The Arkansaw traveler., 1888-03-24
Love's Dream Shattered.
San Francisco Chronicle.

The young people came up hand in hand into Judge Lawler's court on Monday forenoon. A police court is not the best place to foster a senti- mental feeling or indulge in love- making, but the warm Mexican blood that coursed through the veins of Mariana Manzo and Solomon Roder- igues made them impervious to the titters of the on-lookers or the de- pressing atmosphere of a court of jus tice. With clasped hands they sat looking fondly at each other, unmind- tul ot the angry frown on the features of Mariana's mother, who was the cause of their being in such anomalous surroundings, only waiting to hear the opinion of the judge on the mode of procedure they adopted to become one.
 Sonora Manzo, a middle-aged Mexi- can woman, the mother of the girl, stated through an interpreter that Mariana, though barely fifteen years old, fell in love with the man in the dock, who was her senior in years and not at all fit match for the girl. She refused to give her consent, when the girl ran away about six weeks ago with the man, and although she em- ployed three private detectives to search for her missing daughter, it was only last week that her fairy bower was discovered. The mother said she had done everything she could to get the girl home again, but she only answered she would marry Roderigues or go down to an early grave.
 ''Is it not fact that you keep an improper house and that the girl ran away through that?" asked Attorney Horan, who was engaged by the Mex ican Lochinvar to defend them.
 The question was interpreted to the woman, who darted from her chair and with flaming eyes hissed an im- precation at the attorney in Spanish, stood for few seconds undecided, then fell back into her chair and burst into flood of tears.
 Her attorney rose and strongly ob- jected to the question, and gave to the court portion of the woman's strange history.
 It was true, he said, that his client ha0 not always lived a blameless life, but it was crying shame for her ene- mics to be raking up her past life. "For ten years this woman has worked hard, almost day and night, with only one object in view, and that was to give her only child a fitting educa. tion. My client has done manual la- Dor, she has taught Spanish and ap- peared on the stage in order to benefit the child, and now" said Attorney Campbell, ''when she has educated the girl and done every thing mother could for her offspring, this uncul- tured, ignorant fellow comes around, steals her away and throws slurs on the mothers character because once in her life she had made false step."
 The attorney then went on to state that the girl had spent nearly all her life in the best seminaries in this city, knew three or four languages, and was intended by the mother to appear on the concert stage. He asked that she be returned, and not allowed to go with man who was in every respect united for her.
 Mariana, the erring daughter, was taken from the dock to the bench be- side his honor. She has neat figure, rosy cheeks, large, lustrous black eyes and a wealth of black hair, hanging loosely down her back.
 ''ls it true that you have run away with this young mann" asked his honor, somewhat kindly.
 'I want to marry him." she an- swered with slight blush, "but was staying with friends, and not with him." =1-s
 His honor then inquired as to her age and educational Accomplishments, and asked if she did not think she was too young to marry.
 "Oh, no, Pve known him for long time and I love him." she answered innocently.
 Her sweetheart was then placed be- fore his honor for examination. He said that the girl was quite willing to go with him. That he never forced her and was prepared to marry her at any moment.
 "These young people have been guilty of no otfense under the law, and discharge them," said the court, and the door of the dock was opened, when they walked out very lovingly together.
 The mother went forward to greet her daughter and forgive her, when the latter kept close to her lover and both darted to the door on the way to the new city hall.
 The mothers attorney appealed to his honor to have the girl returned to her guardian, as she was only fifteen years old and minor. A bailiff was