South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1896-07-23

! before the days OF the hotel). when all
Of sudden she SHE'D Mt what looked
like a bundle OF old clothes under this
tree. Mono. wasn't thrown and |
wasn't rescued by the heroine. 1t was
not much OF shy. just enough to make
me look again ut the bundle and won
Ter what IL vast was dusk. you
<now-and then to notice that the bun
lie moved
Wherefore / concluded it was q
woman. probably a Mexican. 1t was n
woman, or a very young girl. rather,
mi druced pretty one-a Mexican,
too. could see that even in the twilight
for her eyes cleaned in the dark as
only pair of Mexican eyes can CLEAN;
and there was an added brightness, for
the eyes were wet with tears. How do
| know? / dismountcd and found out,
OF course. 1t isn't likely I was going
TO see woman prone on the ground.
7, a long way from the nearest habita-
ton, Mt fightfall, md yet not offer her
any assistance In my power.
We'll as | said, she was crying
stormily. and 1 set about finding out
| why. She told n most blood-curdling
tale of parental cruelty. 1t wasn't
true. I've found that out since. As a
mntter Of fact she had found that a
| particular flame of hers was going TO
take another girl TO some shindy. But
the crucltreatment story did nicely:
and eomforted her-she was such d
mere child, / honestly thought. The
lie was innocent enough. They aren't
taught 10 think falsehood anything
1 Rtfnu h.. t-sA CHI a
shrinking, like little girl who puts
her hands behind her aud lowers her
lashes at the advance of stranger. In
I fact, that is exactly what she did. You
should have seen those lashesI You'd
have been just as big n fool as / was.
and have stayed until the moon rose,
and made an appointment for another
meeting. and eventually you'd have fal-
len as badly in love as | did.
I'VE always met under this tree. 1t
was on her fathers land. but quite out
of sight of the house. She said that
if he were to hndz6s together, he would
redouble his brutality; but | assured
her that If we were discovered. we
would run off at once and get married.
The child was in one of her acquiescent
moods, and lowered her eyes and
agreed. OF course / could only man
age to get away on Saturday evenings
on Sundays lthis is the anniversary of
our meeting, by the bye. You see 1
cling to old memories). but we made
the most of our time. never hau lwcn
so infatuated rs was with that Span
isIl child, with her tawdry, bright
fTocks, her shy ways, her gorgeous yes
aud her breton English SHE vas real
~ Spanis.,, and not Mexican,
learned"
''They all are | ventured.
II know. but your sarcasm is wasted;
in this case it was beyond question,
ard there was American blood in her
veins, toO-a little of it,
! II insisted on running away with
/ her and getting married nj sea: and. af-
ter no end of refusals. she finally con-
scented. oh, | was far too smitten, too
! enSnarcd, TO have II 10 occur to ne
i then how II match of the sort would
hamper my career; how an ignorant
country girl would prove thorn in my
+ flesh in the critical town clique; what
I a social drag she would be upon me. l
knew the family would raise particular
1 y
! in spite OF his family. he is apt to look
/ upon it as a small stone 10 be kicked
out OF his path, and it takes him some
time to discover that his pebble is
good-siZed bowldcr.
But we quarreled." A long pause.
while Barry lit another cigar from the
old one and pulled it into glowing. 1
kept silence, and after while he went
on: You may think most women are
fiery, but you should try II Spaniard.
! She got the cruel fathcr-a harmless.
/ shIveled-up old fellow-to take her TO
town behind one OF his trotters one
J day. She wanted to buy gown.
which she told him was for some kind
or bale out here. but IL was really
/ to get married in. | had brought her
a sample OF the stuff ! wanted her 10
get, otherwise she'd have appeared in
pink and green and white lace. beyond
a doubt. Her taste was simply null.
"Well. she saw me on the street with
, city girl. | believe it was Nora
/ Clarke-yOu remember herr She WAS
the mercst acquaintance. ms you know,
and / treated her as one does any
woman one happens to meet. We
passed confCctiOncr's and !. naturally
enough. asked her to- have some soda
water don't suppose ia have done IL
II I'd known that Ysadora was around.
simply because ! was aware that she
wouldn't take if as an American fan
Gee would have done. But she was
around. and she thought ! was doing
the deadly devoted. So the next Sat
urday when we were TO have run away,
she met me with reproachcs and tears
and deviltry generally. She wouldn't
listen 10 reason She tore up the new
gown. and refused to- ever marry me or
any other man. and she used some
strong but musical Spanish ] fancy
she was worse Jealous than hurt, but
well. I was completely done up. To
Say that she looked more beautiful than
ever. would Ice 10 put 10 weakly When
saw her disappear for good. over be-
hind that ciump Of eucalyptus. I was
on the verge Of suicide. Pity I stopped
at the verge
"Thc fellow who has since built the
hotel bought this SPOT. that saw our
meeting and our parting. when her old
father died, year or so later
"You came along just as / rs going
over old memories and wishing sup