The record-union., 1896-08-23
bow DOLORES WORKED OUT HER
SlEPPATHER'S SALVATION.
(Written for the Record Union by Har-
old Francis

| (Written for the Record Union by Har-
old Francis)
| In the summer of 80 l was returning
from business trip to Granada and
was slowly vending my way toward
| Corinto, the most important Pacific
| coast seaport of Nicaragua / had been
| persuaded by wealthy planter to ac-
company him to his plantation to put
up some machinery which he had pur-
chased in San Francisco. He made me
a tempting offer, and my love for ad-
venture prompted me to take advan-
tage of the opportunity. Four months
had dragged by before l was able to re-
| turn. How I longed for a taste of the
civilization which l was accustomed to-
1t seemed as if l never could settle down
and be content among this slow, easy
going people.
/ The primitive style of travelling
horseback and in OK carts-and the uni
| versally poor roads were indeed entire
| ly out of keeping when contrasted with
| our excellent system of railroads. But
the thought that ere long | would reach
California seemed to spur me on to re-
| neWed activity and make me forget the
hardships encountered. The trip from
Granada to Managua was pleasant, in
asmuch as the highway fairly swarmed
with conveyances of all descriptions
and the rich plantations through which
l passed never failed to interest me
This road is the highway of all the
| commerce which passes between the
three main cities of Nicaragua, Gran
| ada, Managua and Leon, and is about
the only one which is kept in travelling
condition. We reached the capital
Managua, and after a short respite
| pushed on toward Leon, and thence to
| the sea.
| After we had passed Leon the travel
| became very light, and were it not for
my guide, rather intelligent peon the
| trip would have been almost unbear-
able. We passed through fiourishng
banana plantations and forests of beau
| tlful trees, and presently came upon
the summit of a small range of mount
aims which run parallel with the coast.
In the distance we caught glimpse OF
| the mighty Pacific. AT intervals along
/ the road | had noticed crosses of all
kinds, and was informed by my guide
that they marked the resting places OF
all who had perished in public or pri-
| vate encounters. AS we logged along
l was lazily dreaming and drinking in
the wild beauty which nature had SO
| lavishly bestowed in this out-of- the
way corner of the world, when we came
upon more pretentious looking cross
than any we had hitherto Seen A few
withered wreaths We're fastened to it.
showing that the dead was not entirely
| forgotten. My curiosity was naturally
| aroused, and I dismounted to read the
| inscription upon it. Fernando Mar
cio' was the simple legend, and my
guide succeeded in relieving the weari-
ness of the rest of the journey by relat-
ing the following facts
| Near the city of Leon, formerly the
capital of Nicaragua, are the ruins of
what were once the marble halls of
| Spanish grandees. But now, instead of
| luxuRiantly furnished chambers and
| neatly laid out gardens. there is nothing
but ruins and weeds. Where once
naughty duennas and proud hidalgos
held sway, tatterdemalion families of
poems have usurped the ancient abodes
| or the rich, and seem as if placed there
to give farcical termination to the
drama of human pride. Between the
| arches and crumbling walls they have
patched up huts for themselves and
live in perfect contentment
AS a whole the poems or Indians of
Nicaragua are lazy, ignorant class,
and are constantly in debt According
to a Nfcaraguan law peon who owes
planter and has no means whereby he
ic
his Indebtedness. AS result the shrewd
planters take advantage of this. and
after beguiling the unwary peon into
borrowing has them in his power and
they are virtually his slaves
In a small hut among these ruins
lived Pancha, peon, who had recently
lost his wife. She had been hard work
ing body and lived in constant fear of
her husband. He spent most of his time
in imbibing mescal, and as result was
constantly abusing her She was
stricken with fever, and out of pure neg
lect succumbed. leaving in his care her
daughter Dolores, in whose veins flowed
Spanish blood. In spite of her sur
roundings she had blossomed forth into
handsom" pirl Of sixteen summers,
and had in ssss .:ed her dark flowing
titSSNS anu Fif-1llDy, Tlcn complexion
from her father. who had died while she
was yet an infant.
Old Pancho had enjoyed an easy time
while his faithful wife lived, as she
tciled constantly to get him out of the
clutches of Senior Marcio, to whom he
owed considerable money. But it was
uphill work. AS fast as she earned
and paid it out, Pancho borrowed more,
and she died leaving him as heavily In
debt as ever. He was sorely grieved at
her death on this account, as he saw
work staring him in the face once more.
But Dame Fortune came to his rescue in
the form of the only son of his cred
itor, Senior Marcio. He had been sent in
his fathers absence in the United States
to demand further payments from
Pancho.
Dolores was busily engaged preparing
a meager meal of tortillas for her step
fathers dinner and took little heed of
what occurred between him and the
newcomer. She chartered gaily with
a dirty little peon from a neighboring
hut and occasionally burst into silvery
peals of laughter al the curious pranks
of the little fellow.
"Well, Pancho,' said the dashing
young Spaniard, ''how is it you have
failed to pay your installment? You
know the penalty. What does it
mean?"