The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1891-12-18

Spanish soldiers but the rumor that
she Il an adventures Il an infamous
liei ] was drawn to her from the
first moment Of our acqusintance-
drawn into the msshes Of love by the
hand Of the dead Any one can see
that the blood OF the tropics Is In
Therese's veins What does Iguacio
Menendez say about that same red
tide In his accused document /
wish TO heaven had persisted In the
charge At Malvern or on the field at
Antietami Therese knows something
OF her ancestry. but nothing of the ex-
istence OF the Spaniari'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 TO the fountain head. and
there sat Ignacio Menendez writing
his will in the cabin OF a vessel OF the
last century. Not q link of the chain
is missing. After the lapse OF nearly
century n beautiful woman comes up
tn avenge the wrongs OF her ancestor
on the head OF his enemy's heir. You
smile Claude There is a look of
contempt in your eyes"
threw the will and curse OF the
Spaniard on the table
You are right / don't believe in
work of that kindr' / laughed The
bequeathed plaques OF the dead are
nothing and l wouldn't give fig for
the curse OF Menendez- Tropic blood
Is warm Melville Is a woman like
Therese to be thrown aside for a bit OF
yellow paper covered with curses by a
mailman of whose history We know
nothiug?"
A sudden change came over Blau-
velt's face Cola came drifting back
TO his cheeks; he picked up the paper
and held it out with hand at each
side.
BY Jovei you're worth your weight
In gold. Herndonr" he exclaimed. Il
can't give Therese up because OF this
relic OF 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 ful6llmen: by
taking to my heart the queen of the
tropics-the last of the race of Men
endez-
The 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
1t was a pleasant report which 1
bore TO Therese the day after my in
terview 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:
L believe il is all true. am the
Spauiard'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 it nothing Of the kind But tell
him that If he fears the curse-if he
breads a union with tropIc blood-our
hands shall fall apart and 1 will leave
him TO wed another"
guessed Blauvelt's answer before 1
heard its opening syllable
He had thrown the curse to the
windsl
just FIVE years later almost to the
very day 1 was being driven over a
magnOlia-shaded road IN a Southern
carriage which had been sent for me
to 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 a 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
all de time"
Thus prepared to meet my old friend
Blauvelt and the lovely Therese 1
was driven up to a modernized planta-
ton home.
A moment later / noticed the figure
that awaited me at the gate but at
almost the same time I saw that not a
vestige of color chung TO Biauvelt's
cheeks
His greeting was a silent pressure
of the hand. and went up a flight of
broad stone steps into a darkened par
Dor.
AS Blauvelts hand Dire a curtain
aside and let in food of sunlight. he
pointed 70 piece OF paper lying on a
center table among a lot OF books
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 pro hecy now.
Claude?" said he, coming forward with
n sinister smile at his lips. From
the bottom OF my heart forgive the
guilty woman She was the last OF
the NJ. nendeZ and 1 am the last
Blauvelt We have been happy here