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

self for the ball In an elaborate dane
ing skirt of gay striped stuff, embroid-
cred in many colored bends and silver
sequin in strings down the breadth,
Her dainty feet were encased in soft
moccasins for this was an occasion
when she wore her tribal dress and
she carried the cnstanets bequeathed TO
her by her Spanish mother. So ac-
coutred she accompanied Senior Fill
ipe.
That night Marcelena was as usual
the belle of the ball. II was not ut all
surprising that she should accept the
homage showered upon her, but her
heart was not in il, aud at midnight
she stepped to the open door of the
dancing hall and looked far over the
shining plain, aud thought of her
lover lying in the wnrd of the hospital
perhaps dying under the same glorious
moonlight. Blanca her friend had
taken the last dance for her, and she
stepped out to breathe the welcome
tonic of the night air.
Some one was singing "El Borrnchi-
to-" giving the refrain in English,
badly broken:
"And passion for woman caused il
ALL"
Tho Borrnchito-'them man who is
little drunk"-was the cavalier Filipe,
who had brought Marcelena to the
ball, and who was now rendy TO take
her home, swung to the same saddle, q
mode of convenience not only proper,
but popular among the Pueblos. He
was looking into her eyes with that
dashing daring nudacity which was her
need of homage. She curled her red
lips just little nt his too ardent gaze,
but he was accustomed TO that-only
there was that in his mind tonight of
which she knew nothing.
Tho rest of the company were out
watching the pair on the fleet Mexican
horse.
"Somo day." says one of the reject
cd, che will run away with herl"
"That fiery Filipe e--no. She is too
tame. He knows she will marry the
Yankee schoolmaster - poor little
one."
The flash of silver on the girls
dress dazzled their eyes in the moon
light.
Her handsome arms clasped the cav
alier Filipe, but not too closely, she
was in hurry to get some one to pray
for her "Jamez."
They dashed into the moonlight and
across the plaza, through the plain be-
yond, over fields of cactus, startling
the jack rabbits and the piping quail,
and away like the wind, but in an OPP
posite direction to the home of Mar
celena. At first the girl did not notice
it, but Filipe, flushed and fearless.
called out:
"ro Acoma, gazelle, to the country
of Filipe, and you will never see your
puny American again! -
There was wild cry of despair, as
the girl tried to throw herself from
the flying horse, but could not free
herself for moment from the pas.
sionate grasp of the Mexican.
"I'll kill you'll" she said between
her teeth.
"Kill away, my pretty one, but you
shall be my wife first"
On and on, with the speed Of the
wind, went the fleet horse, and they
were nearing the little cemetery in the
valley when Marcelena's arms relaxed,
and her head dropped on the shoulder
of Filipe. He believed she had tainted
and attempted to change his position
when like flash of lightning, the
steel poinard in his belt cleft the aii
and descended-not in his treacherou
heart, but in the soft breast OF til,
beautiful and desperate Marcelena.
At that moment company o
United States soldiers came pouring
out of an ambulance which was slowl,
passing on its way to Fort Bowie.
They captured the cavalier Filipe
and took the apparently lifeless girl t.
the hospital, temporary building
then in use.
Marcelena was not dead, not evel
fatally wounded. But she was lonl
time in the ward of the Government
Hospital before she could be removes
to her home, and there was prett,
ceremony performed there when sh
was able to sit up as convalescent
| a.