The record-union., 1896-08-23

COHSlueTdlIOn. her happiness would
have been complete had it not been for
the constant attention which Fernando
Marcio bestowed upc1 her. He laid
seige to her heart from the start, but
to no avail
One day as she sat on the stump of
a tree twining some wild flowers into
a crown, Fernando CHANGED along and
could not but admire the picture she
made as she sat there, unconscious of
those two passionate eyes riveted on
her. He advanced toward her and in a
most friendly way addressed her, in
tending to once more plead his cause
"All alone?" said he
Yes" she replied, smiling, 'but
| GuiSsepi will soon be here
A froWn came over his face, and
green eyed jealousy marked him as her
| own.
'Guissepi?" he repeated, why does
he come so often? You surely don't
! love that black peon''
| But Dolores was not the least dis
comfited by his sarcastic slur at her
lover. and hastened tc reply: 'sAh. but
I do. He is the only one who interests
himself in me since my mother died y
Il Cl tlOuSHt He saw al opening
here and hastened tc take advantage
of it.
Are you sure of that, little one? Oh,
| Dolores, have | not done everything in
my power to make you happy in cur
hcme? l love you and / want to make
ycu my wife. Danish all thoughts of
that peon.''
Dolores started as if pierced by an
arrow. She had never taken his WOO
ing seriously, and it dawned upon her
for the first time that he was in earnest.
She looked him straight in the face
and calmly answered: No; that can
never be. l do not love YOU
The young Spaniard was dumbfound-
ed. He had never considered himself
the rival of the peon. His soft manner
changed like flash, and as she started
tc move toward the house he seized her
by the arm and blurted out: What
you refuse me? You whom / favored.
Are you willing to become the wife of
| that poor, ignorant Indian in prefer
eEce to being the mistress of this estab
lishment?"
AT this juncture Guissepi appeared
and having heard the last few words,
u.
Dolores was at his side, having freed
herself from Fernando.
Yes, I am poor" began Guissepi,
"and ignorant, if you will, but she
loves me and l have promised to marry
her. Is it not equally as strange for
the son of rich planter to marry
reon? Think what your father and
sister Guadalupe would say
Oh them" roared Fernando, and
with a cruel CLINT in his eyes and a
restless twitching of his lips he watched
them. He saw his position and took
advantage of his only chance.
She belongs to US, scoundrel, until
she has worked off her fathers debt
and if you do not release her and quit
these premises you can stand the con-
sequences"
Guissepi offered to take her place and
work out her fathers Indebtedness,
lat it only aggravated his rival more,
SO telling Dolores tha. he would find
way for her to escape and to be cheer
full, he departed.
The next day while at work in the
field he was surprised to see two noun
He saluted them respectfully, but was
soon made aware of their business.
Without any explanations his hands
and feet We're bound and he was carted
off to jail He Immediately understood
that this was the work of Fernando but
hoped that when he was tried he would
be Immediately freed. But such was
not the case. Days passed into weeks
not released Not one word did he
hear of Dolores, and soon overcome with
anxiety and fever his health began to
fail him, and at last he had no strength
to struggle or even hope. How often in
the dim light of his cell had he re-
preached himself for advising her to ac
cept Fernando's offer. What would he
not sacrifice for one moment of the old
times,
One day as he lay in a fever in his cell
he heard the silvery chime of the Cathe
dral bells and inquired of the officer who
brought him his noon meal what the
tolling indicated. oh said he, that
pretty half breed whom young Marcio
made his mistress has died.
Guissepi did not start nor cry out.
He was too weak for that but from that
moment his only thoughts were escape
then revenge. By a superhuman eff
fort he succeeded in cutting his way out
and under cover of the night went to
Fernando Marcio's house where he
bribed one of the Deon servants, who
told him how Dolores had died of
broken heart and had died with his
name on her lips. He also learned that
Fernando Marcio was about to join his
father in San Francisco.
The next day the little town of Leon
was filled with excitement when 1t was
learned that the son of the wealthy
Senior Marcio had been found by the
roadside with a stilleto thrust into his
heart. The officials, when they discov-
cred Guissepi's escape, alone knew the
murderer and sent out men in every di-
rection to scour the country for the
fugitive. But it was needless, for that
very day when Senorita Guadalupe
had visited the grave of Dolores she
found the PROSTATE form of Guissepi
stretched out upon the ground.
D~S