The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1917-03-17
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with back to her, a little man of fur
whom Kitchener had bowled over in
the woods that morning.
She had hardly appeared by the
window when the man in evening
dress nodded pleasantly, as if termi-
mating a casual conversation, and the
other stepped, instantly yet without
apparent haste, down to the avn and
quickly disappeared amid the shad-
W of ~shrubbery.
The incident made little impression
upon her. But she was relieved to
see the remaining guest turn and leis-
urely saunter away.
AS he rounded the farther corner
of the house, a shaft of light from an
other window identified his profile,
Enthusiastically as Baron Huroki's.
A light footstep sounded behind her;
she reused in dismay, striving to calm
a heart in panic.
"Mees C~hanning?"
Patria all but giggled with the reac-
ton from her fear lest Captain Parr
udu lOQau uCl llCAS LII u bioou III wv
melting.
SIS it you, Senior de Lima? How
fortunate 1 haven't had a real chance
to speak to you tonight, but now"
Patria was startled to find De Lima
so close beside her; his breath famed
her cheek.
"MeeS Channing-Patria- l love
you'll"
"Ah, but please"
"No-listen to me. I beg you will
marry me. 1 am mad about you"
"You are mad indeed, Senior de
Lima, to imagine I'd ever marry ny
one but an American! !"
"You will forget that-in my arms!"
Patria uttered a slight cry. De
Lima had taken unto himself one of
her hands and was covering it with
kisses.
As if in answer to that cry, she
heard De Lima's half smothered ex-
clamation of annoyance, felt her hand
abruptly released, and discovered Cap
tain Parr standing almost between
them.
Pardon, Miss Claiming, but this is
my dance, isn't it,"
She laughed a little, almost hyster-
ically: SIS it, Captain Parr? Why, yes,
of course it is! How stupid Of me!
You will forgive me, Senior de Lima?
The Mexican recovered admirably,
stepping back with a bow.
The music ceased; their flying feet
were stilled; Patria awoke as from a
dream. A faint suggestion of ap-
plause made her appreciate that they
had had the floor practically to them
selves.
Her embarrassment was such that
she eve knew just what it was she
said to Captain Parr as they hastily,
by way of another window, sought the
refuge of the veranda.
She never, indeed, could quite re-
call what passed between them in the
course of the next few minutes.
A footman found them with the in
formation that Patria was wanted on
the telephone: Long distance calling
from New York.
A little dazed by the conflict of her
senses, she responded mechanically.
A moment later she was in the Ii
brary-quite by herself-with a re-
ceiver to her ear. Then a voice fall
tered through the night, a voice most
clear, yet strangely faint, iterating her
name-"Patria"-over and over.
She managed to make the speaker
understand that she was Patria.
"Peter Ripley speaking-your guar
dian. The nations welfare rests with
you. And l am dying"
On the echo of that last word the
report of a pistol shot r~eyerberated
over the wire, so loudly and seemingly
so near at hand that it might have
been fired in the room adjoining that
wherein Patria stood.
Almost instantly it was echoed by
another report.
observation-disclosures .