The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1896-05-29

PlduCl1p dU OOnSuclOS . DOWcT, UuU 1Or
the accounting of tastes there is none.
What will you? The meat of the one
man shall envenom the meat of the
other. But Gn a whisper to me), "as
to thees horse, thees Chu Chu, which
have just pass-why is she undress?
| Surely you would not make an exposi-
ton of her to the traveller to suspect!
And if not, why SOP"
tried to explain, looking at Con-
suelo, that Chu Chu had run away, that
| Consuelo had met with terrible acci-
dent, had been thrown, and feared
had suffered serious internal injury.
But to my embarrassment Consuelo
maintained half-scornful silence and
an inconsistent freshness of heathful
indifference, as Enriquez approached
her with an engaging smile. ''Ah yes,
she have the headache, and the molli-
grubs. She will sit on the damp stone
when the gentle dew is falling. l COM
| prehend Meet me in the lane when
the clock strike niner But" in a low
er voice, "of the undress horse 1 COM
prehend nothing! Look you, it is sad
and strange"
| He went off to fetch Chu Chu, leaving
me and Consuelo alone. do not think
1 ever felt so utterly abject and bewil-
dered before in my life. Without
knowing why, was miserably con-
scious of having in some way offended
the girl for whom l believed I would
have given my life, and had made her
and myself ridiculous in the eyes of her
brother. l had again failed in my
slower western nature to understand
her high romantic Spanish soul! Mean
| time she was smoothing out her riding
habit and looking as fresh and pretty
| as when she first left her house.
"Consita," l said, hesitatingly, "you
are not angry with me?"
"Angry?" she repeated, haughtily,
without looking at me. "Oh mol OF a
possibility eet is Mees Essmith who is
angry that have interroopt her tete-
a-tete with you, and have send here
my brother to make the same with me" :"
'But," said eagerly, ."Miss Smith
does not even know Enriquez."
Consuelo turned upon me glance Of
unutterable significance. "Ah!" she
said, darklY. you think"
| Indeed | knew But here | believed
understood Consuelo and was re-
lieved. even ventured to say gently:
"And you are better?"
She drew herself up to her full
height, which was not much. ''Of nv
health-what is it? A nothing. Yest
Of my soul-let US not speak"
Nevertheless when Enriquez ap-
peared with Chu Chu she ran towards
her with outstretched arms. Chu Chu
protruded about six inches of upper
lip in response, apparently under an
impression which could quite under
stand, that her mistress was edible.
And, may have been mistaken, but
their beautiful eyes met in an absolute
and distinct glance of intelligence.
During the home journey Consuelo
recovered her spirits and parted from
me with magnanimous and forgiving
pressure of the hand. l do not know
what explanation of Chu Chu's original
escapade was given to Enriquez and
the rest of the family; the inscrutable
forgiveness extended to me by Con-
suelo, precluded any further inquiry
on my part. / was willing to leave 1t a
secret between her and Chu Chu. But,
strange to say, it seemed to complete
our own understanding, and precipi-
tated, not only our love-making, but
the final catastrophe which eliminated
that romance. For we had resolved to
elope. / do not know that this heroic
remedy was absolutely necessary from
the attitude of either Consuelo's family
or my own; am inclined to think we
preferred it, because it involved no
previous explanation or advice. Need
say that our confident and firm ally
was Consuelo's brother - the alert,
linguistic, the ever-happy ever-ready
Enriquez! 1t was understood that his
presence would not only give a certain
mature responsibility to our perform
ance-but I do not think we would
have contemplated this step without
it. During one of our riding excursions
we were to secure the services of a
Methodist minister in the adjoining
county, and later that of the Mission
Padre-when the secret was out. 81
will gif her away" said Enriquez con-
fidently, lit will on the instant pro-
pitiate the old shadbelly who shall per-
form the affair, and withhold his jaw.
A little chin music from your onkle
AIRY shall finish it! Remain tranquil
and forget not ring! One does not al
ways in the agony and dissatisfac tion
of the moment, a ring remember. /
shall bring two in the pocket of my
dress"
If did not entirely participate in
this Foseate view it may have been be-
cause Enriquez, although few years
my senior, was much younger looking,
and with his demure deviltry of eye
and his upper lip-close shaven for this
occasion-he suggested depraved ac-
olyte rather than a responsible men,
ber of a family. Consuelo had also
confded to me that her father-possi-
bly, owing to some rumors of our pre-
vious escapade-had forbidden any fur
ther excursions with me alone. The
innocent man did not know that Chu
Chu had forbidden it also, and that
even on this momentous OCCASION both
Enriquez and myself were obliged to
ride in opposite fields like outhankers.
But we nevertheless felt the full guilt
of disobedience added to our desper-
ate enterprise. Meanwhile, although
pressed for time and subject to dis
covery at any moment, managed at
certain points of the road to dismount
and walk beside Chu Chu, who did not
seem to recognize me on foot, holding
Consuelo's hand in my own, with the
discreet Enriquez leading my horse in
the distant field. retain a very
nf fhaf ruo1lr tho