San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1893-02-25

and turned to find his dark eyes with
loves gentle CLEAN i'll them fastened
upon her face. She gave little starr
and then came to kneel beside him and
take his hand. She was not yet certain
that this was not new phase of the fe.
yer; but he turned his face to her as he
pressed her hand and said:
Dear heart, how long have been ill?''
"Oh, so long, SO long, my own-ten
long, dreadful days-and feared that
should lose you! But you will get well,
sweetheart. You will not leave your
poor Lelar
mo, dear. ! will not leave you. J
shall recover fast now, think, and you
my own-you look so pale and tired!
Go and rest and get some color in those
white cheeks"
She laid her head on the pillow beside
him and looked deepinto his eyes. After
awhile her own lids dropped. and in a
moment she slept, with a coptented
smile upon her lips. The blue veins In
her forehead made her skin look like
purest marble as she lay there. Her
sweet breath famed his cheeks as he
gazed upon her, fair and childike, yet a
woman in the full bloom of her rare
beauty-perfect-the very dream of an
artist or poet.
When he left his bed and could walk
to his window and look forth, 10! the
spring had stolen upon the canyon sud-
-:a,11riy and sweetly! The sight of green
meadows, the poisoning trees, the snipe
darting in zio"
sag Nights across: the long,
easy swing Of the swallows as they
SKINNED the water, sent the blood
-S6urSing through his veins, and he felt
his strength returning in rush. But
he had been near to deaths door, and
the fact was known to the people of
Attain 1t strengthened Chalpa's posi-
ton immensely.
This is no godr he proclaimed. It's
but a man, for 10! he is dying! His
breath is as ours. Shall we worship
god who can become i'll as we camp
Then Eric began to fancy, as he lay
in his bed at night, that he heard prowl-
ing footsteps about his house, but Jan
lila, watching jealousy, could not detect
any providers. But Eric put his revolver
in his bed and kept it there. He awoke
at dawn one morning and lay watching
the rose tints grow and CLEAN along the
canyons castellated brows. Soft pearly
shadows mingled with the rose, and
deep, sullen blood crimson hung in the
crevices of the rocks. Above was all
,l,,l -,
long streamers across the clear, cool blue
of the sky. He heard the peewee call
and the shrill "teet teet" of the snipe.
Then robin burst out in a rich, rollick-
ing matin song that made his heart swell
with queer mixture of JOY and sadness
1t was all so sweet to come back to
and so touching to him, softened by ill
ness, that the tears almost came into his
eyes. Then as he looked he saw dark
hand and arm appear at his window.
The hand held a bunch of small, pale
green berries, and it shook nervously as
they were squeezed, and a few drops Of
grayish white juice fell into his water
jar, which stood on the window sill.
In a second he had fired at the hand,
but missed his aim. Jan-ila awoke with
a startled yell and stood dazed for a
moment, then rushed to the window.
No one was in sight, but minute later
people began to emerge upon the house
tops and peer about. Others hurried to
Eric's dwelling to ascertain the meaning
of Quetzal's thunder. All joined in the
search for the wretch who had attempt.
ed his life, but he had left no trace. The
circumstance put Eric upon his guard.
He realized that the enemy was willing
to resort to the sternest means to accom-.
plish their end, and he once more put OF
his belt and holster and carried his re
volver wherever he went.
This attempt upon his life, however
was adroitly used to Chalpas disadvan
tage, for he alone was known to be in
imical to Eric, and the election, which
took place two days later, was lost K
him by only twenty-five votes. Th'
priests and the heads of families alone
voted, and the latter were largely in
fuenced by the dastardly attack upo1
Eric's life-placing it entirely to Chal
pas account.
The latter gave no sign of the rag
that consumed him, but smiled as craft
ly as ever when the votes were counted
He congratulated Kulcan with the suavi
ty of An Italian diplomat, for he had no
played his last card, and he was now re
solved upon a desperate measure. H
now knew the strength of his party ant
the stuff Of which his partisans wer
made, and III another week he would ri
himself Of his principal obstacles an
come out triumphant. Another wee
md the Ee4st of the katnn Nnr1lL h