ish Woman would approach-through
the sandhills.. driven up in her car
riage, or. what was more probable, on
foot over the tree guarded slopes OF
the hill. The blink of an eyelash might
lose her
The dull gray light that had chilled
shore and sea began to take on
warmer CLINT. / knew the east was
growing rosy. And still she did not
come. The fishing boats began to go
out, and at my back I heard the first
murmur.of the city stirring out OF sleep.
Two of the fishermen. Italians. stood
on the wharf and stared at my carriage
curiously, but hardly noticed them.
felt as if were outside of all the world
and everything usual that could
happen.
The wind was freshening, picking. up
whitecaps on the bay. and presently I
noticed that the lugger had shifted her
position, had moved out little from
under the lea of the hill and saw they
were running up sail on board. One
large tapping white wing, and then an
other, rose and spread beyond the
trees. I could even hear. the piping
sound of the sailors voices, and then,
with a veering and fitting. and finally
with a graceful bowling motion, she
stood away from the hill and began to
go out to- sea.
Beautiful sight that 1t was looked
at it with despair. I could not be-
lieve it. How had the Spanish Woman.
got on board without my seeing her?
Gould she have slipped along through
the bewildering shadows and so
evaded me-; or had she gone
on board even before I had come?
But, no, that. couldn't be. for then the
lugger would have sailed Immediately,
I Thought, as 7 stood on the step of
the carriage and watched the ship
carrying my last hope swing round and
dip her nose deep in the channel tide
There is only one chance" I said
to myself Perhaps she will have left
some word for him behind her at the
house. -"
The thought had no sooner COME into
my mind than it possessed me with the
conviction that this must be so. For
when I remembered her looks and her
words to me as she talked of him I
felt sure that nothing could make her
quite desert him. even though he had
disappointed her. The idea of her
house, which a little while ago. had
terrified me, came now like an inspir-
alton. did not know what I should
do or say when reached it, but
when I am there" thought as we
retraced our way over the f1oundering
track of the hills. ::
When, for the second time that
morning. I found myself in front of.
the Spanish Woman's gate, I sprang
out of the carriage without moments
hesitation. told the man to drive
back to our house on Washington
street and tell Mr.. Fenwick there that
1 wanted him.
There I stood in the chill daylight,
shivering In my pale blue cloak i'm
petuously changing the brazen lions
head upon its clapper. The outer door
al ,lfc aIoe-e ;%
before, shutting as silently after. But
the garden, which had seemed pictur-
esque and dreamy under the kind sun
light, now looked ghastly, disheveled
crumbling, as If 1T had been deserted
for at least hundred years. The inner,
door was long time in opening. Just
as was beginning to despair 1t swung
a cautious crack i saw the ,glimmer
of eyes. then Immediately it was
opened wide by a woman, the same
maid whom I had seen brushing out
the Spanish Womans hair.
THE Sonora Valencia % asked,
feeling the mockery of my ques-
In terror lest she should not let me
in. Her face had set appearance.
She looked as If she hated me, but she
admitted me readily enough, closing
the door quickly upon me. There. Just
within the threshold of the house. she
held out to me white envelope.
The outside was blank, nigmatic as
the servants face, but from 1t I pulled
a folded sheet Of paper scrawled in
that bold hand, which. like all other
attributes of that woman, was unfor-
gettab1e. Within the paper was a
card. Upon the card read
You see, he understands me per-
fectly. He wishes to be rid of me and
he has chosen the one way possible. I
give you back his words"
No signature, and the card was nv
dance program still with its little pen
ell. On the back I read the farewell
Johnny Montgomery had made her. It
was IN Spanish. "I am in love with
another woman. Go away without me.
1 am going back
I stood crumpIing the thing in. my
clenched hand and the first thought
came trembling in words: "Oh,
cruel, crueli How could he say itr'
When I remembered her passionate
face and wild will I wondered what
love had done with her when first she
had read that card. If girl like Laura
Burnet had tainted at a lesser shock.
what had creature like the Spanish
Woman done? And then the next
thought came, wiping out the memory
of the first But there is nothing
here to help Johnny Montgomery
nothing at air.
fThe maids voice broke upon my be-
wilderment. harsh. and grating. will
the senorita walk upstairs?y
L turned to. her in increasing amaze
ment. What might this mean? Was I
after all to- find my mystery's clew?:
The senora's room.'' the woman ex-
planned, going before, and I followed
up the stair.
I thought l could. have told without
previous knowledge that the house
had been deserted by it's mistress.