THE HOOD RIVER NEWS, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 1910
5
The Lure of
the Mask
By HAROLD MACCRATH
Capyrijht. DM. by lb bb-
Marrill C.
(CONTINUED J-KUM LAST WEEK)
('11 A ITER XVIII.
MKASIKC FOR IIKASUBI.
""II.ENCK invested the Villa Arl
mine, yet a warm and mellow
light Illumined many a window
or uiHi-kpd short pathways on
toe blackness of the lawn. A solitary
saddle horse rattled his bit, pawed
restively and tossed his head worried'
ly from side to side, as If presclencs
bad touched htm with foretelling.
On the other side of the wall, lurk
lug In the dark niches, was a tall, lean,
gray hatred old man, who watched
and listened and waited. II was
watching and listening and watting
for the horse. Seven years! It was a
long time. He had not bunted for this
uiau. He was breaking no promise.
Their put lis hnd reorossed. It was des
tiny. The leavlug of the guests bad been
hurried aud noisy. In truth, It resem
bled u disorderly retreut more than
anything else. The denouement was
evidently suttH-lent. They had no de
sire to witness the autlcllmaz, how
ever Interesting and Instructive it
might be. His highness the Prlnclpl
di Monte Kianca. Eurico by name,
strode up and down the floor, bis spurs
tinkling aud his saber rattling harsh
ly. Occasionally he glanced at tbe
group on the opposite side of tbe
room. He laughed silently. Ob, be
would eujoy himself tonight. He
vould extract every Mrop of pleasure
roui this unexec(ed moment. Had
she been mad. he wondered, to give
blin this longed for opportunity? A
mouth longer and this scene wonld
have been impossible. At Inst he came
to a stand In front of I-a ftignorlna.
who was white and weary.
"So," he said, "after five years I
find you, my beautiful wife! What a
devil of a time you have given me
across oceans and continents! A hun
dred times I bare passed you without
knowing It till too late. And here, at
ft 00 Reward f 100
The reader ' of this pit per will
pleased ti) learn thnt there Is at least
one dreaded disease that science lii
lieen able to cure In all It stiitres.anf1
that Is Catarrh Hull's Catarrli.l'tin
Is the only positive cure known t
the medical fraternity. Catarrh lie
Inj; a constitutional disease, require
tl constitutional treatment. Ilall't
Catarrh Cure is taken Internally, act
lair directly upon the blood and mil
coua surfaces of the system, thereby
destroying the foundations of tin
disease, and jrlvlnir the patient
strength by building tip the consti
tution ami assisting nature In doiny
Its work. The proprietors ha ve so
much faith In Its curative powei
that they offer One Hundred Dollars
for any case that It falls to cure.
Send for list. of testimonials. Address
V. J. Cheney & Co., Toledo. O. Sold
by all druggists. 7.V. Take Hall's
Family I'llla for constipation.
RAILWAY MAIL CLEKS WANTED
The Government Pays Railway Mail
Clerks $800 to $1,200 and other cm
ployes up to (2,500 annually.
Uncle Sam will bold spring exam
Inntions throughout the country (or
Hallway Mail Clerks, Custom House
Clerks, Stenographers, Hook keepers,
Ih-partiuental Clerka and other Gov
ernment Positions. Thousauds of
appointments will le mnde. Any
man or woman over is, in City or
Country can get instruction and free
Information by wrltlugat once to the
Bureau of Instruction, l.VW Hanillii
Hutldlng, Kochester, N. Y.
For That Terrible Itching
Kciema. tetter and salt rheum keep
their victims In perpetual torment
The application of ChamlH-rlaln's
Salve will Instantly allay this Itching
And ninny cases have Isen'cured by
Ita use. For sale by all gooddealers.
Taf t Transfcrgo.
Draying.
Wood Yard
HAY, FLOUR and PEED
For Sale
Office Phon 29 Rxjllenc 232-M
a
C. F.SUMNER
Lavatorico
Toilets
Sinks
PLWING
sewer iM Drill
TILE
tbe very moment when I believed It
use all over, you fling yourself Into tbe
loving arms of your adoring husband!
I do not understand!"
"Be brief," sbe replied, tbe chill of
snows In her voice. Her bate for this
man bad no empty corners. "Say what
you will and be gone."
"I shall telegraph the attorneys In
Rome to partition tbe estates, my
heart!" be mocked, her. "Tbe king
will not add to bis private purse tbe
riches of Colouel Grosvenor and tbe
Prlnclpl dl Monte Illanca, your father
and mine old fools! To tell tbe truth,
I am badly in need of money, and,
bead of Bacchus, your appearance
here is life to me. my dear Sonla.
Life! I am a rich man. But." with a
sudden scowl, "what position in my
household does this gentleman occu
py?" Indicating Hillard and smiling
evilly.
"So it Is all true, tbenr UUIard
exclaimed. "You are bis wife!"
"Well?" cried the prince Impatient
ly. "I Inquire again, what position
does he hold?"
"This villa Is mine," she answered,
her tone giving hint to the volcano
burning lu her heart "However the
estates may be partitioned, this will
be mine. I command you to leave It
at once. I loathe you."
The prince laughed. She was simply
a sack of gold. But this was bis hour
of triumph, and he proposed to make
the most of it.
"I could have let tbe carabluierl
take you to prison." he said urbanely.
"A night in a damp cell would have
chastened your spirit."
"Is It possible?" returned Hillard.
"Your highness has but to say the
word nnd 1 will undertake the pleas
ure of relieving you of this man's
M-esence."
"Be still." she said. "Will you go?"
to tbe prince.
"Presently. First I wish to add that
your dear friend Is both thick skulled
and cowurdly. I offered to slap bis
face a few nights ago. but he discreet
ly declined."
"I am culm," replied Hillard, gently
releasing his arm from her grasp. lie
approached the prince, smiling, but
tbere were murder and despair In
bla heart. "Had 1 known you that
night one of us would not be here
now."
"It is not too late," suggested the
prince. "Come, are you In love with
my wife?"
"Yes."
Tbe bluntness of this assertion rath
er staggered the prince. "Yon admit
It, then?" his throat swelling with rage.
"There Is no reason to deny it"
"She Is your"-
But the word died with a cough.
Hillard. a wild Joy in bis heart, caught
the prince by the throat and Jammed
blm back against tbe rose satin panel.
Hillard seized bis sword arm and pin
ned It to the panel above bis bead.
Again and again tbe prince made des
perate attempts to free himself. He
was soon falling In a bad way. He
gasped, his lips grew blue and the
whites of his eyes bloodshot. This
mau was killing him! And so be was,
for Hillard. realizing that be bad lost
everything In the world worth living
for, was mad for killing.
La Signorlna was first to recover.
She sprang toward the combatant
and grasped Hlllard's baud, the one
burled lu tbe prince's throat, and
pulled. She was not strong enough.
"Merrihew! O'Mally! Quick! Re
is killing him!" sbe cried wildly.
The two finally succeeded In separat
ing the men, and none too soon. A
moment more and tbe prince bad been
a dead man.
I.a Signorlna turned upon UUIard.
And you would have done this thing
before my very eyes!"
"I was mad." be panted, shamed "I
love you better than anything else In
God's world, aud this man means that
I shall lose you."
Tbe prince lurched toward Hillard,
but fortunately Merrihew beard tbe
slithering sound of the saber as It left
Its scabbard. Merrihew with a des
perate luuge stopped the blow. He
flung tbe Salter at O'Mally's feet.
"You speak English," said Merrihew
in an ugly temper. "You may send
your orderly to the Hotel Italic tomor
row morning, and your saber will be
given to him. We can get along with
out you nicely."
The prince tore at bis mustaches.
Meddlers! To return to Florence with
out bis saber was dishonor. He cursed
them all roundly and turned to La
Signorlna.
"I am In the way here," be cried.
"But listen. You shall remain my
wife so long as both of us live. I bad
intended arranging your freedom once
the estate and moneys were divided,
but not now. You shall read my wife
till tbe end of tbe book, for unless I
meet you halfway the marriage con
tract cannot be broken. In tbe old
days it was your conscience. Tbe still
small voice seems no longer to trouble
you," turning suggestively to Hillard.
"You are stopping at tbe Hotel Italle?"
"1 am. You will find me there," re
turned Hillard, with good understand
ing. "Good; Your highness, tomorrow
night I shall have tbe extreme pleas
ure of running your lover through the
throat." He picked up bis cap and
took his princely presence out of their
Immediate vicinity.
"It will do my soul good to stand
before that scoundrel," said Hillard,
stretching nut bis hands and closing
them with crushing force.
La Signorlna laid a protesting band
on bis arm.
"I love you." be murmured as be
bent to kiss her band. "And It Is not
dishonorable for you to bear me say
so."
"I forbid you to say that!" But tbe
longing of the world was In her eyes
as she looked down at his head.
"This Is what comet of American
girls marrying these blamed foreign'
ers," growled the tender hearted
O'Mally. "Why did you do It?"
"I am almost Italian, Mr. O'Mally. I
bad no choice lu tbe matter. Tbe af
fair was prearranged by our parent.
after tbe continental fashion."
When Hillard and La Signorlna were
at length alone he asked, "When shall
I see you again?"
"Who knows? Some day, perhaps,
when time has softened the sharp
edges of this moment Tomorrow I
shall write, or very soon." '
"You will send for me?' with eager
ness and hope.
"Why not? Tbere Is nothing wrong
In our friendship, and I prize it
Promise."
"1 promise. Good by! For a little
while I have lived in paradise. Wher
ever I may be, at tbe world's end,
you have but to call me. In a month.
In a year, a decade, I shall come.
Goodby!" Without looking at her
gain be rushed away.
Sbe remained standing tbere as mo
tionless as a statue. He .had not asked
her If she loved blm, and that was
well. But there was not at that mo
ment In all tbe length and breadth of
Italy a lonelier woman than her high
ness the Prlnclpessa dl Monte Blanca.
Meanwhile tbe prince, raging,
mounted bis horse. Eh. well! This
time tomorrow nlgbt tbe American
should pay dearly for it all.
And tbe woman he could never
understand ber. But for ber fool's
conscience be would not have been
riding tbe beggar's horse today. She
was now too self reliant, too lntelli'
gent. Sbe was ber father over again.
soldier and diplomat
He was riding past tbe confines of tbe
villa when a man darted out suddenly
from the shadows and seized the bridle.
"At last, my prince!"
"Giovanni?
Instinctively the prince reached for
his saber, knowing that he had need
of it, but the scabbard was empty.
He cursed the folly which bad made
blm lose it. Oddly enough, his thought
ran swiftly back to the little casa In
tbe Sabine bills. Bah! Full of cour
age, knowing that one or tbe other
would not leave this spot alive, he
struck his horse, with purpose this
time, to run his man down. But Gio
vanni did not lose bis hold. Hate and
the nearness of revenge made him
strong. '
"No, no!" be laughed. "She is dead,
my prince. And I I was not going to
seek you. I was going to let bell claim
you In its own time. But you rode by
me tonight. This Is tbe end."
Tbe prince unbooked his scabbard
and swnng It aloft But Giovanni was
fully prepared. He released tbe bri
dle, bis arm went back, and his knife
spun through the air. Yet in that in
stant in which Giovanni's arm waa
poised for the cast tbe prince lifted
his horse on its haunches. The knife
gashed the animal deeply in tbe neck.
Still on ita haunches, it backed, wild
with tbe unaccustomed pain. Tbe lip
of the road, at this spot rotten and
unprotected, gave way. The prince
tried to urge the horse forward. Tbe
bind quarters sank, and tbe prince
tried In vain to slip from tbe saddle.
Tbere came a crash, a cry, and horse
and rider went pounding down the
gorge.
Giovanni trembled, and the sweat on
bis body grew cold. For several min
utes he waited, dreading, but there
was no further sound. He searched
mechanically for his knife, recovered
It and then crept down the abrupt
side of the gorge till be found tbem.
They were both dead.
'Holy Father, thou hast waited sev
en years too long!" Giovanni crossed
himself.
He gazed up at the ledge where the
tragedy had begun. Tbe cloud passed
and revealed the shining muskets of
two carablnlerl, doubtless attracted by
the untoward sounds. Giovanni stole
(i
Thlt man tci killing Mm
over the stream aud disappeared Into
the blackness beyond.
It was Merrihew who woke tbe sleep
ing cabby, pushed Hillard Into a seat
and gave the final orders which were
to take tbem out of the Villa Ariadne
forever. He was genuinely moved over
the visible misery of his friend. When
they arrived at the white hotel in tbe
Borgognlssautl Merrihew was glad.
At 9 In the morning Hillard heard a
fist banging on tho panels of the doer.
"Open. Jack! Flurry r cried Merri
hew outside.
ntllard opened the door. "What's
the trouble, Itnn?" he asked.
Merrihew whispered, "Dead!"
"Who?" Hillard'e heart contracted.
"The prince. They fjtvjid him and
e
Our Red Apple Specials
15 acres, 2 miles out on the West side, 300 . Newtowns 3-years old,
200 peach trees 1 year old, new packing house. For a quick sale thi3 prop
erty can be bought for about half its value on reasonable terms; see us in
regard to full particulars.
30 acres only 2 miles from town, highly improved, &J4 acres bearing
apples, 2 acres bearing cherries, 15 acres 2 to 3 year old apple3, 1 acre as
paragus, 3 acres garden; good 7-room house, bath, electric lights, hot and
cold water, barn and other buildings; team, wagon, buggy, harness, tools,
etc. Price only $35,000 easily worth $45,000. TERMS.
117 acres, 3 miles from P.O., 2000 apple trees, mostly Spitz and New
towns from 2 to 12 yrs. old, 250 pear trees, 125 cherry, 100 walnut and 100
peach trees; $300 sprayer, span of horses, wagon, chickens, tools, etc.
Four room house and good barn. Price only $40,000 for a short time. TERMS.
We have others
One acre or Hundreds
It will pay gin lo see inr list
Harhnan & Thompson
Chamber il Commerce Bofidlig
Portland, :: :: Oregon
or
J. F. BATCHELDER
Phone 70
Office, 215 Cascade Avenue
HOOD RIVER, OREGON j
his bone at tbe bottom of tbe gorge.
Tbe concierge says that tbere has been
foul play- tracks in tbe dust, a strange
cut in the neck of tbe horse and a
scabbard minus its saber. Now, what
tbe devil shall I do with the blamed
sword ?"
Dead! Hillard sat down on tbe
edge of tbe bed. Dead! Then sbe
was free, free!
"What shall I do with tbe sword?"
demanded Merrihew a second time.
"Put it in the bottom of the trunk
and leave It there till you land in New
York. But the prince dead? Ton are
sure?"
"Florence rings with the story."
And then Merrihew noticed. Hillard
still wore bis evening clothes and tbe
bed was untouched.
"That's very foolish."
"Why, I couldn't have closed my
eyes," replied Hillard.
'But won't she need you up there?"
Merrihew was obviously troubled.
"If sbe needs me she'll send for me.
I shall remain here and wait Sbe is
free. Thank God!"
"Didn't Giovanni tell us that he had
friends in Flesole, near Florence, and
that be was going to visit tbem?"
asked Merrihew.
'Giovanni! I bad forgotten. But
what had my old valet against tbe
prince?"
"Giovanni bad a daughter," said
Merrihew. "His knife left a scar on
the man. The prince carried a long
scar on his cheek."
Hillard began dressing In bis day
clothes, stopping at times and frown
ing at the walls.
At night the last of the American
Comic Opera company straggled Into
the hotel. O'Mally, verbose as ever,
did all the talking.
'You wouldn't know ber," be said.
referring to I -a Signorlna, for they
would always call her that "When
sbe heard of that duffer's death I
swear that she believed yon bad a
band In It But when she beard that
the accident had occurred before yon
left the villa she Just collapsed. The
police were bunting for tbe missing sa
ber. Of course we knew nothing
about It," with a wink at Merrihew.
When the others were gone Hillard
asked Kitty if she had any news.
"She said that she would write you
and for you to remain here till you
received the letter."
"Was that all?"
"Yes. Have you seen anything of
that wretched man Worth, who is tbe
cause of all this trouble?"
"No, nor do I care to."
Kitty and Merrihew went out to
gether.
They were gone to America, and Hil
lard was alone. He missed them all
sorely Merrihew with his cheery
laugh, Kitty with ber bright .eyes and
O'Mally with his harmless drolleries.
And no letter!
Dally he searched the newspapers
for news of Giovanni. But to all ap
pearances Giovanni had vanished, as
Indeed ho had, forever out of Hlllard's
sight and knowledge.
The letter came one week after the
departure of his friends. It was post
marked Venice. And the riddle waa
solved.
TO BE CONTINUED
Well Drilling;
DONE WITH A
Quick
! Successful
Satisfactory
STAR WELL DRILLING OUTFIT
FOR PARTICULARS ADDRESS
APPLE LAND & ORCHARD COMPANY
HOOD RIVER, OREGON
Offlct. Nt. Oak Strttt
PfcoMS. 18 sr IO0I-K
Next Week Winds Up
This Story
GET YOUR MILK
The Payson Dairy Supply Co.
MOUNTAIN GLEN FARM
Pure, Wholesome, Healthful, from Cows and Stables
that are SANITARY.
H. N. PAYSON, City Salesman THOS. CALKINS, Dairyman
Phone 281-X
Stranahan & Clark
AVE
Potash
Nitrate of Soda
Bone Heal
Tankage
Blood Heal
Super Phosphate
Ready nixed Fertilizers, Kanit, Land Plaster,
Lime, Cement.
Don't Leave the Hood River District
WITHOUT INVESTIGATING
Mosier Valley
Natural advantages for fruit growing
unexcelled. Land price have doubled In
laat two years but are not half that asked
for similarland in other sections- Buy
' now before speculators addtheir profits.
Commercial Club of Mosier
MOSIER, OREGON 6 Miles East of Hood River, Oregon
To Those Who believe In Patronizing Home Industry
When you lay in your winter
supply of Flour and Fred, ask for
CUPID FLOUR
HOMEMILLED FEED
If your dealer does not want
... to supply it, come to Us . . .
CUPID IS STILL MADE FROM OLD WHEAT
Kood RiDcr ITliff.ng Company