The Progress. (Shreveport, La.) 1892-1900, 1894-10-13


of hotties that rested on small shell.
A table and & few chairs coEposed
the furniture, while the walls were
void Of ornaments Of any kind, with
the exception Of a cheap, highly
colored print of the MaeessAa, and
rudcly carved crucitix hanging above.
Grouped around were some twenty
men and womsk engaged IN Dolsterous
conversation, w&ile in a corner oppo'
site the door stood Mariquita. girl
of abont lG, tall and beautitnl, and
possessing that languid grace which
belongs only to women Of the South.
Her dress a gown of soft material,
bright red in color, had become de-
ranged, and opening at the bosom ex-
posed a white chemise that only partly
concealed her heaving breasts;
wealth of dark hair fell in disorder
far below her waist, and from face
oval in shape and of rich, creamy
complexion, flashed eyes as black as
night Her lips carmlne tlnteo'
parted and showed little white teeth
grinding together in anger, as she
stood, child and yet a woman, re-
ceiving with silent scorn the storm
of abuse which her mother poured
forth in perfect torrent OF language.
As reached the woman | asked II
she really intended to rattle her
| daughter, for such. from the CONVEX
sation, judged to be her purpose.
Isl. senor-why not? DO | not lind
her a husband she will go with that
1 diablo of an Indlo, and will lose her
a forever No man here has one hum
dred pesos, and l am poor Raf1le
$ her? Yes, why not, True, the priest
9 will not be at Baborgame for three
) months, but what matter? She can
t marry then; it will be all the same.
: In the meantime Ave of the miners
had managed to obtain twer9s pesos
: each, which they were anxious &c
Q risk for the purchase Of Marlqnlta
n and the money being handed over tt
9 the widow the dice was produced, and
n on the table that had been drawn
q into the center of the room the throw
d ing began.
IS The first man to throw was Carlo
L, Mendoza, a tall, swarthy-lookln&
- Mexican, who stood wrapped in
serape Of orange and purple. HIS I'm
- mense sombrero, resting on the bacl
a of his head, allowed mop OF coars
e black hair to fall over his low fore
10 head into his eyes. Raising the boz
% he brushed the hair aside, and afte
w slowly rafting the dice threw
"a, silence-sixt%sn. Again the die
~ ~ naturalization; and again-se7el
N teen; forty-six in all.
% A murmur of applause from tE
"a SPECTATORS and Mendoza turned t.
ward Mariquita, but something in hi
-, look quailed him and with a 10
"a laugh he turned to watch the throw
Or. ing Of his opponents The box passe
~ from one to another without avail al
,of was now in the hands OF the Ia
lin thrower. Slowly he shook the di
&C and then threw--seventeen: again
.re eighteen. The excitement was nc
+ n intense in the silence, broken only
r-- the heavy breathing Of the onlooke
too and muttered curse from Mendo
49, as he drew his sombrero down ov
- his eyes, the last throw was mac
the box was lifted-two fours and
a ace. Mendoza won and with 81
II cry he sprang toward Mariquita, b
II before he could reach her there W
NJ rush through the door, an a
! passed around his neck and press
n his body slowly back; a fash of ST.
Al "a groan-again flash OF steel q
III the arm descended and Carlos Mendt
II was dead on the floor. And the
HI with the knife still grasped in
- hand, Romulo, the Indian, stood Ii
1911 a statue of bronze, naked but fol
breechcloth; his limbs like polish
mahogany and his eyes flashed
- from under his heavy dark hair tt
\ fell to his shoulders.
y For one moment he stood; tt
there was flash, the report Of a
\. volver and Romulo tottered and Sc
to the floor, his back resting agai
\ the wall.
With a low cry Of anguish M
F. uuita threw herself on her knees
was side him, and while the tears cour
she down her cheek she wiped away "
,rcb her dress the blood that flowed fl
uths his lips and besought him to SPEAK
Thew her.
fol- "Romulo! Romulo! Caro- milo!
,nor, posa milo! Speak to me! God
.fter heaven, tell me you are not h
hole Romulo. Speak just one little v
eat to Mariquita. Oh, God of my S
,rtil- Don't let him die" And as Ron
she looked into her eyes and tried
1t in speak tremor passed over him
p the blood flowed again from his
ita." The heart-rending cry and n
side quita was on his breast with her
rs of around his neck. "Romulo! My
veet, if thou must 60, take me, too"
by With superhuman effort the
pnon dian raised himself. claSped her