Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1886-10-07
col. Bll'S ROMANCE.

CO, writes an Atlanta Constitution
correspondent, recalls a romantic ira
gedy which grew out Of our struggle
with that country forty years ago.
When volunteers came marching
home hundreds of handsome fellows
among them brought Mexican wives
With them. Among the fortunate
ones was Col. Bill. ! never got at the
straight of it. but ID was said there
was mystery about the colonel's mar
riage. Some of his soldiers said thas
in one Of his forays he had captured =
Mexican village. He looted the place.
picked out the prettiest senorita in it.
the daughter of old DON Juan Gomez.
wealthy Castilian. and married her
by force of arms, as it were. There
was another story even worse than
this. 1t was that the dashing colonel
had carried off the beautiful wife OF q
Mexican general. and despite her tears
and protestations had made her SUBJ
init to the farce Of marriage cere-
mouy performed by an army chap
lain.
These rumors. in various shapes,
sometimes modified and sometimes
embellished, were whispered in the
society circles of the city of M for
years after the return of Col. Bill.
heard something of the story when my
hoyish curiosity was excited by the
somber gloom Of q tall. dark man.
sion in quiet quarter Of the city.
At the time l was not old enough TO
understand the full import of what |
heard, but l understood enough to
make me shudder.
Col. Bill was seldom seen on the
streets of NJ. He passed much Of
his time on his plantation, few miles
out, and during the winter he spent
weeks and months in distant cities.
At first it was said that he took his
wife with him on his travels, but AS
the years rolled on he gradually be.
gan to neglect her; and he would
leave her six months at time locked
.f .---..-.~..
of the place took strong hold upon
my youthful Imagination, and ! never
passed the house without scanning it
closely.
But it was impossible to make any
discoveries. The house stood in the
center of spacious grounds, 30 filled
up with trees and tropical shrubbery
and flowers that it was difficult to see
much from the street. In the rear
was a garden surrounded by high
brick wall with grated openings, and
through these one could see what was
going on inside the inclosure.
One day in passing I heard voices.
looked through an opening in the
wall and saw the most beautiful wo-
man that my eyes had ever bsheld. /
knew at once that it was the colonel's 8
wife. She was young woman, tall
and graceful. and her dark face was
illumined by pair Of glorious eyes
that seemed to be shining through a
mist of tears.
This regal creature was not alone.
She was accompanied By a young girl
who appeared to be her maid or com.
panion. The two were conversing in
a foreign tongue. and | could not un.
derstand a word. The music Of their
voices impressed me. and ! gazed at
them SO steadily that their attention
was attracted. The lady of the man
sion looked at me with q sad smile.
and made some remark to her CON-
panion. Then they walked over to
the other side OF the garden, out OF
my sight.
Naturally / told what had seen,
and people badgered me to death with
questions. | was asked to describe
the beautiful Mexican lady.
"Did she wear any diamonds p
asked an old gossip.
I answered that thought ! saw
diamonds ghttering on her throat. in
her hair, and on her hands.
mo doubt Of it. said my question.
er. "bu. the poor thing has very few
Of them left"
How is that" | asked.
why. don't you know? But oi
course you don't. Well. when she
frst came here she had peck Of dia'
monds. Even on her morning wrap.
pers, every button was diamond"
"And where are they now ? Ique'
ried in open-mouthed wonder.
That horrid old Col. Bill has taksr
them. The colonel 10 . very bad man
/ cant tell little boy like you hov
bad he il. Now, the colonel 10 Away
needing money for gambling and "a
cling and his other pleasures. ana
whenever he 10 in q tight place for 1
few hundreds be just takes q handful