San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1925-08-09
CHAPTER XVI.
TONY BUCKENHAM stoo,


alone on the blue-shadowed
pavement and watched the
triumphal car which held Judy
trundle cheerfully towards the
gates of the palazza. The street,
with its little white and terra-cotta
houses was drained of all its pop
ulation by the merrymaking, save
for tiny boy in immense red
trousers, who stood and surveyed
him solemnly. Chatterton, in the
carriage had driven on.
Tony turned, and moved slowly
away. The bitterness of failure
was upon him. The last twenty
four hours had been a chapter of
failure, in which the figure of
Chatterton had stepped out to
thwart him, at every turn. Never
in his life before had Tony Buck
enham, once the young. squire of
Deepdene Grange. really hated any
man. But his hatred of Chatter
ton was now thing to burn him.
And Judy had been tricking them
both. X.
Psychology was not Bucken-
hams strong point He was a sim
pie young Englishman of his class,
and, to him, Judy's conduct had
been that of dishonorable
woman. She had broken faith
with him, and fooled both Chat
terton and himself. For the mis-
cradle Tony did not doubt that she
was concerned with the thunder
bolt which de Barsac had launched,
and that she had agreed to marry
the Frenchman that day in San
MARITIME.
Tony began a course of slow
self-torture. In spite of all her
modern girls folly with de Barsac,
he had meant to marry Judy. He
loved her with the white and
straightforward passion of his
kind and breed. Unconsciously,
Tony still thought in terms of
caste, and for that reason disliked
Chatterton, who, in spite of his
strength, was an upstart.
The Mediterranean sun looked
genially down upon this young
Englishman, as he sat upon large
stone on the cliffs of San Martina
and ,wrestled with his problems of
love and breed and caste. It flung
shadow which fell across his
downbent face-the shadow of a
girl who came noiselessly across
the dry grass.
'"To-nyW
He looked up with a start. It
was Panchita Consoles who stood
before him. He sprang to his feet.
But" he began unsteadily.
His hand went to his pocket
where the crumpled note which
Panchita had sent him lay. He
had thought with a strange heart
ache of the fate of the little Span
ish dancer during the past hectic
hours. But, in the pain of the
blow that had fallen he had almost |
forgotten her.
Panchita smiled pallidly.
"I'm YER sorry told lies in the |
letter sent, Tony" she said. 81
did not suicide myself. ! decided |
to-tO-ah, what you say?-to !
carry On VIII mt "a lON hiiOW WhaL |
has 'appened, eh?"
Buckenham nodded slowly.
Panchita regarded him with |
brilliant eyes.
"'E is YER clever-Leon," she !
said, softly. "'E COM here yes !
terday and he t'row about the !
news that today, the wedding of !
Miss Maisie van Open to 'imself |
will take place. f fling money
among the fshing-men and the |
sheep-men and the women. e !
smile and laugh wit everybody. |
f. say the bride is waiting for i'm |
to fetch her, at Tagliari. e say
that the old man Ezra specially |
desire the marriage before e die. !
And all for not ing. For Judy, she |
will not marry Leon"
Buckenham laughed mirthlessly. !
"She's gone up to the palazza |
to get ready to marry him Pan
chita," he said.
Panchita's half-closed eyes swan |
with mystic light.
"Yet Judy will not marry him."
she said. "Ah, poor Tonyw
She whispered the words. Tony |
barely caught them. But a sudden |
doggedness came into his face.
n'm going to stop it some way"
he said. 1--WE got to save her
from herself. ] knew her as kid, !
Panchita and we've always un- |
derstood we were going to marry,
until my crash came. How can / |
do il? You tried to help me once,
Panchita. Help me againp
He caught the little dancers |
hand. She shuddered at his touch |
and closed her eyes a little pain
fully, at the fate which played with |
her like a cruel