Santa Fe daily New Mexican., 1897-10-04
WON AT LAST.

, useu 10 come ana Vlslt MIN Wnllo nc
worked.
But time goes by for young and old It
seemed but little while till Nellie became
almost a woman, and it was no longer
proper for her to go to .Joe's forge; but,
to be cure, he could go to her.
And now, not to linger by the way, Joe
had learned to love her with the love of
manhood, and she returned his love. They
would have been very happy but for Nell
lies father the old man would have her
look higher than a blacksmith So when
Richard Ross-young, handsome and rich
| came to the cottage the old man smiled
and encouraged him.
This Richard Ross was not worthy of
Nellie. For all his riches, his heart was
merest dross beside the pure gold of Joes.
When he passed the shop, the sturdy smith
brought his hammer down like an angry
| giant, for, you see, this Richard Ross was
stealing his life away.
Yes stealing his life away. Joe's ruddy
| face grew pale; if the torture continued
long, death would be the end You may
judge from this how much he loved her.
Still he went to see her. If he found
Richard Ross there, he left hastily, and
rushing back to the forge, worked like
mad till midnight.
One evening Nellie's father shut the
door in his face with a Il don't want you
coming here any more''
Joe knew how obedient the girl was,
and the words struck him like sword.
The next day he received a note, so sad,
from little Nellie. 1t said she loved him
STILL but he must not come again. Her
! father said so. He commanded her to lis
ten to Richard Ross; she had never dis
obeyed her father yet; she could not do SO
now. "But will plead and pray, dear
Joe, and you must hope.''
But Joe did not hope. He gave her up
He felt angry with her, too, for her obedi-
ence to her father.
Time went on, and the blacksmith grew
paler yet He grew morose, too and un-
like himself, and the village loungers no
longer loved to gather at his forge. The
name of Richard Ross maddened him. !
Once he caught one by the throat for say
ing Richard and Nellie were to be married |
soon.
One day the idiot of the village, "Crazy
Sam, " stood watching Joe. The lad had |
something on his weak mind and nodded |
and shook his head in glee. Then he drew
from his pocket two silver pieces and gazed |
on them with swelling pride Finally he
asked:
"Why don't you cry, Joe Mann9 Why
don't you cry9'
The blacksmith glowered on him from
under frowning brow
I'D cry If l was you, Joe," said the
idiot. "I'd cry if Richard Ross stole my |
GAL"
With sound that was half roar of |
rage and half groan of pain Joe sprang |
upon him, and in an instant had borne |
him to the floor and set his knee upon the
idiots breast
In another moment he might have ,
killed the boy, but that the idiots help
lessness and terror made him pause and
recalled him to himself. A thought struck
him.
"Who told you to say that?" he de-
manded
Richard Ross. He gave me the money
for to say it.'
" The low hound!" shrieked Joe "Heav-
en- have mercy on his soul!'
He released Crazy Sam and went about
his work again quite calmly, but the pal
lor of his face was awful to see.
When evening drew on, he picked up a
long, rusty knife blade and fitted it into
stout handle. Then he stepped to his
grindstone and sharpened and ground the
rusty blade I:
All, but Joe was changed There were
despair and murder in his noble heart
The night fell, and he stood knife in :
hand silently waiting.
Richard Ross leaves hor home at TO-" 7
he muttered, "and goes Oh the lonely road Q
through the woods.
When it came 8, he could wait no Ion
ger, but sped away to his ambush Behind i,
two trees, growing close together, which / /
hid him, he crouched and lis Z
tened.
He had an hour to wait The silence
was awful. No bird sung among the trees,
and the leaves hung lifeless, stirred by no :
breath of wind.
Joe pressed his hand to his forehead and
found it burning hot. He began to be
afraid, he knew not of what, perhaps his
own SOUL He felt his murderous purpose
weakening. He rose and walked about n
The wood and thought about his wrongs. SC
This gave him new resolve, and he return
I'd to his hiding place and crouched again.
But again his terror was renewed, and the
nand which held the knife trembled. The L
village clock struck 10 and at every stroke G
1e shuddered.
He heard footsteps on tho road. Nearer,
1earer, came the man for whom he watt
ID. For moment Joe's mind seemed q
zone. Before his eyes he saw a great sea s!
If blood. From him fell great drops of M
old sweat. Nearer the footsteps came,
dis brain cleared, and he could dimly see =,
nc young mans form few feet from =
nm. He gazed through the trees to the
Ky and saw single star looking down 4
lpon him like the eye of God. With a b,
hriek of fear he flung the knife from him :
nd fled-from murder.
1t was over and blood was not upon his A,
oul q
All that night he lay like one dead upon y,
he floor of his little shop. The morning -
I'm, forcing its way through the dusty :
'indow, foil upon hin t-ere Miserable
8 the man was, it saw no better sight
han this crushed soul say, from crime
But some one brighter than the sunlight
ntered the door. 1t was Ns.lie. She saw
i'm there upon the floor and her blue eyes In
lied with tears. She bent over him and TIii
,uched him gently. Pj
"Joe, dear .Joe!'', she called. L
he sprang to his feot, g. ed on her cold A.
and would have fled, but she restrained
i'm.
Joe, she said, II have hopod-I have
leaded-I have prayed-I have won.
axe me in your arms
Not yet did he understand her, and she
lded:
Father has learned to pity you and me-
1e, and says we may be husband and wife
iohard Ross has gone forever"
So Joe took her In his arms, and all his -
pentance and joy burst forth in flood u
tears. New York News. IL
Two Points of View. u
s(frpat Spott I xr;nh +I,s, u