San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-05-27

her some big peaches.
said, See, my CarmeloI
what use is there in threats? You will
not kill me, and shall not betray you.
| You are a thief. and bad thief-b-
! all the Saints you are-.but l dare 81
| you would not be much worse than to-,
hOtel-keepers if you could only keep
| your hand off your knife (For you
know, Signor, If you once enter a hotel,
| you must pay almost ransom before
you can get out againD Yes,-and /
reasoned with Carmelo in this manner:
Il told him, Il do not want large for
tune for carrying you and Teresa across
10 Termini,-p me the just passage
and we shall part friends, if only
for TereSa'S sake Well ne
was surprised. He smiled that
dark smile of his, which may mean graf
itude or murder. He looked at Teresa.
She sprang up from her seat, and let
her peaches fall from her lap on the
deck. She put her little hands on mine
the tears were in her pretty blue eyes.
You are good man. she said. Some
woman must love you very much!' Yes
she said that. And she was right.
Our Lady be praised for it,"
And his dark eyes glanced upwards
with devout gesture of thanksgiving.
| looked at him with sort of jealous
hunger gnawing at my heart. Here was
another self-deluded fool--a fond wretch
feasting on the substantial food of
pleasant dream.-a poor dupe. who be.
ieved in the truth of woman!
"You are happy man." said with
a forced smile, you have a guiding
star for your life as well as for your
boat-a woman who loves you and Is
faithful? rs it sop
He answered me directly and simply,
| raising his cap slightly as he did so:
"GeS, SignOr my mother"
l was deeply touched by this naive and
unexpected reply-more deeply than l
cared to show. A bitter regret STIRRED
| in my SOul,-why, oh why, had my
mother died so young! Why had
never known the sacred joy that seemed
to vibrate through the frame and
sparkle in the eyes of this common
sailor! Why must l be forever alone,
with curse of wOman's lie on my
life, weighing me down to the dust and
| ashes of desolate despair! Something
in my face must have spoken my
| thoughts, for the captain said gently,
THE SignOr has no mother?" ..
''She died when l was but a child"
| answered briefly.
The Sicilian pulled lightly at his
cigarette in silenCe-the silence of an !
evident compassion. To relieve him Of
his friendly embarrassment, | said,
You spoke of Teresa? Who is
Teresa?'
"Ah, you may well ask Signor! No
one knows, who she is; she loves Carmelo
Neri, and there all is said Such
| a little thing she is,-so delicate! like
| foam-bell on the waves; and Carmelo
-. You have seen Carmelo, Signor?'
shook my head in the negative.
"Ebbene Carmelo is big and rough
and black like wolf of the forests, all
hair and fangs:-Teresa is, well you
have seen little cloud in the sky at
night, wandering past the moon all feck-
ed with pale gold?-that is Teresa. She
is small and slight as a child; she has
ripping curls, and soft praying eyes,
and tiny weak white hands, not strong
enough to snap a twig in two. Yet she
can do anything with Carmelo-she is
the one soft spot in his life."
81 wonder if she is true to him,"I
muttered, half to myself and half aloud.
The captain caught up my words with
an accent of surprise.
True to him? All, bio! but the
sgnor does not know her. There was
one of CarmelO's own band, as bold and
handsome a cut-throat as ever lived,-
he was mad for Teresa-he followed her
everywhere like beaten cur. One day
he found her alone; he tried to embrace
her-She snat1hed knife from his own
girdle and stabbed him with it, like a
little fury! She did not kill him then,
but CarmelO did afterwards. To think
of Il little woman like that with
such devil in her. 1t is
her boast that no man, save
Carmelo, has ever touched so much as a
ringlet of her hair. Ay, she is true to
him-moreS the pity"
"Why-you would not have her
false?" | asked
NAY, nay,-for false womSn de-
serves death,-but still it is a pity Te-
resa should have fixed her love on Car
melO. Such man! One day the gen.
darmes will have him, then he will be in
the galleys for life, and she will die.
Yes.-you may be sure of that! If grief
does not kill her quickly enough, then
she will kill herself, that is certain!
She is slight and frail to look at a. a
flower but her soul is strong as iron. She
will have her own way in death as well
as in love.-some women are made SO,
and it is generally the weakest looking
among them who have the most cour-
age"
Our conversation was here Interrupted
by one of the sailors who came for his
masters orders The laxative skipper,
with an apologize smile and bow, placed
his box of cigarettes beside me where
sat, and left me to my own retec'
tons.