The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1895-08-03

awhile she grew accustomed to her
new mode Of dress.
The days passed away into months
but they did not bring to Rawlston the
ease of life he had hoped for when he
brought Chonita to his home, and he
wondered why the ideal was always
more beautiful than the real. After
all, liz had only been an experiment,
n 1t had failed; yet even had it not,
he realized that eventually he would
have returned to the old life for the
sake of her who awaited him there.
Then he thought of what wOuldrOme
TO Chonita, the child who loved him so.
after he was gone; for leave her he
must, and his soul cried out within
him against, not SO much what he had
done, as what he was about to do.
One evening he sat before the fire in
his quarters, engaged in looking Owe
the weekly mail. while Chonita rested
At his feet, cuddlcd in a little heap in
the warmth, and with her head pill
lowed against his knee.
"Chonita, dear, l must leave you. /
am going TO my home
She started and sPrang 10 her feet
Her heart 6eat wildly, and into her
great dark eyes came 4 strange. wild
look. You are going toto her" she
cried, throwing her arm violently
toward the photograph. You are go
ing to the woman who wrote you this
-no?' and she tore the letter across
and threw it from her. No. but you
rLaIl - --fr II continued SIa
has no right to you. You are mine
mine!" Majestically she stood gazing
at him for an instant; then the little
figure forgot its queenly bearing and
dropped wrariIy-fell at his feet-sob-
bing out tenderly: All. say it is not
so-you are all the one 1 have to love
ali l have"
He touched one little hand hat rest
ed on his knee. Poor little thing he
said. Poor little thing"
She lay at his feet, her whole body
q~uivering.
He could not bcar to see her suffer
so. lie pitied her. and he thought:
Why not lie to her: why not let her be-
lieve that he would return? Yes, why
AoN- L HOulu AI2AC IL easy u lACI
now, and in time she would learn to
forget. lie lifted her gently up and
folded her in his arms. ''Chonita," he
said, i will come back to yol, dear. !
must go, but it is only for a little
while, 4 few months You can wait
for me with your futher at the rancho
only for Il few months, sweetheart"
She drew herself from his arms and
sat on his knee, her dark eyes watch
ing the fire very softly. Suddenly she
turned and gazed at him for along
while, then said slowly:
You are not going to her, and you
will return To me-"
He said, Il am not going to her, and
l will return to you"
She looked him in the eyes. and
seemed to doubt. After awhile she
the shelf, she brought it TO him, say
ing:
Tear it and throw it in the fire
mop"
He hesitated an instant, Aen arose.
The hot blood came 20 his face; then.
because he pitied her, he made the
sacrifice-and She believed.
a few days later he left the mine,
and. sending his servants on with the
pack-train toward Guadalupe V Calvo,
he took Chonita to her fathers home.
With Juan he made his peace with
more pesos than the old man had ever
hoped to possess. but he told him, as
he had ChOnita, that he would return.
The following morning, when all
was ready FOR his departure, and at
the last moment, ne wen to where
Chonita sat weeping in the doorway
and took her hands and drew her UP to
him.
"Pobrecito," he said, poor little
thing, you are only a child. Would to
God we had never met! Poor little
hearth
She turned her face TO his shoulder
and buried IL against his neck. sObbing
gently. lie wound his arms about her
and held her close to him. He let her
cry for awhile, then he drew her face
close to his. He kissed It and put it
back in its resting place, pressing his
lips to her hair. After awhile he put
her gently from him. slowly passed to
where his mule awaited, slowly mount
ed-she ran after him, stretched out
her arms, a cry was on her lips
Some one caught her by the arm and
said: No use running after him, girl.
He's gone for good. You will have to
find another lover"
THROUGH her tears she saw at her
side n tall, lank Texan, who had ar
rived early that morning from the
mines with a message for Rawlston.
Gone for good!" she echoed. NO! He
is coming back to me-"
THE new boss says he is going north
to marry another girl. You won't see
him again. and the Texan turned to-
ward the corral to get his mule.
.,Gone!" she cried. Lied to me and
gone to marry-no. God in Heaven,
she shall not have him, he is minei"
and with her eyes flashing with rage
she caught up her fathers rife, which
rested against the house-the one with
which she had been bought-and hur
ried after him.
It was only a little way; then she
paused and threw the rifle to her
shoulder calling: Jack. Jack. milo"
and then with all the tenderness of her
soul: Sweetheart"
H. +,-pad IN biS Sa5d1a