The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1910-12-29
/ HE DIAMOND SHIP
MAX PEMBERTON
Author Doctor '"Ths Days."
Copyright d. Appleton q
MAX PEMBERTON

swer astonished me beyond all expec-
tation.
THE best hotel, senor." he said. "is
the Villa San Jorge. Am wrong In
supposfng that you are the English
man for whom General Fordibras is
waiting?"
I concealed my amazement with
what skill could. and said that I was
delighted to hear that General Fordi-
bras had returned from Euorpe.
Il will go UP to the villa at once" I
said to the customs officer. ''If car
riage Is to be had, let them get 1t 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
which Is the pride Of the island of San
ia Maria. 1t would be necessary to ride,
and the general had sent horses. He
trusted that I would bring my servants
as they would be no embarra ssment to
his household. The cordiality of the
message. indeed, betrayed an anxiety
which carried it's own warning. was
expected at the house, and my host
was In hurry. Nothing could be more
ominous.
Does the general have many visitors
from Europe?" l asked the officer.
eASaN Ibaiy SOIIctlIItS. was TIE
reply; Sut he is not always here, senior.
There are months together when we do
not see him-so much the worse for
U.s."
"Ah, benefactor to the town. 1 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."
had nothing more to ask, and with
out the loss Of moment l delivered
my dressing bag to the negro servant
who approached me in the generals
name, and mounted the horse which q
smart French groom led up to me.
Okyada, my servant, being equally
cared for, we set off presently from the
town, n little company, 1t may be. of
dozen men, and began to ride up
ward toward the mountains.
We Followed dangerous path up the
hillside; but anon this opened out some
what and crossed modern bridge of
iron above considerable chasm. the
glistening walls Of which the torches
showed me forbiddingly. Having passed
thereby. We found ourselves upon a
plateau, the third Of mile across per-
haps, and having for it's background
tho great peak of the mountain itself.
How the land went upoa the seward
SIDE l could not make out In the dark
ness. 1 observed the lights Of a house
shining very pleasantly across the park.
This was the home Of General Fordi-
oras. five minutes later the barking
or mounds, the sudden flash of light
from an open door. and figure in the
shadows. gave us welcome to the Villa
San Jorge. dismounted from my horse
and found myself face to face. not with
Hubert Fordibras, but with his daugh-
ter. Joan.
She was prettily dressed in n Young
girls gown OF white. but one that evi-
IDENTIFY had been built in Paris. T oh
served that she wore no jewelry. and
that her manner was as natural and
simple as ! might have hoped 1t to be.
a little shyly, she told me that her
rather had been called to the neigh-
boring island of st. Michael's and might
not return for three days.
And isn't 1t just awful" she said.
the American phrase coming prettilv
enough from her young Inns. isn't Il
awful to think that shall have to en-
tertain you all that long while,"
But don't think you are going away
from MIN In hurry!" she added, ''Peo-
pie never do who come to tho Villa
San Jorge. They stop weeks and
months. It's just like heaven. YOU know
III you know what heaven is like. We
1880 e''Ni you IDfucptdTO ROOM be-
cause or the cupboard in it-but Won
may look inside II you like"
And my servant? ! hope he won't
give any trouble. He's Jan and he
lives on rice puddings. II he is I'm yo,,r
way. don't hesitate TO say So"
How could he be in the wayp Re-
sides. my father quite expected him. :,
Followed huge mulatto whom she
called General Washington upstafrs 70
a room they had prepared for me. The
mouse, as much as could see of II.
appeared to be bungalow of consider
able size. but bungalow which
emerged at Its rear into more sub
stantial building carrying nm upper
story and many bedrooms there. NV
own room was furnished in excellent
taste. but without display.
I returned to the hall, where loan
Fordibras awaited me. The dining room
or the Villa San Jorge had the modern
characteristics which distinguished the
upper chambers. There were we'll
known pictures here. and old Sheffield
plate upon the buffet. The chairs were
American, and little out Of harmony
with some finer Spanish mahogany and
heaVy Persian carpet over the par
ouet.
Our talk at the table was altogether
OF frivolous things. Not only by so
much as look did Mistress Joan re-
call to me the conversation. intimate
and outspoken, which had passed he
tween us Mt Dieppe. might have
been the veriest dreamer to Remember
II all-the half expressed plea for pitv
on her part: the doubt upon mine. How
could one believe II OF this little CO.
quette-prattling Of the theaters Of
Paris. the shops OF Vienna, or the IN
nous Sherrys OF New York Had we
been supper party at the Savoy. the
occasion could not have been celebrat-
ed with greater levity OF the history
of these people I learned absoluteIy
nothing at all that did not know al
ready. They had house on the banks
Of the Hudson river an apartment in
Paris-ln London they always stayed
at hotels. General Fordibras was de-
voted to his yacht. Miss Aston (she
was there too) adored Jane Austen.
and considered the Imperial theater to
be the Mecca Of all good American la
dies. Nonsense, I say, and chiefly i'm
material nonsense. But two facts came
to me which / cared to make note of.
The first Of them dealt with Joan
Forbibras' departure from Dieppe and
her arrival at Santa Maria.
MY, l WAS cross!" she exclaimed
apropos; Just to think that one might
have gone to Aix!"
'"Then you left Dieppe in a hurry p"
l commented.
She replied quite unsuspectingly:
"rhey shot us into the yacht like an
eyprC GSed trunk I was in sl,ch n tom,