The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1888-12-06
ofthe Donna,s .auesse, this, ana moth


ing. more. -
Coffee cups and saueers and voluble
! Spanish clattered.
| At this juncture a servant ran in
with the news that the brouchn had
thrown his rider at the gate and killed
him.
There was a general rush of people
from the room to the yard; but Mar
garita, she remained in her chair, and
bya single imperative motion kept
Jack Johns by her side. They were
alone at last.
She threw her crochet needles away,
and threw herself in passionate teurs,
wildly, unhesitatingly, on his breast.
, She slid down to his feet with little
! brown hands raised and her black
hair streaming in the dust. All the
pride of her race and sex vanished like
wax before the flames.
Take me! | am yours-your peOn
your dog-anythingi Leave me,
you cannot! My God, seei l die
truly"
On this interesting tableau Chico,
the cook, broke in suddenly asking
for remedies, -whisky-restora-
Etivss-
First the mad little woman rose up,
perhaps in shame for her abandon
ment; then she sprang at the intruding
Chico, and smote him stinging blow
in the face which would have sent the
old man reeling to- the floor had he not
been so short and sturdy of legs.
Mr. JobnS recoiled, as If he like
wise had been struck by, that. small
hand.
Disguised or abashed, | know not
which, he left her without word.
Later Miguel found his cousin rigid
in fainting fit.
She regained consciousness and
breath with one gasped word
'.lMdtGrr'
Poor little onew soothed Miguel,
uuheediHg her wild talk; ''iie is gone
absolutely, but dry thy tears; / am
left to thee my heart and soul. l am
yet faithful-always-ever : eternal
ly."
Struggling to her feet, she said: |
"You lie! You never loved me wholly,
or else" and broke off, and began IA
restless walk like something wild in
cage.
"Holy Mother! look at this my |
cousin! Margarita, thou knowst / |
live but to look at thy face. A wish, q
word from thee-God of Heaven! it is
done, though l stretch myself dead at |
thy feetl MOI No! 1t is sol True as
the blessed creed"
UP and down she walked, rolling
cigarito after cigarito puff of
each, then away with it. When.
Miguel prayed her to compose herself,
she struck her palms together with
Shrek:
81 am dying for that cold devil
VaEgan,e Dios! he kissed me once. and
told me that my eyes had set him
crazy. Hereto! Ip1les of lies most
infamousP 1t is II who am Ioco-de-
'neate =. fool! Miguel, swear to me
you love me, so? Listen, then!" and
she -papted out to him an awful COM
mand.
The poor young Mexican's eyes
in horror. For all that has
been said of him, he was not danger
Gus. He was a jealous, but not a bad
man of himself, and this woman had
long tortured him cruelly.
The thing he had to do staggered
Miguel.
.sOf a truth do you mean it. my life
and soul2"
She stamped her foot imperiously,
and pointed to the door, '.Mother of |
God!'' Miguel hid his face in his
hands a moment, and then rose to leave
her.
''Baeno! CO." said he.
n
The moon came up, tiinging out
white light, under which the rising
mist hung silyery over hill aud brush
and canon.
Jack Johns rode onward thought
fully. He was glad to be going home
soon-back to his mothers knee, in
the halo of her prayers. This world,
he was thinking, had dangerous pitfalls
for young men. and he was not to be
trusted. Why even in this calm soli-
tude, far from the hum and shock of
men, he had almost tripped and been
shorn of his strength like Samson.
But now he could thank God that he
had been delivered from temptation,
had not fallen into evil through the
Turing ignis fatuus of woman's eyes!
1t was a noble brow the moonlight
lay on 81 peAsively.
That boyish face was unmarked by |
vice; but few follies as yet checkered
his honest career.
Was it II wolf or prowling leopard
that stirred the silent hushesP
Half drawing a revolver he checked
his horse. and turned his face to
catch q whistling bullet full in the
fair left temple.
r Poor high-born mother across the
sea! She will wait in her repose;
pray and wait all in vain; her son will
.nevermore come back to her and Eng
land. 1t was dear price to have to
paw for "a little Irritation. If every |
man were called to account so, how !
rapidly the sphere would be reduced
to a howling wilderness of women!
The silver mist thickened until two
people in q. phantom wood could |
scarcely see each others face. i
s'It is done, Margarita," said fate
full voice, land l Hy-fiy from myself |
and thee, my cousin! Wonld to God
1t were not so; but that sweet hand |
which l cannot kiss is stained too with
blood! ALI. my beloved, on thy knees
-On thy knees morn, noon and night
cast thy self low before Our Lady of
Sorrow"
He rode away in the mist and left
her to her solitude that was solitude no
longer; at was peopled with furies."
Left her to her sorrow that was one
long remorseful cry for England's
handsome dead.
-rr Speak to mel
For have called on thee IN the still night,
Startled the siumbering birds from the hush
ed boughs,
And awoke the mountain wolves, and made
the caves
Acquainted with thy vainly echoed name"
-Drake's Magaziiae.