The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1895-02-20
MARCELEN AS LOVERS.

1t was at that time of the year when
the sky of New Mexico is as blue as
the eyes of the girl you love, and the
scant herbago reminds you of the
Scotch heather, dry and vari- colored,
but making an exquisite harmony
among the huge blood-red sandstone
buttes, and plains diversified by caves
and canyons. And spread everywhere
the wonderful cacti, with their mar
velous flowers, like the scarlet bios
SONS of sin.
There in peace md plenty, live
people who will always be picturesque,
the unique and interesting Pucblos,
who have lost more arts than we ever
possessed; whose men are brave,
peaceful and domesticated who live
in terraced houses and build difficult
churches, and wash themselves without
government Interference and who do
not choose for themselves Yankee sons
in-law, but are often compelled to ac-
cept them as n penalty for having
handsome daughters.
The Pueblo girls, like girls the
world over, will marry only where
they love, and no man dare trihe with
the affections of a Pueblo maiden.
All of which is incidental to the
story of Marcelena Zenda, the pretti-
est girl in New Mexico, who lived in
one of the terraced houses, and had
Spanish blood in her veins. and was 80
beautiful that her name was charm
in her tribe. Marcelenn had refused a
dozen Mexican senors, the Colonel of
n regiment stationed ut Fort Bowie,
and a half dozen OF her own people,
Then she met n dark, melancholy
man from New England, who had
come there with the principal product
of that country, consumption, and ex-
pected to die.
He had no right to fall in love, but
he did, and what was more remarkable,
his love was returned. Marcelena had
lands and burros, and tenement that
was wonder of architecture in her
own right, and could have married
her lover off-hand, her people all be-
ing subservient to her slightest wish,
but the New England man had n con-
science. After winning the girls love
he decided that it would be wicked for
him to marry her, only to make her q
widow.
'But you will die not, Jamez" his
name was James-said Marcelena; "I
make myself prayer to God in the
thorn, that you live-I suffer; then he
make you to be WELL"
''No, dear one, you mistake; God
does not ask that you shall lacerate
your fair body with thorns that may
! recover. If any one did that it should
be me. Premise me that you will
never again go with the Penitentes-
promise me, Marcelena, although I
may not live to know that you keep
your promise.
So Marcelena promised, and tlsrn
brought her guitar and played sweetly
to her lover, who watched her with
intent gaze, longing for new lease OF
life, that he might call her his own.
Through the interference of friends
he became an inmate of the Govern.
ment Hospital at the fort, and i'm.
proved 80 rapidly that he sent for
Marcelena to come to him and be mar
ried by the post chaplain.
No." said Marcelena, in the prov.
erb Of her people, "that would be the
haystack going after the COW. mary
ut home, or not at all"
Pretty Marcelena controlled her
self as best she could, and in mo.
ment of loneliness consented to attend
ball with former lover Senior Filipe
who had sworn to himself that sh,
shoull never marry another Wap