The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1897-06-26
A DESIGNING DULCINEA.

Manuel Terrene sat in his office, over
looking the plaza, in an unamiable
frame Of mind. His cigarette burned
slowly toward the inclosing fingers as
he thought bitterly of the little sign on
the door, with 'llcenoiado" following
his name. He had come to San Marco
six months before, hopeful and with
a little money. His three remaining
dollars ratified DULY against each other,
emphasizing his lack of clients.
The alcalde, influenced at first by
letter commencing Manuel to his favor
able notice, had thrown some business
in his way; an invitation to dinner had
followed. Fortune seemed about to
smile, when the inevitable woman put
in an appearance. Julia, the alcalde's
daughter,saw fit to approve of Manuels
personal appearance, and made up her
mind, with that celebrity and thorough
ness which thirty years of maidenhood
give, that only In him were united those
qualities necessary to make her happy
for life. 1t soon became apparent to
him, and later to others, that he had
but to say the word in order to obtain
O. wife whose full tale of years was
carefully concealed by a deft use OF
powder and good Judgment In placing
the lights, but who possessed a revenue
producing hacienda in her own name.
Again, what more delightfully."- easy way
Of building up legal practice could be
| imagined than to become son-in-laW
| to the chief judge of the district?
| At this stage the matter might have
| been accommodated. Unfortunately, a
second woman must needs endorse
Julias good taste in her approval of
Manuel by falling in love with him
openly and with violence. This In it
self was not necessarily complication.
The palpable error in the affair was
that Manuel reciprocated her passion,
nor was he less open in acknowledge
ing in words what she confessed by her
bushes Now, Anita's father was ad-
ministrator of Julia's hacienda. To
prefer to the owner of the place the
| daughter of one whom she chose to
consider servant was certainly turn
ing the knife in the wound. Hesitation
was no part of Julia's character, so she
promptly rode out and interviewed
with terrifying force the trembling An
| tia, but gained only an avoWal OF con-
stancy to the doubly blessed Manuel,
| Returning, she found Manuel just
closing consultation with the alcalde,
and at sight of him her calmness was
not restored The fathers confidence
in his daughters discretion had never
been Jared in their thirty years of
companionship, hence he felt safe in
| la ha +noptbpr in rpSnOnS1 70
nod from her. OF what passed in the
brief ten minutes Manuel never had a
clear remembrance, but he walked
down the street in confused state OF
mind, one idea overshadowing the rest,
| that of gratitude sat having escaped
with his life.
To leave San Marco and, worse yet,
Anita, was evidently the proper step.
He resolved to begin packing at once,
when he was handed a letter from the
| alcalde which asked him to come to
the palacio at his earliest convenience.
A dozen ideas filed his mind as he
presented himself to the Judge and
said he had found it convenient to an
swer His Honor's summons at once.
The Judge smiled benignantly, and
wound up a series of neat compliments
by handing over to him the defence
of woman who had poisoned her
lover and whose trail was set for the
next day. Then the truth dawned on
him that he had been commissioned
to defend a case which admitted of no
defence solely to make his present un-
pleasant position less bearable, His
curiosity had taken him to the pre-
liminary examination, and he saw no
point upon which to hang even extern
uation Of the crime. He interviewed
the woman in the Jail, but could get
no help from her. She was not
guilty, though she could offer nothing
in support of the fact. She loved her
husband; he was her husband though
no priest had Joined them; then why
should she wish him harm? She had
nothing more to live for, and would
gladly join her husband
The trial next day. torture for Man
uel. He tried to get the woman to plead
guilty, but she refused. The public
prosecutor brought out the stories OF
the several witnesses concisely, and she
was sentenced to suffer the death pen
atty. She had purchased a packet OF
strychnine from the druggist, who had
put it up in a red paper tied with a
blue string. Only a small part of the
amount sold by the druggist had been
used. The remainder had disappeared
The woman made no denial Of any OF
the story, and heard her sentence with
inattentive ears. The only clew to fight
on that Manuel could grasp was the
one thin wisp of fact that the package
containing the poison could not be
found. He set to work on this, and or
the eve of the day of execution he not
only learned that the woman's little
son had stolen the bright-coloreC
package, but found the package itself
where the child, under the impression
that it contained sugar, had carefully
tucked it away in the kitchen between
two adobes, the paper slightly torn anC
part of the powder gone.
1t still lacked a couple of hours Of
daylight, giving ample time to call or
the Judge and get a postponement Of
the execution. With such evidence, hi
was sure no difficulty would be en-
countered. Walking rapidly, his spirits
rose as he fancied himself telling the
lstory in court and, with true dramatic
instinct bringing forward the youth.