The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-01-26


Il am free to do as choose" she re.
Piled with exasperating independence
She began to take a delight in exciting
her lovers Jealousy just to prove TO her.
self how dearly he loved her. 1t is the
way with all women.
Leona's last fippant words had touches
the young mans heart with pain. They
both became silent. Half past IL struck
and the hover girl rose to go home.
Mequinez rose too and walked along by
her side In gloomy meditation In this
manner, without interchanging a sylla-
bic, the Macarena quarter was traversed
and the suburban fields reached. Leona' s
| eyes were fast filling with trouble as she
| glanced repeatedly at her companion.
She was sorry for what she had done.
and so very gently and very naturally
her hand stole into his and she stopped
| Kim
''Mequinez. querido, do you remember
last Easter Sunday? You and went TO
the cathedral and, after service. We
| knelt together TO the picture of st.
Anthony and prayed a while for one an
| other" - 's.t
ut was happy time. I remember it
well" he answered, but with eyes
| averted.
Leona was not to be held at distance.
however. She moved forward a step SO
| that they stood face TO face. And do
you know, Mequinez. who painted that
| picture?"
"El bueno Murillo." he replied. "the
best of men,"
1T was he, Murillo himself, whom
| met on the bridge this morning. 1t was
! he who bought the flowers. 1t was he
who gently asked that your Leona-if
you will still have her for yours-might
| sit to him as a model for the blessed
/ Magdalena. / could not refuse him,
querido.'
Merquinez's ears tingled at the plead
| ing tones. He felt her breath against his
| cheek and her arms about his neck
| Deep down in her eyes he saw the
hearts meaning rise to the surface in
teardrops which quivered lustrous on
| her laShes. What should man 40
| then? What could a man do but Kiss
| the sweet lips that lay near him? And
| so Mequinez did.
Sing out, oh skylark! Give to Leona
and Mequinez your most joyous anthem,
for a man and woman reconciled are the
happiest Of Gods creatures.
III.
1t was with. a light spirit that Me-
quinez retraced his footsteps of recent
sorrow in his return to the town. The
heart that lately thudded with weight
of trouble now throbbed like joy bell.
must have Illuminated the features Of
Adam when first he set foot in the Gar
den of Eden. WEAKNESS was forgotten,
and the only burden was one of joyous
thoughts and sensations, which raised
the brave fellow into FL Paradise as
effectually as the pinions of Mercury
lifted that amorous god to the heights
of Olympus.
Walking along thus wrapped in
thought, Mequinez swiftly neared the
bridge once more. Here he was destined
to be brought to earth, and a conscious
ness thereof, in very violent way, for
Vicente had been in waiting for the last
hour with a, VIEW of picking, a. quarrel
with his rival, which he was determined
should prove fatal to one or other of
...am.
Suddenly Mequinez received a bodily
shock which sent him headlong into the
road. Picking himself out of the dust
as quickly as his scattered senses would
allow, he perceived his stalwart rival
standing on the curbstone and looking
down on him with an irritating sneer.
TCdQ Is mot SO t5Nlt DIS the lap OIL
la forera, said Vicente insolently as
the other began to. flush with; anger.
mot for. your cowardlY attack on my
SELF" cried MequineZ, with tears of pas
sion in his voice, not as compensa-
ton for the ignominy 1 have undergone
by rolling in the dust, but singly and
certainly for the insolence with which
you have spoken of Leona-la forera-
shall you answer with your life to my
navajo" Ard MeQuineZ grasped the
handle of a formidable knife which hung
from his belt.
"Gracios Dios," replied the other.
There is nothing I wish better. Come,
we will dispatch this matter speedily.
Follow me if you have courage"
BY this time a gfewn'bystanders had
gathered round the disputants and were
by no means backward in urging them
to a mortal duel In the seventeenth
century dueling in Spain was quite COM
mon. Though prohibited by the au-
thorities, it was in a very fourishing
condition, and the law which forbade
it was, to judge by custom, more hon.
ored in the breach than in the observ-
ance." Vicente then led the way, and
selected for the arena the very arch
which an hour since had witnessed the
blush of Leona's foot as it withdrew
from the glowing lips of her lover. The
Renaissance came strongly upon Me-
quinez.
mot here" he said, mot here" Then
under his breath, This is too sanctified
spot for work of blood"
There was a vindictive expression in
Vicente's eyes as he said: 'Ha! do you
turn coward, or are there too many ten
der associations here?"
"You have guessed Alright" replied Me-
qinez, drawing himself up proudly
there are too many tender associations,
and your corpse is too unworthy to press
the ground where. her sacred feet have
so often trodden.''
Vicente WINGED
Though not too holy a place for your
own corpse to rest, perchance?" queried
se.
But the crowd was getting impatient
of the conversation and urged the prin-
cipals. to their business. There was
nothing fer it but to fight here, SO Me-
qnez had to yield on that point.
The combatants now took off their
nantes. Each drew his navajo, or long
knife. from it's rasping sheath and the
duel began 81
Both were good fencers, buenos tira-
dores, and seemed pretty equally
matched. For what Vicente had in
weight and height Mequinez made up
for in activity. Thrust and parry, thrust
and parry, parry and thrust. Eyes
alert teeth hard set Each in deadly
Il. n u