The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1892-06-22

moneys ana live happyi but now you take
all. You are very--how you call him9-
smart. You lend my father the moneys
and make him sign the paper to give you
the ranches 81 he no can pay. We never
sign the paper, one for the other. AL
ways when we lend the moneys we trust,
and always we are pay. But you have
the heart like the stone. And because
it have been bad year, and the cattle die,
and my father no can pay, you make me
pay. You have fine chance and you tell
him, 'Give me your daughter, never
mind 81 she hate me or not, never mind
81 she break the heart or not, give her to
me and l give to you your land.' Oh,
you are bad man."
He had risen and listened to her out
burst unmoved. When she paused for
breath he replied, ''My dear Dona Am
alta, at least am aiming to benefit some
one besides myself. You say that l am
bad man. What will you think Of
yourself when you see your father beg
CARED, living on charity in an Indians
hut2 | say nothing Of the fact that
your delicate hands will probably have
to cook his beans. Now, be reason
able"
"Oh, I hatcha you," cried the girl
with another burst of grief, "and no
want marry old man."
"Old mani Why, my dear senorita,
am only forty" He looked at her
amusedly; he was certainly not old
enough to be sensitive.
"But it is very old to u.s." sobbed the
girl. 81 only am eighteen and Antonio
no is more than twenty-five. When
our mems are forty they are very stout
and have the complexion like coffee, so l
no can think is young. You," spite
fully, 'no are stout because you work
all the time maka the moneys"
At this juncture another door opened
and an old man entered the room. A
black silk handkerchief was knotted
about his head, he wore short clothes of
green cloth decorated with large silver
buttons. He was very stout, and even
his features seemed to have relaxed un-
der the enervating influence of the Cali
fornia life of that period. His black
eyes were a trife bleared, his indefinite
features wore somewhat testy express
sion as he glanced from his daughter to
her suitol.
"Don James Cunningham, am glad
to see you," he said, slowly. "What is
the matter3 tell her to marry you aud
she do it," and he brought his cane
down sharply on the bare floor.
81 no do It'll" cried Amatha, reused to
filial rebellion for the first time in her life.
81 no marry him; marry Antonio. Ay,
Antonio, Antonio!" aud she flung herself
upon the sofa and went into violent SOB
bing.
"Shc tell you she no marry you2"
asked the old man of Cunningham.
"She certainly does not seem to ap-
prove of me, but you know the perver.
sity of woman, Don Pedro, and l assure
you once more shall make the best of
husbands-and sons"
Don Pedro placed his stick upon a
chair. He hobbled over to his refractory
daughter and raising her in his arms,
bore into her own room and laid her on
the bed. He then went out and returned
with hammer and nails, with which he
fastened her window within six inches of
the sill.
"Now," he said, in Spanish, "here
thou will stay and have nothing to eat
but bread and water until thou marryest
Don James Cunningham. Dost thou
think that | will be left sitting in the
road that thou mayest marry man who
sleeps in a hammock all day and CANDLES
all night2 Thou art like silly child to
refuse to marry man who can make thee
like queen. But have spoken"
He returned to the sala, locking the
door behind him, followed by the sobs
and shrieks of his daughter. GAY,
mlsericordia! Ay, iufeiz de mi Ay,
senorl Santa Marial Santa Dios! Ay!
Ayl Ayl Ayl Ay!"
"She marry you," said Don Pedro.
"Now you stay here, no? for few days
It'll all is settle, then can marry and have
be through"
Cunningham spent the next few days
listening to his prospective father-in-
laws "reminiscences of bull fights, horse
racing, religious professions, climbing
the CREASED pole, catching the creased
pig by the tail as it ran, the balls that
lasted month, all the various distrac-
tions of Arcadiau California whose sun
was forever set. The young men of the
house secretly sympathized with their
sister, but approved of their fathers
course in view of prospective plenty.
One of the vast ranches had been sold I
several years before at an absurdly low !
figure to an American IN order that the |
eldest son of the house, since dead could |
crafty his political ambition. Another
had gone for American taxes. Still !
another had been "squatted" upon, and |
although the law had promised the Cali |
forrian redress it was tardy of fiuliillmeut |
and the squatters were tilling the soil |
md making it yield in an astonishing
manner. The two remaining ranches |
eft were mortgaged to the American
and when he handed them ]
pack they would willingly let him man
lge them, having the greatest respect for
lis hard American sense.
Meanwhile, Amata sobbed and starved.
Her lover serenaded her the first mid
hight, but went to- Los Angeles the next
lay and forgot to return for several.
For three days the spirited Californian
vas obdurate; then her delicate, luxur.
GUS stomach began to cry out for the
lainties to which it was accustomed. As
he paugs grew sharper she became pos
lively terrified, never having felt physi.
,al suffering before, and not knowing
what awful end it portended. She
lepged niHfnllV for cerna CON nin ~ |