The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1854-09-13
III / srclla II y.
From Ballou's History of Cuba.
Stsrn Justice and Awful Punishment

| Stern Justice and Awful Punishment.
During the first year Of Tacons gov.
ernorship in Cuba, young Creole girl,
named Miralda Estates, kept little ei-
gar shop in the Gale de N ercaderes. and
her shop was the resort of all the youag
men Of the town who loved n choicely
made and superior cigar. Miralda was
! only seventeen, without mother or father
living, and earned humble though suf
iicicnt support by her industry ia the
manufactory we named, and by the sales
Of her little store. She was Il picture of
ripenod tropical beauty. with finely
rounded form. a lovely face of soft, olive
tint and teeth that a Tuscarora might
envy her. At times there was a
dash of languor in her dreamy eye that
would have warmed m anchoriic and
then her cheerful josis We're SO delicate
yet free that she had unwittiugly turned
the heads, not to say the hearts of half
the young merchants in the Gale de
McrcGdcres, But she dispensed her ia.
yors without partialty none Of the rich
and gay exquisites Of Havana could say
they had ever received any particular
acknowledgment from the fair young girl
to their warn' and constant attention.
For this one she had pleasant smile.
for another few words of pleasing gos-
sip. and for third snatch of n Span
ish song, but to mono did she give her
confidence except to young Pedro Man
tanex, fine looking boatmau who piled
between the Punta and Moro Castle, on
,he opposite side Of the harbor
Pedro was manly and courageous
young fellow; rather abcve his class III
Intelligence, appearance, ard assooa-
tons, and pulled his oars with II strong
arm aud light heart, and loved the
beautiful Miralda with an ardor roman
tic in its fidelity and truth. lie was a
sort Of leader among the boatmen in the
harbor for reason Of his superior culti-
vation and intelligence, and his quick.
witted sagacty was often turned for the
benefit Of his comrades. Many were the
noble deeds he had done in and about
the harbor since boy, for he had fol-
lowed his calling Of waterman from boy.
hood, as his fathers had done before him.
MirNlda in turn ardently loved Pedro,
and when he came at night, and sat in
the back part of her little shop, she had
always a neat and fragrant cigar for his
lips Now and then, when she could steal
away from her shop, on some holiday,
Pedro would hoist a tiny sail in the prov
of his boat, and securing the little stern
awning over Miralda's head. would steer
out into the gulf, and coast along the
romantic shore
There was famous roue, we'll known
at this time in Havana, named Count
Almonte, who had frequently visited
Mifalda's shop, and conceived quite n
passion for the girl, and, indeed, he had
grown to be one Of her most liberal Gus
toners. With cunning shrewdness
and knowledge Of human nature, the
Count besieged the heart of his intended
victim without his appearing to do so,
and carried on his plan Of operations for
many weeks before the innocent girl even
suspected his possessing partiality for
her, until one day she was surprised by
a present from him of so rare and costly
nature as to lead her to suspect tho do
nor's intentions at once and to promptly
decline the profTered gift. Undismayed
by this. still the Count continued his
profuse patronage in way to which Mi
ralda could find no plausible pretext of
complaint.
At last, seizing upon what lie consid.
cred favorable moment, Count Almonto
declared his passion to Miralda, besought
her to come and be the mistress of his
broad and rich estates at Cerito,uear the
city, and offered all the promises of
wealth, favor, and fortune; but in vain.
Tho pure'min1ed girl scorned his offer,
and bade him never moro to insult her
by visiting her shop. Abashed but not
confounded, the Count retired, but only
to weave now snare whereby he could
entangle her, for he was not one to be so
easily thSarted.
One afternoon, not long after this, as
the twilight was settling ovor the town,