The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-04-22
A BIT OF CANDLE.
By GEORGE H. wEsrLEY.
Copyright, 1850


| Benton and l had not set eyes upon each
/ other since we were hobbledehoys at
I school together And now TO think that
after fifteen years of almost autipodean
! peregrination we should suddenly find
| ourselves vis-a-vis at the dining table OF
New Orleans hotel.
| OF course, we had a world of matters
/ to discuss, and that we might do it uuin-
| terruptedly Benton asked for private
room. The apartment into which we
were shown was on the ground floor. 1t
was comfortably furnished and looked
out upon wide veranda.
! Here we sat and chatted and smoked
cheroots until 10 O'Clock, when a startling
thing happened. We were both engineers
| ana up TO this time our conversation had
! been largely of a SLOPPY character but
| at last professional experiences seemed
to be exhausted and we had branched of
into another theme.
Married yet, Bentonl" inquired.
"My dear fellow, he replied, his eve
kindling with enthusiasm; I've got the
most precious little wife this side of para
disc. She-but wait moment, that re-
minds me-
The window shade was only two-thirds
drawn and Eenton rose to pull it COM
| pletely down. AS he did so bullet
crashed through the glass and, barely
gra ing his shoulder, buried itself in the
opposite wall OF the room
Bentons look as he stepped back was
one of disgust rather than surprise.
That devil of a Mexican againl" he
cried. Il sincerely trust the fellow will
soon tire of his amusement. II is becom-
lag post vel V
"Amusement!'
Eyes, the game of revenge the black
hearted scoundrel calls it. That is the
fourth attempt on my life in two years
A big price to pay for wife, is it notl"
Il doubt if the best woman in the
world is worth it," responded, but ex-
plain. How on earth, my dear Benton,
did you come to get nemesis for a mother
in-law!"
After describing his assailaut to those
who had rushed in on hearing the report,
and desiring the landlord TO place the
matter at once in the hands of the police
Renton lit fresh cheroot and related the
following peculiar experience.
Two years ago" said he: II was COM
missioned by the mining company for
which | worked, 10 look closely into the
condition of several of their Mexican
mines. After making considerable cir
cut / came at last TO Palos de Sante Fe.
This was picturesque little village sit
uated in a luxuriant valley. Looking
IRON 1t up the mountain one could
see the entrances to the mines suggest
ing to the mind so many rat holes in the
hillside.
One would scarcely have imagined,
gazing over this peaceful valley, that a
terror had for years sat brOOding above
it, Yet such was the case. and it was to
find out whether or not there was any
immediate danger of that terror STOPPING
to clutch its victims, that | had been sent
here. In plain words there was known
to be stored somewhere among those
mountain peaks incalculable masses of
water which our workings, if we con-
tinuSd them, were bound to tap sooner or
later, and involved the destruction of
hundreds of human lives. Such, then,
was the state of affairs. l should tell
you, by the way, that since. we were at
school together, have added to my pro-
tession of engineer that of geologist.
/ was stopping at a little posada,
perched a mile or so above the village
1t was kept by one Deiz, an old Spaniard
with villainous face and record that
was far from enviable. This posada was
a sort of congregating place for the
miners, and when the rough fellows be-
came aware of the nature of my errand,
they looked upon me with rather an un-
welcome interest.
AS my work progressed, and 1 saw it
would be necessary to advise the imme-
date closing of the mine, my position
among those reckless miners grew more
unpleasant. On my report hung the
prosperity, nay the very existence of
their village, and as for my landlord
Deiz, he would have to shut up shop, and
like the miners, make a livelihood else
where.
To be such an important factor in the
success or ruin of hundreds of rough re-
vengeful miners, entailed,as you can well
understand, great personal responsibility.
OF course l had no intention of taking
them into my confidence as I'd the real
condition of things, and on this fact 1
counted for my safety Onc0nSciOusly
however must have let out my secret
indeed it was a very easy lesson in ply
siognomy, for the anxiety and worriment
on my face grew deeper and deeper as the
conviction impressed itself upon me that
my report must doom the village and cast
It's jewellers out of employment Why
otherwise, they argued, should be anx-
ious and worried.
l believe am not a coward yet a fear
for my life took possession of me. and l
was careful to be continually armed and
to avoid anything that looked like trap
of the enemy.
Now, Deiz, my landlord, had daughter,
a beautiful girl, as sweet and innocent as
her alleged father was sour and vii ain
GUS Her mother she had never seen.
On my previous visits to Pa1Os on less i'm
portalt affairs, had always put up at
this posada, and as / watched the girl
develop from childhood into womanhood
my interest in her grew stronger than
would have cared at the time to confess.
Juanita had always been extremely at
tenlive TO my necessities, and we had be-
come fast friends, AS for looking upon
the girl as a sweetheart, that | would
rot permit myself to do, seeing her father
intended for her an alliance with his
nephew. Antonio.
II was easily to be seen, however, that
Juauita did not favor his suit. She had
no smiles for Antonio and she repulsed his
attentions at every opportunity. So at
any rate it appeared to me, for week or
two after my arrival. Latterjy however,
she seemed to have changed toward him.
Hitherto she was rarely to be seen in
the bar room where Antonio attended,
but now she fingered around it, APP
pareutly with no other object than to be
in the young mans presence. Then, too,
to his great delight, for the fellow really
loved her, she submitted shyly TO his
caresses. A close observer. however,
might have seen enough TO make him sus-
picious of her sincerity.
AS for rue | was panied to observe that
she Stunned my company and treated me
with considerable GOODNESS. One day,
finding her alone, / ventured to address