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Show In is. , i : i h)A 'f ' j -mh mutt -H-HmHmmmHHffmimfHH4; ji The R.eign f ueen Isyl. j jjljl i'fj1 t JEb Tale of Love Insidious. X ! i u(l(' ;u Ey Gelett Burgcs3 .mu:l "Will Irwin. I j Ilk1!! (Copyright, 10M. McOwv, Phillip & Co,) 'V'W Thc Chamberlain, fooling- "'c Lha- I li! nothing further was to bo discovered V j 1 of Miss Almcrlc's where abouts, hurried . '.K'.'ii ; to the Queen and tol.d her oC Ufa ill ! "J Ji- l success. Thc met that 'Tom Parish had J ' i , again appeared in connection Avlth No- i ". ')' rlne's mysterious disappearance did not . 'f,j (If! escape layl'a notice, though she could I, Itf' . not think what It mlBlut mesfn. I ii ''j ' She had dismissed t!ho Chamberlain ' 'f i ii and was still in her dressing-room at I 1 1 lii the Pavilion, when, answering a knock , 11' at the door. &M6 found, Bob Almerlc. ' ! ! ' Nor.ne's father. in a "16" Btale of f- '' M . j , "See here, I want to a 5 - von voun" ladv." ho sajld srulllj. aim ! h:' f you don't toil what you Know, by , . , . ?! Jove, I'll see that you're made to! Nou ! M . wh'ore's mv dauRhtor.' 'L i; 1 don" know! l thought she was at ', i ""J ! hTou11know better than that!" he - I i 1 ClSd I did see her today at a window ' i ' i t over the Star billiard hall, but you said , ! i , ; yourself that she was at home. ! ,- I "Of course I said so. Do you think I , 1 ( 1 Wanl a scandal out- In: all the papers? ' ' I thought yon knew something about ' -Miat is she doing at the Star ho- ' ' !Ci? don't know. Really I don't!" Isyl ' ' protested. "We tried to Jlml Iter there, , ! ' bin she had gone. That's all I know , about It!" . ., , lA , 1 v "Well, Where's she gor.e.' he demanded. de-manded. '; , . , T don't know." she itpcatcd. I ' . ! wish I did." " ... ' ! Bob Alinerie had watched her eloselj ,':) to detect the slightest sign of falsehood. , nnd just at that minute, as Isyl raised ' her hand to fasten a hat pin. he caught sight of thc sapphire ring she still ' : wore ... , , , ' "Lei's look at that ring!' he cried, , taking a step toward her. "By Jove, I 1 ! i , believe that's Norlne's ring, "i ou don t know anything about it, do you. Where I' ;'l jl did you get that ring then?" I, , 'UU ' Isyl, now thoroughly nroused. put her I I' I t band behind her. "It's my own ring. I ! ! , she assorted stoutly. "Never you mind !' ' .( l where I got. You shan't see it either. I ' .. i : You needn't come 'here and try to bulb !'i me. if you are the boss of the country' 1 ! I'm not afraid of you." . , : I "i-ii i,nve vou prove that, younglndy. ,1 lt 00i;s to me a good-deal worse than j i j,ad suspected, even. You'd better i .j , I look out for yourself, or else confess ' !i '! ' i now!" J - , 1 "Will you kindly leave my room? ' i ( isly exclaimed, her eyes iiasmnK. i Ho departed, muttering threats, and as soon as the door had closed behind , him Isyl broke down. Why had she lied about the ring for the sake of a man she had known but two days? Throwing on a wrap she went down- i, stairs alone, evading the chaperons. picked her way through the- crowded i . , streets and reacherd the headquarters T i of the Knights of the Golden Gate. The i place M-as boiling with inolous( youths I in uniform, for the San Jose com-, com-, ! , ma'ndery was keeping open house for ! 1 the refreshment of the visiting knights. i There was a, babel o,f talk and laughter i and a great scurrying of waiters with i plates and glasses. , ' The Queen appeared to be the only H, 1 ' 1 woman in the place, but she was too HIL ! 1 excited to be embarrassed. She ap- i , Wi ' proached the first man she met and 1 1 1 -ft asked for the Grand Commander. She 1 I was shown upstairs to a room where H,i h ( he was entertaining several high officers ' I j of the order. Hll ' !' He came forward to greet her with i 1 j a look of great surprise and the visitors I ' ; arose to leave the room. Isyl detained I , , , them with n. gesture. k jl ' l .i "Please remain, gentlemen," she said, Hr ! , I j - regally. "I have come on official busi- Hri 1 ' noss and I need your help. It is a i ' j matter which concerns thc honor of the 1' I Golden Gate'" H, ' , ; One und all protested Ignorance of i" I, any knowledge of SIIes Almerlc's Hj1 ! ! whereabouts, and denied having plotted HH I to place their candidate upon the i I throne. Indeed. It seemed that these ! high officers rather regretted not hav- , ( Ing thought of so attractively desperate H " i,J I II a conspiracy. jll She. gave them the only hint of. No- H ' ii lr rjne's movements that she knew, and It H'l j i !' was decided first to mount and ride out H. ' ! to Golchcr's to see what might be H I j, found there. It was fi o'clock when Hi i ' they descended and sent urgent orders B! I ' Cor horses. H! i I As Ivl walked away from the hcad- H i ' i j1 qiiartcif;, escorted by a visiting lcnlghl, H ,1 she was abstracted and answered hej- H 1 ''t companion's questions and remarks H ' . j vaguely, for her thoughts were chiefly H i with the mysterious stranger who had H 1 ' ' helped her before, when she most need- k cd a friend. H ," Slip looked up from her musing and H , ' 1 1 . ji there he was; but to her dlsappolnt- H i y. menl. not alone. He stood in a door- H . way in conversation with a young girl H I I 1 " whom he was addressing earnestly and. H' i ' ' 51 R " seemed, familiarly. Isyl needed H,! '' J, I j only a glance as she passed to scrim ti- H 1 ) j' ' nine her from head to foot. The girl H i 1 1,1 t was facing her. She had a swarthy, H , t a i '1 handsome countenance with coal black H '4 V' iiair. She was dressed in a red Ilan- H nelette Hhirl. waist and Isyl did not ap- H, "''Ii' prove of her. Tom did not see the two H , Ji as they passed by. j 1 1 As Alio was driven home to thc Wll- Hi . W lows, Isyl saw the couple again. They H were passing the iiostofilce and this H) j l I lime Ihej- were side by side in a buggy; i, . Mj! Tom was driving furiously up Market H I l 1 street toward the Alameda. It was all H I V the Queen could do to keep back her ' ;i i tears and talk composedly. H j 1 !j Meanwhile, the knights, booted and H , l spurred, had net out, a cavalcade of l ; j j some halS dozen riders, and pelted down H" ' l First street with small regard for the ' (1 comfort of pedestrians. They clattered H I ii j ! under the tail electric light tower at a H1 , Spanish trot, singing and jesting and. ,! ; once out of the crowd, settled into a Hl ) 'j j gallop that brought them, In thrce- H , nuarters of an hour, to within sight of ' Golclier's. ii 1 ;J (. The party was cantering up to the H , j, road house when they suddenly heard l ill a woman's voice screaming. They H ' ! . drew rein and called to each other in H! t, . i surprise the adventure was becoming H j more serious than they had expected. Hl Wlt'i Jl' The Grand Commander spurred for- H( lilr- 1 ward like a hero, and the rest followed Hf! ' t'H II nlu. Pulling up at tho watering trough H V' 1 ihey threw themselves from their sad- H'i , 1 dies. By this time thc screams had H ' , btopped, and the silence alarmed them HH d j " more than thc shrieks had done. Hk; Ml !'! 'Ic front door was Ipckcd, the wln- H i If j J Jows were fastened. They went round Hh f I1 lho Dack of tllc bouse and all was Hn I ill 1 1 closed securely. The place seemed de- H, ii certed except for a bulldog chained and j) V i 3 1 growling savagely In thc yard. The ',Rf 3 ' knights hold a consultation oh the front Hi III !j norch. and while one drew a revolver Hf ' i lf, Til tnc Grand Commander put his foot t i ' througbb pane of glass, lifted the snsh Hi :( 'j n'J clljt":5 1'h rc'Et followed him. They trod" llghily, as If nfrald of the sound of their own footfalls and spoke In whispers. The room was empty, so was the little while dining-room, so was the kitchen. As they were about to Investigate the upper story, the Grand Commander dashed over to a corner of the room and picked up a heavy wrap. It was a black velvet enpe.'' lined with ermine. "That's Norlh'i Almoric's cape!" ho cried. "She wus to have worn lt al tliti coronation I know lt because It was rented from Cohen's costume place for; $f0. with thc crown and Jewels. She must be in the house!" At that moment n startling shriek came from the room directly overhead. Then it was still again. The Grand Commander trembled,' hesitated, but a 'worshipful scribe, he with the revolver, took the lead. "Coma on, boys," he called, "let's look upstairs." up-stairs." They followed him up to a landing where there wore three closed doors,. Two rooms were found to he empty; the third door was locked. The Grand Conlrnandor peeped through the keyhole, key-hole, but could see nothing. "Wlio'3 In there?" hecrled. "Oh. for God's sake let me out," a woman answered. "Who are you?"' asked the Grand Commander . "L.et me out, can't you? I'm locked In!" she screemcd. Two of the knights threw themselves nt the door with violence, the bolt broke free, nnd they fell into thc room. There standing by tho window, a handkerchief handker-chief to her mouth, was a handsome young woman of swarthy complexion, dressed In a red flannelette shirt waist. "Oh, thank you, so much!" she exclaimed. ex-claimed. "1 was afraid I'd never get get out!" "How did you get Jn? That's the question," cnid the Grand Commander, sternly. He was disappointed. So were the knights. "How In thunder do you happen to be locked Into a room in n deserted house, that's what I'd like to know, and who are you, anyway. ' AH the pedagogue in him was manifest in his tone. "MaV name," said the girl In the red waist, "is Dolores del Hobles. T!ut how I happened to be here, locked In this room that Is a long storv." "Before you tell that, then, mis?, tell me have you seen Miss Ahneric here in this house?" "A tall young lady, with light hair, dressed in a beautiful white dress?" "Yes, that's Norlne," they exclaimed. "Where Is she?" "Ah, I do not know. She was in this room. She went away. It is a part of the story!" ' . "Then tell It. for heaven's sakel" cried the grand commander, "Come-downstairs "Come-downstairs and we'll light up. first, though." They went down, but the girl, asking ask-ing to be excused while she arranged her hair, watched them descend. As soon as they were out of sight, she ran quickly into one of the other rooms whose windows opened to thc- east, overlooking the back of the house. She softly raised the sash, and looked out. Beside the stable a buckboard was standing. It held two persons, a tall girl and a mart. "Keep them for hnlf an hour, if you can!" he called, just loud enough for her to her. Thc- girl (ln tho flannelette waist waved her handkprchlef, as the man took the reins and drove hastily away. Senorlla Dolores then descended the stairs and found the knights impatiently impa-tiently awaiting her. They arose, oL-fered oL-fered her a chair and .she began THE DISTRESSED DAMSEL'S STORY STO-RY ; OR. LOVE INSIDIOUS. The Ulistac Rancho is all that Is left of the Canada de Santa Teresa, d seven-league grant In the Santa Clara valley, and Senor Rodriguez and his daughter Ynez are all that Is left of the Ulistac family, who received their land directly from King Carlos IV. of Spain, in recognition of distinguished services to the crown. The old Senor is a Spanish gentleman of thc old school, fiery, astute and polished. pol-ished. He is a quaint talker, reading much in the old books he keeps in his hacienda. He is especially fond of Cervantes, whose words he f9 always quoting. When his son died the old Senor made a vow, and Jesu! he had had hard work enough keeping It! He swore to thc-Vlrgln thc-Vlrgln ut the old Mission San Jose that his ranch should never be cut up, and that his daughter should never inherit It until he had found a husband who would promise to keep the ranch whole. Now lt was not easy 16 find a tilting son-ln-Iaw, for, besides his vow. the Senor Se-nor had many other things to be satisfied satis-fied upon. Now the fame of the UllBtac Rancho and the beauty of the Senorila Ynez has long been spread over California, for It is the fnttest pig for which the first knife 13 whetted. Every young Spaniard In the country has tried for the ranch and the senorita, for lt is not often that one can get two such fortunes for-tunes for the asking. Ever since Ynez came home from the convent in Andalusia, Anda-lusia, suitors for her hand have been coming to see 'the old Senor. They have come from San Luis Rey and Sonoma, So-noma, and the Soquel, from Los Angeles Ange-les and Santa Barbara, and even from San, Diego and every one of them has gone home again with his cigarette out. as we say. No one could please the Senor. He' would, keep each of them three daysu for lho Ullstacs are hospitable hospi-table even for Spaniards, nnd In one way or another the old man man would test the young senors and find them never so shrewd ds he, nor ever fit to be the husband of Senorita Ynez. For the Senor knows men as priests know the holy mass. He is'a keen judge of human nature, and he Is never mistakenso mistak-enso he thinks! But he was fooled once, and that Is why I, Dolores, the second cousin of the Senorita Ynez, am hero telling you this story. Although my mother was an Ullstnc,' my father was of meaner blood, and so It Is that, while I live nt the hacienda and am tlfe friend and confidante of the Senorita Ynez, I am more than half servant, too, and am not really taken into the family, which Is a sore trial to me. So I was the first one to see the Senor Pedro del Mar, when, last month, he drove up into our yard and called to mo to tie up his pinto mare. How I have hated him, ever since! "Buenos dlos.'" said the stranger, and he swept a how In the old style. "Senor, you have a very pretty little rancho. lt suits me perfectly and it is all that has been said of It, so I am come to marry your daughter. And may God grant that she be as pretty as the ranch, though, for that, I doubt it." "My humble Vancho and all upon it arc- yourtj," said the old Senor, Jn turn, "and mayt I never ice another such audacious au-dacious senor without having a gun In my hnd or a dog to set on him. Whom have I the honor of addressing, if it pleases your impertinence?" "I am the Senor Maniel U(J1 Mar de i Loa Prletos y Bolbones," he said, "and lt behooves us to get acquainted, since we are to live thc rest of our lives together to-gether peacefully under your fig trees hero. How many head of cattre do you run?" 4 I momentarily expected the old Senor would draw a knife, but Instead there was a twinklo In , his eye and;ho.. answered an-swered tlu" question as politely as If the priest had asked It. "Four hundred head of the bent stoik," he said, "nnd they arc of eoun) yours, If you will deign to accept them, but as for being my son-in-law, 1 remember re-member the Master rays 'every man Is the son of )iis own Works,' nnd you have- done littli yet save lusult me. to deserve the title. However, since you deign to visft mo, conio Into the' patio and we will talk together,".- Aji thc two went In, the Senor gave mo a word to prepare a soup ho know of, for this was one of the ways lie tested the wits of the suitors. So I went Into the kitchen nnd made ready, thq dinner. Senor del Mar look one spoonful of soup and then jumped up and ran to the door as If the fiend were after him, and then came back In a rage. "Cnrambat Santa Maria do lost'Ccntos Angeles!" he cried. "Where is1 your pump, ftenor. for the pity of the damned In liell! Is that the way you dnlertain a senor who has come five hundred miles f6 hondr you? Keep the rest of that Infernal mess to light your fires with, or, td scald your pigs! Do you think I. wilnt to drink burning brlm-.sttihe brlm-.sttihe before my time?" The old Senor laughed .as I have never seen him laugh before. "Ah, he io' no fool, this youngster.4' he chuckled to himself. And he opened a bottle from a corner cor-ner of the cellar 1 had never seen used before. When they had finlahod dinned the young mnn, said: "suppose you allow the Senorita the pleasure of looking upon up-on her future husband, Senor. I confess con-fess I would like to see If she s pretty enough for me to wed." "A little In one"s own pocket Is better than much In another's," quoted the Senor". "and you have not yet won my daughter. (But what a mnn does not ask for, he doesn't gel. The Senoria is u bit coy, and the meeting will wait till I am through with you. Suppose we .rido oyer the ranch together to-gether this afternoon." "It Is well," the youth said, "for 1 was .limit ing of a few improvements that should be made." So as they, went outside the Senor said to me: "Tell Pedro to saddle Angel and Diablo- quickly!" When the horses were brought up, the Senora's thoroughbred was given to him, but to Senor del Mar Pedro led a galled, spavined, blindbroncho. who held his ears back and his head low. Also, he stumbleif badly. When the young Senora say the sorry nag that was given him, while thc host had a fine horse to rode, he walked back Into the patio and lay down In a hammock. "Jesu! but It Is a hot day!" he yawn ed. "I think we had better watl till It Is cooler, Senor and smoke a few cigarettes cigar-ettes In the shade." Tho old Senor smiled and he rubbed his hands gleefully, for many a man, out of politeness and for the sake of winning Yuez, .had been glad to ride the galled Jade. "You can see further Into a millstone than some," he said to Senor' del Mar, "yet you may be more knaVe than fool. Also fear Is sharp sighted and I would be sure that you are a man as lusty and green as I, in my old age. The Ulistacs have always been known for their endurance and strength and so must be any who marry with us. My uncle won my grandfather's consent that he should wed my aunt, Maria del Pilar, by taming a brancho when his own shoulder was broken. When 1 was at scljool in Spain, I made the pilgrimage pil-grimage to Valledolld with peas in my shoes, lt Is a good test, and a hard one. So suppose we sec If we can walk from here to the corral thus." And he brought out a handful of dried peas. " Go easy, go far,' says your Master Cervantes," replied Senor del Mar. "If you wish to walk with peas In your shoes for your own sins, why, you do the walking nnd I'll do the praying. I have heard that the prayer of one wise man Is worth the entreaty of fifty fools!" The old Senora grasped his hand, laughing, and he said: "Well .ald, Oh. my son-in-law and now we will drink another bottle and send for the Senorita." Senor-ita." Vheu 1 went up to call the Senorita Yuez, you may Imagine I was In a blaze at the impertlnencc'bf the young del Mar, and when she asked me of him I put a flea in her ear. "The Senor has been gracious enough to accept your hand," 1 said, "though Indeed It seems that you are only thrown into the scales to make up for the land's scantiness since the last fifty years was got by the railroad. I nevr saw such a braggart out of a boook, and he is now telling your father of the beauties of San Juan Caplstrano, all of Whom are, It seems, madly in love with him! He doubts If, you can be as beautiful, Senorita, so you had better put some paint on your cheeks!" Jesu! but she was angry, an,d I feared I had gone too far ..with my word! But she said: "I will show him if I am. and without paint, QJther, and I will also show him other things, Sontn Ysabel helping me!" So she went down. Yrtez," said the old man, "Oils is Senor Manuel dc-1 Mar de los Prletos BOlbones, your future husband. Salute your bride, my son-in-law!" Senorita Ynez went red as fire, as she said: "One moment, Senor. Tho jlroperly first, the wife afterward.) Have jou kissed thc- deeds of the Santa Teresa Grant?" "Jesu! your daughter Is a spitfire, but shells pretty," said the young man, "arid It will be no trouble to kiKsMier!" "It will be a good deal of trouble, by the Holy Virgin!" Ynez exclaimed. "You had belter finish you wine, for the'-kiss" will wait. As for1 me.' I shall not!'and sjie run .upstairs and cried, 'and stamped her feet till the adobe fell from the walls. "Thc fewer tho kisses the lighter the knot." said the old mall, trying to smooth things over, for life now was bound that Ihe Senor del Mar should be his son-ln-law. So they sat and drank our red . wine, talking over the rancho and how It would never be cut Up into lost ns the Gringo wished. Twice they sent for more bottles,, and when I saw that they were finished with the business and were, talking, about Ynez I listened n the shadow near the window. win-dow. "May the saints forgive me, but women wo-men are like pigs," the old man aws saying. "Drive, them away from tho gate if you want them (o go through It. Ah, Senor. I know women. 1 have been young, too, in my time!" Tho Senor del Mar laughed loudly and long, for our Muscatel Is a heady wine, and he had been drinking frcclv oC'the bottle, "Yes, yes," he'suld. "I know that, senor. There was a woman nt Los Pulchas " "Ynez says she will not accept you," the old man wont on. "but yes is as short a word as no. If we are to lasso the girl let u& grcHie our-riataMVlth a Utile 'thought. Y6u arc a fine fellow and have a head on your shoulders. Buono. You oyen the gate and I will drive her harshly away from It. Cn-romba! Cn-romba! She'll run through In a minute. Do you understand, or must I crack tho nut to show you the kernel?" "It Is plain as the nose on your face, an Cervantes himself says," said (ho young man. "Well, then, -agreed. You Insult me, r drive you away. You come back to court tho girl. I fire upon you. I forbid for-bid her to leave, therefore she- files with you. Behold, the pig Is through the, fence!" And they both laughed uproariously to. think how clever they wore. i went up and told thp. senorila, ang together we plnrrMd hdtf to make fdols of tho two men who knew women especially es-pecially one at Loii PuIchaa,for 1 did not forget to repeat that. The next day us .tin. two men. aat outside the old Senor asked the young' man; for a fire from Ills clgarottyf, and Senor del Mar handed his own cigarette, cigar-ette, lighted end fim. which you know, Is not according to Spanish otrquettc, and a great Insult. i Jesu! but there was scene like a theater the-ater while we watched. :. "SViior." said Senor Ulistac. "you have criticised my house, my ranch, my cattle and my daughter, but I will not stand a boor who does not know how to pass a cigarette. Mri have been killed for less than this. In my time, and I give you four minutes lo leave this place before I fire on you!" Senor- tel SInr arose, and whefi his horse was brought he 'rode away, not without s6mc words to show how brave he was, Faugh! as lf he could fool us. "I shall consider myself lhc.Jover of the radiant Senorita Ynez!" he cried, as he left, and he waved his hat to her as If- lie wore already married. She stared at him, acting her part, too, as well as he. The bid Senor forbade Ynez to leave tho place, and she pretended to - be greatly angry nt lt. That nfght she heard a sound at her window, and when she opened It there was Senor del Mar ready to make love o her. When she had talked to him through the blind for a few minutes, the old Senor discovered dis-covered them, and ran out and began Ho shoot his gun and the young man lied away." So for several nights ho came, and Ihe Senorita wept to herself her-self when her father was looking. Ho swore al her and acouwtd her of loving Senor del Mar, and said If she onnce saw him she would be put In a convent. Al last the comedy reached a crisis, rind a note was brought to the Senorita asking her to elope with the young del Mar. You should have seen her face when she read lt! But the time had dome fro what we had planned. She stent back a note, therefore, saying say-ing that, as she was hot allowed to leave the house, slid would meet him, disguised In my clothes, for I, of course, was allowed full liberty to go and to come. He was to meet her at the oaks near the county road, being ready with a wagon. . The elopement was planned for last night, and so. at U o'clock, after the house was still, I throw on a cloak and ran all the way down to the road, for I was frightened. It was dark, and I feared lest the old Senor would bo In pursuit, as part of the game, if he-discovered he-discovered that It was not his daughter daugh-ter who was running away, I knew "lit-would "lit-would be terribly enraged. As for the young Senor. I trusitd that 1 could deceive de-ceive him, as he did not know Senorlla Ynez very well, having had but llttk-lalk llttk-lalk with her. Senor del Mar was waiting In the wagon, and when f reached the place he jumped down, helped nie- up on the scat and drove oTf. Just then Vfc heard a pistol shot behind iis, and yc knew that Senor UHitae was folio wins us. as a. part Of (he joke. Senor del. Mar whipped hit horses and we raced at a. terrible wpeed, so fast that he hnd iu time to speak murh to me or discover that I wus not Ynez. The old Senor followed for many mile, shooting occasionally. How we laughed at him, each of us for a different reason! rea-son! Finally there was no shooting and Senor deL Mar slowed .down lils horse and feald: "Nov Senorita Ynezf will have that ktm 1 have been so long waiting for!" Then I threw off my hood and I said, sftlmly: "You .have talked of drlvng pigs, Senor, but, us Cervantes says, thin tlmo you. have the wrong sow by the- car! As for the kiss you may get It of the woman at LOs Pulchas If you need It!" Then I jumped from the wagoh and ran away in Die dark, leaving him so frightfully angry that I dared not listen to him. I walked two or three miles till I came to this house. So much for the Senorita Ynez, whom I hope td see tomorrow now for, what was her name Miss Almerlc. Well, I came to this house and the windows were lighted, nnd I heard men singing loudly, so I passed round to the back, thinking I might find a womar by thc kitchen door. While I was In the yard X saw an upper window opened op-ened and a woman looked out. She Called down to me. softly: "I am locked In here," she said, "and I cannot get out! Do you think you can help mo? I will pay you." Looking about the yard, 1 saw a ladder, lad-der, and, after hard work. I succeeded in standing It against the wall of the house. Then I climbed up and entered the window. 4 The lady was In a white satin dres, .quite beautiful, and she said, softly: "Listen! If you will stay hero In my place, so as to slve mc a chance to escape es-cape unnoticed, I will pay you well. Just s-it down here and be sure you cry loudly, occasionally, so that the mr-n below will, know there ip still someone here." 1 wus not afraid of them, so I consented. con-sented. She, went down the ladder and removed it,- and then went away into the dark. I' stayed here nil night alorle, and early In' the morning the company of men left arid locked the houso, after saying through the keyhole: "Don't be afraid; someone will Surely let you out soon!" So I waited, tired and hungry, till now. It is all very strange. I do not understand it! Do you? |