Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1912-06-20

picious character by q wrinkled old
maidservant l daresay she took me
for a peddler or something OF that
sort. for she was quite civil at first.
although she did not seem to under.
stand my attempts at Spanish. When
| displayed the handkerchief contain
ing the broken bits of the scent bottle
she grew quite angry and closed the
door in my face. believe she thought
wanted to sell them to her.
Il tucked away the pieces, resolving
that this incident must satisfy my de-
sire for an adventure of some sort, 70.
mantle or otherwise. If you please.
Aunt Emeline. was making my way
back along the Alameda when a car
rage passed me driving rapidly toward
the city. l glanced curiously at it,
only to glimpse the beautiful face of
the girl who had dropped the scent bot
tie.
"Of course l haunted the shops the
rest of the afternoon hoping for a
glimpse of the Jack rose beauty. My
patience was rewarded at length, for
as l fingered in a silk shop the door
opened and in she came. She was DOS
itively the most beautiful girl l ever
saw Of that dark type"
A significant smile ran around the
friendly little group. but Clayton,
whose eyes were fixed on the sunlit
water over the ships rail, did not see
It, 1t was several moments before he
resumed his narrative, and then he
pulled himself together as If with
drawing his thoughts reluctantly from
some pleasant recollection.
Il was standing near the door when
b senorita entered the shop, and
when she saw me l was gratifed to
notice that she recognized me at once.
She hesitated. smiled and then ad-
dressed me rather haltingly in her own
tongue.
my guide book Spanish vanished
from my mind as snow before the sun.
but I chung desperately to one phrase
that l was positive meant Permit me
to apologize and l repeated it as 1
held out the handkerchief full of bro
ken glass.
10 my amazement she began to
laugh del1ciously and could scarcely
a%rt1culate a few sentences in reply. OF
course l could not make head or tail
of what she mean to say, so l only
nodded and grinned and held out the
handkerchief while she continued to
laugh"
D tell us what you were saying
all the time, MI. Clayton" broke in
Mrs. Hanford %curiously. did you find
out what the sentence really meant?"
why, yes" returned Arthur Clay
ton. with visible chagrin mingled with
amusement at his own pen II
looked it up after I returned to the
ship And what do you suppose l was
saying to her all the time?"
I'VE cannot imagine"
Bring me a cup of coffee No
wonder she laughed. AS I held out
the broken scent bottle so persistently
b brought forth her silver meshed
purse and opened it wide. Moved by
impulse, picked out the glass stopper
and tucked it away in my vest pocket
and emptied the remainder Of the bro
ken glass into her purse.
"She thanked me prettily in Span
fsh that l could understand, and as /
went out of the door l heard her re-
mark to the mystifed ]shopkeeper in
perfect English:
Poor fellow. He is quite de-
mented.'
Mortified and quite angry at my
own idiocy in not inquiring whether
the senorita could Sgt * English or
not. I fastened back to the ship and
hunted out my Spanish dictionary only
to discover that l had been pleading
with her to bring me some Coffee"
"Well. do go on with your story. Ar
thur" cried his aunt.
story is ended"
1T is too tame an ending. Perhaps
there may be a sequel suggested Mrs.
Hanford.
II am afraid it must wait until | re.
turn to SPAIN sighed Arthur Clayton.
But she certainly was the loveliest
girl | ever saw"
Wueie is Mduellue dSkeu fFOl06.
sor Trayle. looking around for his
daughter
"She went below to speak to Miss
Drake. What Il pity Miss Drake has
been i'll ever since we sailed from Ca
dir" remarked Mrs Hanford.
Emily brakes a beauty if you
want to see one. Mr.. Clayton" said
Professor Trayle. with enthusiasm
pure American and perfectly be-
witching. She's Deer abroad for sew
eral months and ran across Madeline
by the merest chance in Cadiz. She
made arrangements to return with us
on the Neptune. took leave OF her
friends and came aboard. only to suffer
from seasickness for a day or so. Now
she is quite recovered. and | am hop
ing she will come on deck with Made
line and make your acquaintance. All.
there they come nowv
He arose and went to meet his
daughter, who was accompanied by a
tall. graceful girl with an exquisitely