The Washington times., 1911-10-29
CHAPTER XIV (continued).

- HE launch ran alongside the stone
wharf above Tore dell An
nunziata. Above us loomed the
fire, mountain. the angry red light
from it's crater flashing fierce and un-
usually bright against the ever-present
crown of black clouds.
Even from the water side we could
see the stream Of molten lava, like tiny
golden snakes. crawling down from the
craters lip to lose themselves In the
darkness of the volcanic ground Just
below the summit. Thus. for weeks,
had little rivulets of lava oozed forth.
Duly tried to fancy how the place
must look by night at q time of erup-
tion, when those fiery streamlets should
be transformed to cataracts of liquid
flame.
At call from Rescio a vettura which
had been waiting near ratified down to
the landing. and we climbed in.
Rescio % and Td sat SIDE siae BY 'GT SIDE 0on' on the
rear seat Of the ramshackle vehicle.
what was Sebaste's business at Tore
del Greco this afternoon? How did
"Signor Todd had a word OF four or
five men in America who had just won
fabulous fortunes digging for oil, or,
sss spot known op pp wall fsS1sst ssre
men who had been poor clerks and who
rose to sudden great wealth In night.
Three of them have daughters of mar
could arrange, perhaps. for some OF
them to be of use TO the Brotherhood.
"Sebaste wished to talk the matter
over with him at greater length. SO
Tore del Greco-they and ii Duco al
terrupted-the poor old fooi!, =.
He broke into light laugh, as II in
remembered a similar action Of Sc
baste's which had been accompanied
You refer to ToddT I asked. in
ITO whom else sir? "A rare joke, 10
It not? And of Sebaste's own devising.
S1ss!., StG1s!! But of course you knew 1t was
"on the contrary. Or If SO. 1t slipped
Eyes. His own device. When he last
sent messenger to Vienna-5ust after
Rviscounte Barberrs. death-I was
Vienna. sir. You were then. I believe.
Yes. I was. Go on"
after S ali Is my "Ss Verbal S insiruetions a had
been given-Sebaste had this inspiration
and gave me directions to. lay the mat
te. before the Head Council"
I'm what terms did he state his in
I was little Interested. But I could
no longer bear. to be silent with my
own thoughts for evil company. And
away from myself and this morbid train
Of thought was welcome.
I saw I was supposed to have a full
knowledge Of this supposed joke. There
it was " N "
"In what terms. sir?" echoed Rescio.
"Oh! in general way. Just as 1t was
reported to your excellency by the
have for that oily American who helps
us buy his own countrywomen-well.
Sebaste said to me: have the idea of
lifetime, Todd grows old and is
Let us play glorious Joke on him. He
is now travelling in Europe with his
daughter and Is on his way to Italy.
Suggest to the council that we marry
and beg that they will name the man
they consider best for the purpose. The
old fox will suspect nothing. And when
the marriage is arranged his oath will
render rsn ,, him power,ie,ss pna,t, to resist All,
Rescio threw himself back on his seat
with a renewed convulsion of laugh
ter.
I clinched my hands until the blood
speak. to cut short the disgusting mar
tongue. and held me helpless.
so pleased was Sebaste with his own
great idea" resumed Rescio, that he
changed the whole order Of the sug-
gestions he was forwarding to Vienna
and made the Todd affair Case No. l.
] reported it along with the rest The
suggestions. but took this one under
advisement and told me that a definite
answer would be sent by the new le-
gate, who would also. were the idea ac-
ceptable, name the man chosen to mar
ry her."
And II, in nv self-suffcient. worse
than idiotic. folly-had named Ferata as
the husband chosen by that vile Coun-
Gil for Doris Todd! For the first time
Oh! it had been fine. manly. honor
able thing-this asinine 'romance-hunt"
of mine! A child setting fire to an or
phan asylum for the fun Of seeing It
burn bur has aS Ignorance nsn and youth to excuse
more malicious follies with no such ex-
cuse.
I had played the cheap buffoon. the
imposter; had sunk to actions that no
meaned himself to perform. And ver-
lily. had had my reward!
I had sought romance. had found
Northumberland probable death. Yes.
I had paid-was raying-for my fun.
That Doris Todd was not the innocent
gentle-souled girl I had deemed her
made my offense and my punishment
no lighter.
OF course the Head Council which
had accepted all Sebaste's other sug-
gestions" had taken this particular one
under advisement" and sent no definite
answer Naturally! For they had doubt
less. even at that time, chosen Doris as
American legate.
Sebaste had said that none save men,
bers OF each legate's particular branch
knew the identity of any legate. There
fore, the Council could not tell Rescia
that Doris Todd was already enlisted in
high office in the Brotherhood.
Still another unwelcome conviction
flashed into my brain.
recalled her seeming surprise when.
at Dardo's curio-shop. I produced the
scarab I told her 7 had just bought. She
doubtless believedrI was deceiving her
and that had he'd II all the time; in
short, that I was the legate to italy.
You are either the deepest or the
simplest man ever met" she had said
to me that same day.
And thereafter she had seemed to en-
ioy my society. Indeed, looking back.
I could think Of hundreds of instances
where her words or manner had seemed
to imply some subtle understanding be-
tween us.
She. not being an italian leeate. could
not. of course, have worn her scarab
publicly except in America: and the