Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1891-12-04


liel l was drawn TO her from the
first moment Of our acquaintance
drawn into tho meshes of love by the
hand OF tho dead. Any one can SEQ
that the blood OF the tropics is in
Therese's veins. What does Ignacio
Menendez say about that same red
tide in his accursed document L
wish TO heaven / had persisted in the
charge at Malvern or on the field at
Antietam! Therese knows something
of her ancestry. but nothing OF the ex-
istence OF the Spaniard's curse. AS
fate would have II. the night after my
discovery Of the old paper she told me
much about herself She traced her
blood back 10 the fountain head. and
there sat Ignacio Menendez writing
his will in the cabin OF vessel OF the
last century. Not link of the chain
is missing. After the lapse of nearly
"a century beautiful woman comes up
IN avenge the wrongs of her ancestor
on the head of his enemy's heir. You
smile. Claude. There is u look of
contempt in your eyes"
threw the will and curse of the
Spaniard on the table.
You are right l don't believe in
work of'that kind!" laughed. THE
I bequeathed plaques OF the dead are
nothing and | wouldn't give fig for
the curse of Menendez. Troplc blood
is warm. Melville. Is a woman like
Therese to be thrown aside for bit OF
yellow paper covered with curses by a
mailman of whose history we know
nothiugP"
A sudden change came over Blau-
velt's face. Color came drifting back
to his cheeks; he picked up the paper
and held it out with hand at each
side
by Jove! you're worth your weight
In gold, Herndon!" he exclaimed. Il
can't give Therese up because of this
relic Of a century which has gone into
the past with its loves and hates Let
us defy the curse of my ancestors en-
envy. / shall invite ITS fuifllment by
taking to my heart the queen of the
tropios-the last of the race of Men
endez
Tho following moment the little
room resounded with the noise of torn
parchment and l saw Blauvelt's eyes
flashing with triumph between the
severed curse which he held in his
hands.
II was a pleasant report which I
bore to Therese the day after my in
tergiew with my friend.
l thought myself at liberty to tell
her all l knew concerning Blauvelt's
dependency. She listened with the
most intense interest to the last word
and saw her lips set with reso,u-
ton that foreshadowed her reply:
i believe it is all true. / am the
| Spaniard's legatee. The blood OF the
tropics is in my veins. The last Blau-
welt has found the only Menendez.
Some people would call this fate.
call 1t nothing OF the kind. But tell
him that If he fears the curse-if he
| breads union with tropic blood-our
hands shall fall apart and / will leave
him TO wed another"
/ guessed Blauvelt's answer believe I
heard its opening syllable.
He had thrown the curse to the
winds!
|
Just five years later almost to the
very day was being driven over a
magnolia-shaded road in Southern
carriage which had been sent for me
to a country depot
The air was laden with almost suf-
locating perfume, and as we turned
into the magnificent plantation / burst
forth into an enthusiastic estimate of
the scene.
Wait till you see Massa Blauvelt
an his WIFE" calculated my sable
Jehu. relic OF the days befo de wah.
"Dey am de happiest couple on de
globe what hav' hab five years o. hon.
eymoon. an it like hits goin' to las
oil de time"
Thus prepared to meet my old friend
Blauvelt and the lovely Therese. l
was driven UP to o modernized planta-
ton home.
A mement later noticed the figure
that awaited me at the gate. but at
almost the same time saw that not n
vestige OF color chung 10 Blauvelt 8
cheeks.
His greeting was n silent pressure
of the hand. and went up fight of
broad stone steps into darkened par
| Dor.
AS Blauvelts hand drew curtain
aside and let in flood of sunlight he
pointed to a piece OF paper lying on a
center table among lot OF books.
i picked it up and after one glance
let it fall again as fixed my eyes on
the statue-like man at the window.
In three lines Therese had forever
blighted a mans life, for she had
coolly told Blauvelt with her own hand
that she had gone with his bitterest
foe.
What Of the prophecy now.
OaudeP" said he. coming forward with
sinister smile at his lips From
tho bottom OF my heart / forgive the
guilty woman. She was the last OF
tho Menendez. and l am the last
Blauvelt We have been happy here
and all would have been well to the
end Ii she had not been cursed with
the blood of the tropics"
Once year l go up over tho mag