Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1872-08-01
EstabIish8dl DaGBtaberaI5thIq 1850


, weather, had turned a pale coffee.
color. Pedro loved Miralda fond.
-ly, and she wasby no means averse
to the handsome creole. But the
pretty tobacconist!was in no liur.
, iiry to wear the matrimonial chains.
4 The business, like herself, was faf
Il from old established, and as she
Thought, lnrher capacity of a mar
fried woman the. attraction Of her
!, shop would diminish by at least
one.half, while her patrons would
disappear in the same ratio Mi
ralda once made her lovera prom.
ise that she would marry him as
soon as he should have won a prize
tin the lottery for wi,halsis saw
Iings, this would enable Pedro TO
haye q share in her business as
we'll as in her happiness. So once
a month Pedro invested doub-
loon III lottery tickets, butt as he
neversucceeded in winning prize,
he failed to wed the pretty tobac-
consist 65lStiiB the young boatman
continued 10 drop ancho-' at the
cigar shop as often as his spare
time would allow, and, as the
fond couple always conducted
themselves with the strictcst pro-
priety, their engagement remained
a secret. .,a1, fk@ 1GYtlE
Now Pedro Mantanez had q
rivab and, to1a certain extent, a
formidable one. The Count Al
mante was noble of Spanish
birth, and an officer by profession.
He was one eefs those fortunate
gentlemen who, from no inherent
taleut or acquired ability, Lad.
been sent from the mother coun-
tfysto enrich himself in her pros.
porous colony. Besides bis wealth,
(which reportdescribed as sill gotten,
he gloried in the reputation of be-
ing a gay cavalief IN Havana, and
a great ,favorite with the Creole
ladies' Ii was his Toast that no
girl beneath him il ! station had
been yet known to reject. any Of
fer he might propose /; and he
would sometimes lay wagers with
his associates, that the lady whom
he had newly honored with his ad-
miration would, at given time,
stand entered in his book of amours
as fresh conquest. To achieve
any particular object, the count
would never allow anything, hu-
man or otherwise, to stand in his
path I; and by reason Of his wealth,
his nobility, and his. influence
with the authorities, ffis crimes
were numerous and his punish.
ments few if any.
1t happened that the last seno-
rita who had taken Count Altman
ties fancy was Miralda, Estalez.--
The count spent many hours and
many pesetas at the pretty to-
Lbacconist counter, where, we may
be sure, he used his persuasive
Language to attain his very i'm
proper purpose. Accustomed to
have pretty things poured into her
ears by a variety of admirers, Mi
raldsregarded the counts address
ses with Indifference and, while
behavinglwith her Worited amia-
'bllityIof manner, gave him neither
encouragement nor motive for
pressing his suit. One evening
the count fingered at the cigar
shop longer than custom allows,
and, under the pretence of pur-
chasing. and smoking more cigars,
remained until the neighboring
shops were closed and the streets
deserted. Alone with the girl,
and insured against intruders,
Count Almante ventured to dis
C ose his unworthy passion. Among
other things, he said:
"1f you will love me and live
with me, | will give you as many
golden onzas as you require, and |
will place at your disposal anoth-
er and a better shop in the sub
urbs of the Cerro, where you can
carry on your business as before. >.
aa The Cerro was situated near,the
counts palace. Miralda said
nothing in reply, but, looking the
count steadily in the face, gave
him the name of another shop
where, she informed him, he would
obtain better cigars than those
she sold. ...--
Needless OF the significance Of
bel, remark, which be attributed
to shynets, A.lrnante rose from
where he had been seated, and,
approaching the girl, endeavored
to place his arm round her waist
Ever guarded against the casual
ties of insult, Miralda retreated
step, and at the same moment,
drawing a small dagger from the
folds of her dress, warned the count,
not to touch her. Baked in his
design. Almante withdrew. assnr-