, 1896-11-30
not to be blamed for his faith. "WouI,

Its not late. It's only half-past -
1t wCuld be too bad of you to go Jus
when we begin to get a chance to set
lie down for a nice. coy talk"
Carlos persisted covly. "Bu- ,ou wee
w5eSh to sleep"
Very well" Miss Vaudeville shrug
g'd her shoulders. then you had bet,
Ter go. Ines may get angry if you stay
II you like her more than YOU dc
ME.
Carlos denied this in words that
We're neither kind nor just to Ines; bu,
Betty damned her with faint praise,
She was not a clever conversational
81. nor WIS Carlos Franquelo. but they
kept each other interested until very
late, and when Carlos went home. Ber-
y stepped out to The front porch with
HIM and put her hand in his. with the
least bit Of a pressure.
Can KEGS you?" Carlos asked
boldly.
Il suppose so-brcause we're cousins.
y1u knew" Betty assured him. as she
raised her innocent face to his hand.
tC.ne Mexican one.
He whispered. Il lofe you. oh, | lofe
ylI. You are beautiful. beautiful" and
" Iy laughed a little, and told him he
MS silly. when they had only known
~ n other for two days.
NCw, with Betty's beauty and other
ItiractivsnesS. it was natural that she
,E2uld have a great deal of attention
fl I'M the bachelors. but Carlos's deyo.
ion was SO marked that they drew off
,le by one. leaving the field pretty
nI n to him. They resented Bettv's
permitting the young Mexican to fol-
'ow her about necessarily. even though
lie were a second cousin. As for the
s.rl. until it was too late she did not
see the harm she was doing. Then all
he officers had deserted her and there
WIS only Carlos. Well. Carlos was
handsome and good enough game. so
she led him on
It was not her fault. surely, that she
ilin't know the ways OF Mexican low,
ars. She had told plenty of other men
hat she loved them. and nothing had
happened. But one night she told this
o Carlos at his Urgent request. and the
next day. at about stables" as she
was swinging lazily in the hammock
on the porch, she saw three buggies,
containing two men each. coming up
he line. In the first sat Carlos and his
'.other. in the other, rcmoter male rel
atives.
Betty guessed the truth at once, and
her pink checks turned white. She ran
into the house, and screamed loudly
for her uncle.
'.Oh. Uncle Nat" she begged, when
she found him in his room, Carlos,
and Jose, and all his nasty old relatives
are coming here. Send them away,
won't YOU? Please do" She chung to
his arm.
"Whv shall | send them away? Are
they going to murder the poor little
g;rl?"
No, no, no. But think they're go
ing to ask you to let me marry Them
"All of Them
Betty lost her temper and flew into
a white rage. stop your fool joking,
and do what | say. You tell them Pm
sick. and tell that - Carlos chat
hate him." She ran and hid just as the
bell changed.
Carlos found the captain, and made
his demand in due form. The young
lady's father not being there. he felt
that her uncle could take the place of a
parent. He wished to ask the hand of
his beautiful niece. knowing that she
herself was willing to bestow it.
How do you know that?" the cap
tain asked.
She tell me So"
..When?"
Las night. She tell me dat she lofed
me, so today | come for to ask her from
vou."
Are yoil sure she said she loved you,
F]ranouelo?"
..Oh! viss, sartinly. She KEGS me,
also"
The cantain left the room and went
IN find his niece. elizabeth. that fel.
low savs that YOU told him o loved
him Did you?"
..rbao old foo,,