Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1891-12-04


Spanish soldiers. but the rumor that
she Is IN adventures Is an Infamous
lie / was drawn to her from the
first moment OF our acquaintance
drawn into the meshes 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 IgnaciO
Menendez say about that same red
tide in his accused document l
wish to heaven l had persisted in the
charge ut 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 it. 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 vessel OF the
last cen. ury. Not n link OF the chain
is missing. After the Lapse OF nearly
tn avenge the wrongs Of her ancestor
on the head OF his enemy's heir. You
smile Claude. There is n 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
/ bequeathed plaques OF the dead are
nothing and wouldn't give a fig for
tho curse of Menendez. Tropic blood
is warm. Melville il a woman like
Therese to be thrown aside for bit of
yellow paper covered with cures by u
mailman of whose history we know
nothing?"
A sudden change came over Blau-
vets face. Color camo drifting back
TO his cheeks; he picked up the paper
and held it out with "a hand at each
side
BY Jove! you're worth your weight
in gold. Herndon!" he exclaimed. II
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 fulillment by
taking TO my heart the queen OF the
tropios-the last of the race Of Men
endea
The following moment the little
parchment and l saw Blauvelts eyes
flashing with triumph between the
severed curse which he held in his
hands.
ID was n pleasant report which l
boro 70 Therese the day after my in
tergiew with my friend.
| thought myself at liberty to tell
her all l knew concerning Blauvelt's
dependency. She listened with tn Q
and / saw her lips set with a reso,u-
ton that forcshadowed her reply:
Il believe it is all true. j am the
Spauiards 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 il 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 l will leave
him 70 wed another
/ guessed Blauvelt's answer beioSe
heard its opening syllable.
He had thrown the curse to the
winds! O.
Just five years later almost TO the
very day i was Icing driven over a
magnolia shaded road in a Southern
carriage which had been sent for me
to n 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 dc 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
| Blauvels and the lovely Therese
was driven up to modernized planta-
ton home
A moment later noticed the figure
! that awaited me at the gate, but at
almost the same time | saw that not a
vestige of color chung to Biauvelt' 3
! cheeks.
His greeting was n silent pressure
of the hand, and | went up II flight OF
broad stone steps into a darkened par
Dor.
AS Blauvelt's hand drew curtain
aside and let in food OF sunlight he
pointed to "A piece of paper lying on a
center table among 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 mans life. for she had
coolly told Blauvelt with her own hand
that she had gone with his bitterest
foe.
What OF tho prophecy now.
Claude" said he. coming forward with
sinister smile at his lips. From
the bottom OF my heart ] forgive the
guilty woman. She was the last OF
the MfuendeZ and I am tho last