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Show : The VALE OF AR AGON By FRED McLAUGHLIN Author 0 "The Blade of Picardy" Copyright by Bobbs-llerrlll Co. (WNU Service.) Our parents did this long ago. In the three years that Colonel Fuentes haa spent in Venezuela vast changes have come over him, and perhaps in myself as well. I do not feel so sure of myself my-self as I did some time ago." Now, although I was sure this visit of the Senorita Lamartina would be my death warrant for Adolfo would know whither she had gone I laughed in the fullness of a great joy, for I knew that De Fuentes had lost. "Has the air of Venezuela, Your Majesty, tarnished your tin soldier, or perhaps the moonlight of New Orleans ?" "Can you jest so, Senor, when you must know they are seeking you out even now? You should never have come here ; there is danger here for you." "Assuredly ; yet wherever the Seno-rita Seno-rita goes" "Caracas Is filled with your enemies." ene-mies." "Aye, and I ' have friends here, Senorita, the best friends that man ever had fervent patriots who are working for the freedom of a great empire ; men whom Spain will never conquer, soldiers who follow a man of destiny." An expression of sadness touched her eyes. "Yet you told me, Senor, that you did not serve Bolivar.". "I did not serve him then, Your Majesty, but since that time I have looked upon the dead city of Tucayan, and a people who can sanction such, an act of senseless brutality " s ' THE STORY In the city of New Orleans, in 1N21, Loren Garde, recently an o Ulcer under General Jackson, Is surprised by the appearance of three figures, in ancient Spanish costume, two men and n woman whose beauty enchants him. Ke-sentlncr Ke-sentlncr the arrogance of the elder eld-er of the two men, Garde fights a duel with him with swords, and wounds him. He learns his opponent is Adolfo de Fuentes, colonel In the Spanish army In Venezuela. Garde overhears a plot to overthrow Spanish rule In Venezuela. Discovered, he fights, but Is overpowered. Garde finds himself a prisoner on the Santa Lucrecia, ship bearing arms and ammunition for the Venezuelans. On board are the conspirators, the lady of his love, her brother Polito, and De Fuentes. Fu-entes. From the girl. Garde learns her name is Dulce Lamartina. Lamar-tina. He loves her, but does not reveal his love. The vessel is wrecked and Garde reaches the Venezuelan shore, alone. Ho encounters en-counters a stranger and sees Dulce with De Fuentes and Polito. Po-lito. Learning his history, the stranger, who is Captain Mona-han Mona-han of the British legion under Bolivar, urges Garde to join the Venezuelans, but his mind is set on again seeing Dulce. Monahan directs him to friends in Caracas. There Garde, supplied by Monahan Mona-han with the secret sign of the patriots, is welcomed at the revolutionary rev-olutionary headquarters. With a companion, Manuel, Garde goes to the cathedral, where the wedding wed-ding of Dulce and De Fuentes is in progress. Dulce recognizes him and leaves De Fuentes at the altar. She Is torn from Garde's arms. Pie escapes. CHAPTER V 8 Adios Even as I entered the spacious home of Thomas Carrasco a file of soldiers deployed and surrounded It. Verily, Morales moved swiftly and I knew I would never win free of Caracas. Yet, I had held her In my arms again, had lost myself in the sweet depths of her eyes, had heard her call my name, had felt the touch of her fingers. fin-gers. To my starved soul that was very much indeed, so I laughed gaily as the good Tomas, all of a tremble, hurried into, my comfortable quarters. "Do they seek thee, Senor these Boldiers?" "Aye, Tomas ; I am very valuable to ficient. "A temporary arrangement, I think. Perhaps they imagine that the tall sailor, who has really offered only the Frenchman's worship to beauty, might escape like a moon-wraith." moon-wraith." A wild surge of joy went over me. Polito knew me, he was my friend, he was telling me that I would be free! I could have thrown my arms around him. "And -the guards, Senor Lieutenant Lieu-tenant ?" "Have been placed there by order of Colonel Fuentes, and will be removed, re-moved, therefore, only by his order. I shall see him, however, within the hour." "I pray, Senor Lieutenant," I said fervently, "that I shall cause no further fur-ther disturbance if, indeed, I have been the cause of any. When my guards have been removed I shall take the way to La Guaira, where some ship " Now, watching his face, I saw that Polito did not brighten at this prospect, pros-pect, and I was glad, for, so long as the Senorita Dulce remained in Venezuela, Vene-zuela, there would I remain. "Adios. then," said he. I heard, in less than aD hour, the crisp bark of orders and the sounds of shod feet on the stones of the patio; sounds that, fading swiftly, told me that the guards had gone, and that I was free again. Yet, free, I hesitated hesi-tated to leave Caracas, even if I were permitted. If I were free why should I go, why should I leave the Senorita, who was still the Senorita, and not yet the Senora de Fuentes? I could not hope to disarrange another wedding, wed-ding, and if Dulce were willing to marry Adolfo today why should she be unwilling tomorrow? Yet she did not love him ; of that I felt very sure. Why, then should she marry him at all? While I pondered thus, accomplishing accomplish-ing nothing, a subtle fragrance filled the room. I dared not believe my senses. The Senorita? It could not be. Dulce would not come to see me here. I was dreaming; my insane worship had touched my brain, and I would see her, doubtless, all the rest of my life. I had heard of such a thing, or read of it, and had laughed. A slim figure stood in the doorway, An, senor, tins nightmare or murder mur-der . . . This Bolivar who haa brought about all the wars, and the killings. Would you serve this this vulture, Senor?" She caught the lapels of my rough jacket in trembling fingers. "Senor," she said breathlessly, breathless-ly, "my father spent his life in the service of Spain, and Polito, my brother, broth-er, will doubtless do the same. One's country is one's life. Did you come to Venezuela, Senor, to offer service to Bolivar?" "As you very well know, I followed the Senorita Lamartina to Venezuela." "Did you journey to Caracas to serve Venezuela?" "I saw the Senorita riding toward Caracas, and I followed her, as I would always." "Did you visit the cathedral today because of your love for the fervent patriots?" I heard the sounds of marching men, and knew that the guards had a figure all in lacy black, with a heavy veil that effectually concealed the features. fea-tures. One might not have known whether she were dark or light, but I knew. "Again, Senorita," I said, bowing over a slim hand, "you find me in a prison. The visit of an angel could not have been " She touched my hair with trembling fingers. "It was light, was it not, Senor? I have dreamed of your hair as being light! was all that just a dreamland am I dreaming now?" "I hardly know what has been real, and what " "Did I not see you first in the moonlight, moon-light, Senor, hatless, and with a strange light in your eyes? Did you not come to my aid when I called, and did not you find me in the storm? Did not your eyes draw me away from the altar? Are you now only the spirit of the man who was lost in a raging sea?" I tried to laugh. "I am only a sort wedding, and I have put a lasting hurt Into the heart of Colonel Fuentes." "Ah, misfortune, Senor; it will bring death to all of us !" . "Not so, Tomas ; this will bring death only to a poor French sailor who would feast his soul upon the beauty of a lady. This inn of yours is open . to any traveler who has money to pay for accommodations. You know nothing of me ; I shall assure as-sure theril." As a sergeant and five soldiers and Lieutenant Polito marched in from the patio I chose the side of the room farthest from the window, that I might stand as much as possible pos-sible in the gloom. The sergeant turned to Polito, who shook his head and touched his bandaged band-aged throat with caressing fingers, then the sub-officer addressed me: "Are you the devil, Senor, who has put a spell upon the Senorita Lamartina?" Lamar-tina?" "There is too much flattery in your returned. This, then, was the end. "I would not hurt you, Senorita, yet I must tell you; I would tell you that my worship for you has been a sort of glory in my life, that your face Has filled my dreams, that your voice has seemed " "Please, Senor, I cannot " "Under happier circumstances, Your Majesty, I could have offered very much, but with the soldiers waiting to take me to the dungeon, I can only tell you that I love you, can only offer gratitude to you for the joy my worship wor-ship has given me." She faced me, her eyes shining with tears. "There have been too many soldiers in my family, Senor, for me to love an enemy of Spain." "Love is not a matter of nationality." national-ity." "No," she said sadly, "it is a madness, mad-ness, a wretched insanity." She held our her hand and I pressed the fingers against my lips. "Ah, Senorita, I love you so !" "Dios !" she gasped. "Today I tried to buy yiur liberty, and you didn't need it; tomorrow, when you need It, I shall try again, for you have offered so much. You will be free, then, to serve " "Ah, Dulce mia, may I ?" "Adios, Senor." , As I sat through the passage of the leaden hours a darkness settled on my prison, and on my soul as. well. I waited with the dull fatalism of the condemned for the coming of him who would see to my execution. Having Hav-ing lost the Senorita, there was nothing noth-ing more that I could lose; life without with-out her would be a futile thing, a vain effort, empty of all that which should make a life worth while. A full moon, thrusting above the rim of the eastern hills, had just begun be-gun to spread its golden mantle over the city when Adolfo came; his guards, eight in number, stationing themselves outside my door that led into the patio. The recklessness that comes to one whose hours are numbered num-bered had laid a spell upon me. "Well," I cried gaily as he entered, "if it isn't the stranded bridegroom !" He slabbed me with a baleful eye. "You might not deem that quite so clever, Senor, if you had known I am familiar with your English." (TO BE CONTINUED.) follow you everywhere. Wherever you go there will I go, for you are the star of my hope ; your voice " "Y'ou are mad, Senor. You you came to the cathedral, then, to ?" "I went to the cathedral to stop the wedding." "Mother Mary !" she gasped. "And I went to the altar with Adolfo to save you. You should have left the city ere this. They offered to sell me your life, your freedom. Why did yon not go when you had the opportunity?" oppor-tunity?" "My life, and my freedom, belonged to me. You speak in parables, Your Majesty." Now her blue eyes a haunting fear in their depths searched my face. "Oh, I am ashamed," she sobbed, "ashamed. I would save your life because be-cause you have offered so much. They told me you were a prisoner in the dungeon, and were awaiting execution, execu-tion, and that I " "Your Majesty," I said, helpless he-fore he-fore her, "Your Majesty ... I feel very, very happy and very humble." "It was little enough for me to do, for you had saved " "If you do not love Adolfo, it was too much for you to do." "Marriages In Spain, Senor, are not arranged by those most Interested. words sergeant, l said. xou assign as-sign too much power to me, and I think it is the Senorita who has cast a spell upon all of us." I'olita started and stared. "What are you called, Senor?" "Timoleon Sourdez," said I, choosing choos-ing at random the first name that came into my mind, "a sailor raised in the Indies, who will work for anybody, any-body, on any ship, at any time. I am a lloater that's all." "How came you, Senor, in the cathedral?" "I sat alone, this morning, in the Plaza San Jacinto, while people passed Into the great church. A swarthy sailor, doubtless having sympathy for my loneliness, led me in so that I might view the wedding of the beautiful beauti-ful lady of Spain and the wise Colonel Fuentes. If evil has been wrought In the cathedral, Sergeant, it Is no work of mine." "Yet you " "The Frenehmnn, Senor, Is ever a lover ; and if I stared at her is it anything any-thing a thousand olhers were not doing?" do-ing?" "Yet she" "Ah, must I let her fall, fainting, to the carpeted aisle; would that have been the act of a Frenchman? We ore a chivalrous race, Senor, and we offer our arms and our hearts at all times. May one do less?" 1'olito swung his legs, a half-smile on his handsome face. The sergeant shrugged his shoulders helplessly and turned toward his superior. "If the lieutenant desires to question him ?" "Not at all," said 1'olito. His voice was a hoarse, rasping whisper, yet so puny an effort sent him off into a paroxysm of coughing. "The Senor Lieutenant has an atrocious at-rocious cold,'' I ventured. Whereupon he smiled at me in the friendliest manner. "I was In a storm," lie explained. "I am sorry, and your head?" "Is doing nicely, thank you; It came in contact with a spar." lie studied my face for half a minute. "Things might be worse, Senor." "A philosophic view indeed," said I, "and one in which I cannot share, for Boldiers nt this moment surround my place of abode." He lauthed, a sorry effort, but suf- |