The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1897-03-25

eet for Afe years, he die sure"
II am not afraid Iwould be glad to
die to have your ring for even q year."
"No. Geef eet back to me-"
"Then you do not love me-" he said,
"You are like ell women,
you are glad to break q mans heart"
mo, no. lofe you. You can keep
eet. Iweel tell Carlos loose eet."
At the moment her mother called to
her from the adobe. She threw her
plump arms about the Americans neck
and said clinging good-by, as If her
heart were sadly wrung. And for the :,
time being she was in desperate earn-
est |
At daybreak he saw two borsemen,
both Mexicans, ride up to the house. |
He guessed that they were the men !
Manara and Carlos; and he hitched UP
the team quickly and went, in fash
ion that suggested fight, taking the ring
with him.
Now it happened-as such things will
happen in the new west-that Carlos
Valera grew very rich within a few
months and went to live in San Diego
with his wife, and that they were much
courted and sought after, for Valera was
generous and well-mannered and not
ill-looking, and Sonora Valera was be.
witching, type, more than locally fa-
nous for her beauty, and possessed OF
charm that is peculiar to women OF her
race who have learned the usages OF
the world. They kept open house, in
the grand way of the wealthy Spanish
Americans of not so long ago. Never
a day passed that more than one total
stranger was not entertained. Thus it
came about that, upon spring evening
some years after her marriage,
Sonora Valera greeted with lovely ease
and grace guest whom her husband
brought home with him, Mr.. Richard
Lowell, of Los Angeles. Butas she greet
ed him she glanced down at his hands
and saw that he wore the opal skull.
She turned to her husband and said in
English that was perfect now, though
made dainty by slight lisp: Carlos,
dear, will you see if left my opal-and-
diamond pin on my dressing standf
I think took it out to wear, and for
got it. 1 don't want it to get lost like
that other opal you gave me before we
were married. I'm afraid they are really
unlucky stones; don't you think SO, Mr..
Lowell? Would you mind going for
it, Carlos?"
Valera left the room.
"Mr. Lowell, take off that ring while
you are here" she said, calmly.
"I have never taken it off. And I'm
sorry that can't do so now."
| Vo1o ~ ho xUiIl hQ ant
to kill you as not. He is very jealous" !"
II fancy he has good reason"
"Kindly keep your opinions where
such unpleasant ones properly belong
in your own consciousness. You
will be wise to do as say, and to be
quick. Do you know that the five years
is up tonight"
II doubt that sort of sups rstition. AS
told you before, I'm not afraid. Per-
haps you are, though? It is natural
you should be. will tell you what I
will do. I'll take the ring and put it in
my pocket"-he slipped it off and held
it between his thumb and finger-"if
you will kiss me again as you did on
that night"
II will not. You would have forgot
ten that Stiffness of mine by now, If
you had been fortunate enough to be
gentleman"
"Never!-not all those caresses and
protestations. Come, kiss me again,
and I'll hide the ring"
"No. Mr.. Valera will finish hunting
for pin that isn't there in a moment
more, and if he comes back 1t may GO
i'll with you-it certainly will If he sees
the ring"
"Then kiss me-"
II will not. Be quick. hear him
coming. Quick!"
"Kiss me. You'd better, for YOUR OWL
sake"
"No."
"Then don't"
, "Oh! hide that ring-do, for me-"
"Kiss me-"
swell, kiss me, then"
. He put his hands on her shoulders
and bent his head. He did not SCI
| Valera step into the French window
but he knew that the woman pullet
away from him with loud "How dar'
, you!" and a scream: "Carlos, Carlos
l help mel"
, And then he felt something sharl
| driven deep between the shoulders, ant
r as he fell backward Sonora Valer
grasped at the ring and caught it from
: his hand. She put her own hand t.
e her throat in the accepted fashion o
the conventional faint, and as she di'
}. so, dropped the jewel into the bosom o
t her gown. Then she lost conscious
ness.
e The story she told her husband wa
4 one of unprovoked impertinence on tn
| part Of an utter stranger, man sh
d had never seen before, and the story h
e told the world was much the same, bu
= slightly embellished. 1t was not plaus
e ible, yet it passed. It excused the muI