The National tribune., 1896-08-06

Sonora Jackson's bare little kitchen was
aglow with light aud warmth, and the
Sonora herself, baking tortifias for Jose's
supper, was gay as trOpic bird IN the gor-
peousness of her attire. As for Jose, he sat
on the doorstep in the moonlight, humm1ng
love-songs and enjoying the odor OF chile
con cdrne which foated out from the
kitchen.
The woman at her work chattered gayly
with the man on the doorstep, her strong,
white teeth cleaning with frequent laugh
ter A handsome woman of buxom figure,
and full, sensual lips, with child's bound-
less capacity for happiness, and a chiid's un-
thinking enjoyment of the moment, her
emotions lay upon the surface, sounding no
depths of love or hate. She was very happy
tonight, for Jose was in good humor, which
was not an occurrence so frequent as to es-
cane notice. Jose had an overweening
fondness for mescaI and aguar diente, and the
depth of his potations gauged the level OF
Maria's happiness. Jose was 1.-the, wIry
fellow, with doubtfully handsome face
keen, black eyes too near together, and thin,
eager lips with a canine curl at the corners.
Maria had learned to look for certain cruel
CLINT in the eyes and a restless twitching OF
the lips. That was the danger-mark. Be-
yond it lay the malice of fiend, inscruta-
BILE, irresponsible; likely to find vent in
anything, from the wasp-stings of bitter
words to the angry thrust of a knife.
But tonight he was gay, and Maria was
glad When the tOrtilias were ready she
called him cheerily to come and eat. Jose
sprang to his feet, and swapping his fingers
like castanets, tripped lightly across the
floor in graceful exaggeratlon of the botero,
while Maria, standing beneath string OF
bright, red chites, hung from the rafters to
dry, laughed until her shadow on the white
washed wall assumed fantastic shapes.
They were very merry over their frugal
meal, which they ate with the greediness of
those to whom life is not prodigal Of pleas
ures Jose's hand went often beneath the
table and drew out the wine-jug, which
grew much lighter as the meal progressed.
Jose felt that the saints smiled upon him,
and he laughed to himself as one who hugs
a pleasant secret to his breast. But the
laugh had a sinister ring as Maria noted
obviously.
And as they ate and made merry, Fate,
wearing the guise of feeble, half-naked
man, with long, untidy hair and beard,
gaunt frame, and trembling limbs, was
stumbling toward them through the grease
wood and cactus, with staring, hollow eyes
His hot brain seethed with bitter thoughts
of them, and his cold heart knew no relent-
ing. For over year he had been lying in
jail at Ensenada, this man-lying there
without trial, in damp, noisome cell. fight
ing fever and the rats, and he an American.
The blight of the Jail was still upon him,
and lie shivered, although the night was
soft. He was footsere and weary with his
50-mile tramp across country; the cholla had
torn his limbs and the Turks head I"
pierced his feet. But he had held straight on
with steady purpose and stumbling haste.
His mind, eddying wildly about one central
thought, faced now the future, now the past.
God, what had he not suffered he, Dan1
Jackson, from the State of Maine, an Ameri-
can of the Americans. He clung tenaciOusly
to these facts. He felt his identity slipping
from him, and himself hurled, an avenging
fate, upon the objects of his hatred. He
thought he must be going mad, and strove
to hold himself together by mentally re-
hearsing the past.
Ten years before, he had left his home on
Passamaquoddy Bay, and sought wealth in
the placer-mines of Mexico. He had been
more successful than any of his fellows, had
"struck it rich" in fact, and at last, drifting
into Tia Juana in the course of his idle
wanderings, he fell in love with the place
and with Maria, the only daughter OF old
Ramon Garcia. He could have had the girl
for the asking and without the formality of
wedlock, for old Ramon's eyes glittered at
the Amcricano's obvious wealth and the girl
loved finery better than anything except
f1attery. But there fingered some trace Of
the old Puritan stock in Dan1 Jackson's
veins, and he married the girl before Just
ice; which was no marriage at all from her
Catholic point OF view, but hard and fast
enough from his. They had been happy,
too; for Jackson left no wish of Maria's un-
gratiied, and she sang like lark from morn
till night. AS for Jackson, he cared for the
girl only, and made few friends among the
Mexicans. To one man, however-Jose
Ruiz-he took superficial liking for Maria's
sake. Jose and Maria had grown up to-
getber. and Jose had been as much part OF
old Garcia's household as of his fathers, just
across the arroyo. He seemed TO jackson all
easy-going, gOOd-natured fellow, without a
thought beyond absorbing as much sunshine
and mescdt as daylight and his purse-or
| Jack son's-would admit.
| Then came, close upon the honeymoon,
Jackson's trip to Ensenada, to look after
certain mining interests there, his quarrel
with an official with "a pull" and-the Jail
He had laughed, little bitterly, to be sure
when he first looked out through the narrow
grated window of his cell. He had com-
mitted no crime and would soon be set free
True, he knew men who had been impris.
oned, in Mexico, without trial, Cor months
or even years. But the letter he had written
to the United States Government would sci
him right. Jose, too, was using his influ
ence with certain powerful relatives and nj
would soon be well. For long time h'
was buoyed up by these hopes, but, as The
months rolled by and release did not come
he fell sick from anxiety and close confine
ment in his filthy cell and almost succumbe(
to the fever. At last he had no strength t.
struggle or even hope, and would hav'
ham sed himself to his cell-bars but for low
of Maria.
Then, in the 18th month of his imprison
ment, the door OF his cell opened, and
man was thrust in--a Mexican and q mur
derer-whO crouched all day long in th
cell-corner, smoking cigarets. He was littl
better than q brute, and his manner repellet
Jackson, who said little to the newcomer
But two men cannot live together thus
they must speak each other fair fall upol
each others throats. 1t was jackson VIII
made the first advance, and the other so0l
proved loquacious enough. He had news O
the outer world, too, and he came from I'll
Juaua. Then Jackson questioned him ca
gerry, fiercely. His tale was soon told, an,
| it meant death to Jose Ruiz. Hate is oftel