The patriot. [volume] (Indiana, Pa.) 1914-1955, 1916-04-22
The Result of
An lnfatuation
BY EUNICE BLAKE

/ table in a cafe in Madrid, the one
/ young American globe trotter, the 9th
/ er a Spaniard who had taken some
/ pains to cultivate his acquaintance.
You noticed the lady" said the
American. who sat q few seats in
front of us last Sunday at the bull
! fight. the one in red and blackT"
Il noticed that you admired her"
"She is very beautiful There is
! something about her to drive a man
mad"
Fer that reason l shall not intro
! duce her to you
You know her?'
/ "Yes'
Introduce me-"
"That you may be driven mad?"
TT would be very thrilling to be
driven mad by her"
"Oh, we'll, if you insist upon it."
What is her nationality? She does
not look like a Spaniard."
Italian, but she has dwelt in many
lands"
! Renaud, the person who was to give
the introduction, after asking the
lady's permission, took the American
to call upon her. She received him
! graciouSly.
"Ah, Mr.. AlbertsOn," she said, II am
only too glad to make your acquaint-
ance. You Americans interest me-
There is none of the blase about you
that there is about Europeans. You are
so enthusiastic, so generous, so intel
ligent."
Albertson was as refreshed by these
encOmiums in behalf Of his country
men as he would have been by roller
on the beach on an August day, espe-
cially as a pair of compelling eyes
above the lips were fixed upon his
while the words were spoken. If wo-
man has this great power over n man
it is usually instantaneous in its ef-
feet. 1t was with Albertson as If he
had Quaffed an intoxicating nectar. He
passed an evening In a delirium and
afterward night dreaming OF Senori-
ia Morelli
I His visits were frequent. 1t cannot
be said that his infatuation increased,
for it was born perfect. He was full
of gratitude to Renaud for the intro
duction and could not understand why
the Spaniard was not also an adorer
Of the beautiful Italian. Renaud, in-
stead of encouraging him in his pas
sion, told him to have a care not to
become too deeply involved.
There was nothing by which Albert
son could judge of the lady's social
position, for she was stranger in
Madrid and not expected to have
place in society there. She took care
to observe the proprieties and would
not accept gifts from her admirer ex-
cept such as a lady might properly re-
ceive from a man. But one day when
Albertson called upon her he found her
irritated at not receiving an expected
remittance from her banker. She need
ed money to make certain payments
and the delay was annoying. Albert
son asked to be permitted to advance
the amount, but was refused for the
time being, though the next day, the
funds not arriving, his offer was ac-
cepted.
Three days elapsed, but no remit
tance came. Albertson said nothing to
! Renaud about the loan, but one day
when the two men were walking to-
gether, passing a gentleman evidently
Of high degree, Renaud said:
Behold your rival for the affections
! of your senorita."
Albertson's heart stood still. He had
! begun to suspect that there was some
thing wrong about the expected remit
tance, and this accusation on that ac-
count had more effect. However, he
repelled the imputation. Remand told
him that If he could get sight Of the
lady's private papers he would be con-
vinced
After much discussion Renaud sug-
gested a plan by which Albertson
might make the test. Albertson was
to take advantage Of his intimacy to
steal the keys Of a certain escretoire in
her rooms. Than he was &c tako her
out TO dine. While she was gone Re
maud was to take the keys, go to the
rooms, open the escretOire and bring
Albertson any proof he might find
there of the existence Of his rival
Albertson at first promptly declined
to have anything to do with such pry-
ing, but Renaud artfully worked on
his jealousy until he consented. He
waited and watched some time for an
opportunity, but at last it came. He
carried the keys away with him and
gave them to Renaud. The same aft
ernOOn he took the senorita ont for a
drive.
The next morning he read in news
paper of the arrest of woman who
called herself Adela Morelli I'm her
apartments. A detective had been
watching the lady, who was a noted
adventures. He had used young
American, who was desperately smit-
ten with the woman, to secure certain
discriminating papers in her possession