The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1913-10-24

Robert. AT nfSL Wnen Bn0 saw no
| one. she felt as though she had had 4
dream, but she felt the package ia
her bosom and she knew that It Was
| no dream.
She did not weep. Her eyes were
dry and hard. She slowly unwrapped
that medallion and looked at that lock
of glossy hair. The portrait Of her
own child and lock from her head!
She repressed her feelings resolutely
and left the room with firm step.
She passed through several rooms,
nodding now and then to the people
she met, until at last she arrived at
her own door.
She entered and locked thc door,
and sank into a chair; not to give way
to her sorrow and sob, not to pray for
consolation, but to curse the cruel
fate that had robbed her OF her only
child, the only pure. clean, innocent
thing In her life.
She looked at the clear. smiling eyes
gazing at her from the exquisite little
portrait Still she did not weep; her
mouth was tightly closed. and the
corners slightly dropped.
"You have taken her from mel" she
Kissed to the invisible foe. 'You
wanted to crush mel" She shook her
clenched hand toward that phantom
pictured in her brain. But you can
not l am stronger. Until today there
was one pure spot in my soul; had
one being whom loved unsel1shly,
whom wanted with me always. yet
would not let her live In my atmos-
phere, because wanted her to be all
that I was not. And now she is
gone!" She groaned in anguish.
God! Are you the God Of Love
that Christ told Of, or are you the
vengeful, terrible God who vents his
wrath till the seventh generation?'
You have taken my love; now my
heart is black and empty Of all save
hatred"
She became calm: her pale face was
expressionless, her movements meas
ured.
Nobody shall know that have
suffered" She stepped before the mir
ror and looked at herself. "But mil
lions shall suffer. I-will-make the
whole world suffer for my loss.
mo more love, not another tender
feeling shall creep in my heart" Her
eyes glowed fiercely.
II swear, by all the devils Of the
underworld, that I will plunge the
world into mourning, that rivers Of
tears shall flow to repay me for my
hearts blood"
After few minutes work before
her mirror, she emerged from her
room as rosy-cheeked as ever and
smiling. At first her steps were slow,
but they soon quickened, and by the
time she arrived at the concert hall
nobody could have told that she had
gone through a terrible ordeal.
The last entertainer was leaving
the stage when she entered the room.
No one, save Mr.. Hale, knew OF her
long absence from the hall. When
she met Astra she felicitated her on
the success of the concert.
When the guests had left, Astra and
the countess retired into the little
room that was reserved for family
occasions
"You will soon be the happiest
woman on earth, my DEAR" remarked
Rositta, casually.
Il am happy now. my dear girl"
smiled Astra.
'The gods have given you a won
derful temperament, my dear Astra.
You, with your calm, serene nature.
were created to be happy. You sim
ply shed the difficulties of life"
why, dear, are you unhappy"
unhappy" A sigh escaped the
countess lips, spark Of fire cleaned
in her eyes, then a smile parted her
coral lips. "A person with tempera-
ment like mine never could be happy.
My selfish mind Graves just the thing
some one else has, and If should
rob that person l would get tired of
the object and cast it away" She
looked at Astra, but Astra only smiled
serenely, not taking Rositta's remarks
seriously.
"Such is my fate, my dear. Tell
m0, an TSSpOuSlUl0 lOF USluS SuCu
an unhappy combination? Am l to
be judged by the same measure as
you, who cannot help but be good?"
1--WE all have passions. Mine are
for liberty, peace"
Liberty, peace" repeated Rositta,
then relapsed into thought. Had Astra
been able to read those thoughts, she
would have had cause for alarm. Her
brain was filled with war, destruction
and mourning all over the world.
The next evening Rositta returned
| to Ciryne, with Santos at the wheel
| of the aerodromone.
Napoleon and Astra watched the
great bird disappear in the western
sky, and then they walked silently to
seat that overlooked the city Ma
poleon talked for the first time about
his love for her. Astra was calm, but
she rose quietly and stood looking at
the pulsating city below them. Their
love had been understood between
them, although they had never spoken
of it. Yet 1t made her heart throb
with happiness to hear his tender
/ words He rosa and 0onf1v fab;nr