The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1910-12-29
MAX PEMBERTON
r. Of doctor xavlel." 1.-THE Hundred Days" e

sWef aStonlSned me neyond all eNpec-
tation.
THE best hotel, senior, he said, lis
the Villa San Jorge. Am / wrong inj
supposing that you are the English
mar for whom General Fordibras is
waiting?"
I concealed my amazement with
what skill ] could, and said that i vas
delighted to hear that General Fordi-
bras had returned from Euorpe.
II will go up tosthe villa at once" ]
said to the customs officer. IF a car
riage is to be had, let them get it ready !,
without loss Of time"
He replied that the Villa San Jorge
lay five miles from town, on the slope
of the one inconsiderable mountain
ia Maria 1t would be necessary to ride,
and the general had sent horses. He
trusted that / would bring my servants
as they would be no embarrassment to
his household. The cordially of the
message, indeed, betrayed an anxiety
which carried its own warning. I was
expected at the house, and my host
was in a hurry. Nothing could be more
ominouS.
docs the general have many visitors
from Europe?" I asked the officer.
"A great many sometimes" vas the
reply; but he is not always here, senior.
There arc months together when we do
not see him-so much the worse for
u.s.
"Ah, a ~benefactor to the town, I sect
"A generous, princely gentleman, ex-
cellency-and his daughter quite a little
queen amongst u.s."
rs she now at the Villa San Jorge?"
"She arrived from Europe three days
ago, ~eXcellency."
l had nothing more to ask. and with
out the loss Of q moment I delivered
my dressing bag to the negro servant
i vel 81 H. H. - z~-~-~
name, and mounted the horse which O
rsmart French groom led up to me.
Okyada, my servant, being equally
cared for, we set off presently from the
town, q little company, it may be, of
a dozen men, and began to ride up
ward toward the mountains.
We followed a dangerous path up the
hillside; but anon this opened out some
what and crossed a modern bridge of
iron above a considerable chasm, the
glistening walls of which the torches
showed me forbiddingly. Having passed
thereby, we found ourselves upon a
plateau, the third Of a mile across per-
haps, and having for its background
the great peak of the mountain itself.
How the land went upon the seward
side 1 could not make out In the dark
ness. / observed the lights of a house
shining very pleasantly across the park.
This was the home of General Fordi-
bras. Five minutes later the barking
of hounds, the sudden flash of light
from an open door, and a figure in the
, shadows, gave us welcome to the Villa
San Jorge. I dis1nounted from my horse
and found myself face to face, not with
: Hubert Fordibras, but with his daugh-
ter. Joan.
; She was prettily dressed in a young
;, girls gown Of white, but one that evi-
IDENTIFY a been built in Paris. I Q
served that she Wore no jewelry, and
that her manner was as natural anC
!, simple as I might have hoped it to be
A little shyly, h told me that he1
4 = father. had been called &c the neigh.
a boring island of ST. MichaeIx and ais
not return for three days.
And isn't it just awful" she said
the American phrase coming prettik,
enough from her young lips, isn't i
awful to think that I shall have to en-.
tertain you all that long whilel"
D but don't think you are going ava,
from him in a hurry" she added. "Peo
e pie never do who come to the Vius
q San Jorge. They stop weeks ant
n months. It's just like heaven. you knov
If you know what heaven is like. w,
u have given you Bluebeard's room be
cause of the cupboard in it-but yo,
q may look inside If you like"
II And my servant? I hope he won
give any trouble. He's a Jap and h
e lives on rice buildings. If he is inH you
q don't hesitate to say So,
lie How could he be in the wayo Re
sides. my father quite expected him.
L I folloWed a huge mulatto whom sh
re called General Washington upstairs t
a room they had prepared for me. TIL
iie mouse, as much as | could see of il
i appeared to be a bungalow of consider
able size. but a bungalow whic
he emerged at its rear into a more snt
stantial building carrying an uppe
la story and many bedrooms there. M
own room was furnished in exceller
* 4 oGtn h11f II~itln,,tL -,,1-
he I returned to the hall. where .Joa
Fordibras awaited me. The dining roo,
oy of the Villa a Jorge had the moder
n characteristics which distinguished IL
upper chambers. There were wei
he known pictures here. and old sbeffie,
lie plate upon the buffet. The chairs WEI
if American. and a little out of harmon
er with some finer Spanish mahogany ar
a heavy Persian carpet over the ma,
he cuet.
o Our talk at the table was altogeth,
re, of frivolous things. Not only bv
much as a look did Mistress Joan r,
he call to me the conversation, intima
gh and outspoken, which had passed b
ce tween us at Dieppe. I might ha,
been the veriest dreamer to rememb
is it all-the half expressed plea for nj
ad on her part; the doubt upon mine. Ho
could one believe 1t of this little @
Id, quette-pratthng of the theaters
hit Paris. the shops of Vienna, or the f.
nous SherryS OF New York. Had '
ur been a upp party at the Savoy, L
ID. occasion could not have been celebra
GU ed with greater levity. OF the histo
nip of these people 1 learned absolute
ar. nothing at all that / did not know a
to ready They had q house on the ban
as of the Hudson river. an apartment
lat Paris-in London they always STAY
at hotels. General Fordibras was d
20 voted to his yacht. Miss Aston Is
a was there too) adored Jane Auste
be and considered the Imperial ~tlleater
be h Mecca of all good American !
wv, dies. Nonsense, 1 say. and chiefly IL
as material nonsense. But two facts car
to me which l cared to make note
M The first Of them dealt with 10
F~orbibras' departure from Dieppe a
her arrival at Santa Maria.
WIS MY, l was cross!" she exclaim
apropos; Just to think that one mig
The have gone to Aix!"
at. h you left Dieppe IN a hurry
ar, I commented.
all She replied quite unsuspectingly:
,an "They shot us into the Yacht ljlEe