The Van Buren press., 1897-03-13
THE OPAL SKULL.

fruitlessness of life there is none like
unto the southern portion of the Colo
rado river. There seems always to be
visible from its banks, if banks they can
he called, some faint blue-gray noun
lain peak off in the distance, beyond the
plain with its rare groups of cotton
woods and its occasional lonely adobe
There was no color anywhere. The
yellow of the sky was only pale glim-
mer over the whitening blue; the green
Of the trees was dulled by the dust and
the evening twilight. There was but
one house in sight, an adobe 400 yards
or less from the river.
In among the willows by the river was
"a small, canvas-eovered wagon. Two
| thin broncos were hobbled near by, and
man was gathering sticks for a fire
lie wondered If it would be worth his
while to make the acquaintance of the
"greasers" who undoubtedly inhabited
it. They might offer him hospitality
for the night; but he had learned by
experience that Mexican hospitality
usually implies dirt, and he disliked
dirt. It was a question in his mind
whether blanket under the wagon
would not be preferable. And while he
debated the fiat board door CT the adobe
opened. and woman came out. She
was slender, therefore she was young
so reasoned the man, who knew Mex
leans. More than that he could not see
After q time she went back into the
house, and he fell to gathering sticks.
When the moon rose, and he, having
finished his supper, was sitting beside
the dying campfire, peacefully smoking
the low willows parted, and the girl OF
the adobe stood near him.
"Ah! l beg your pardon, senior;
knew note zat you wear hier," she cried
starting back.
"It gives me much pleasure to see
you. VIII you not sit here with me ?''
He spread a blanket on the ground
near the bright Goals, and motioned to
her, with a deep bow, to be seated. She
took her place, and he, stretching him
self at her feet, leaning upon one elbow,
offered her a cigarette.
Her name, it transpired very soon,
was Anita-Anita Manara; his, he told
her, was Richard Lowell. They fell a
talking, and he did what was expected
of him-made desperate love instantly;
while she did what he had expected her
to do, responded with only enough re-
serve to keep up the illusion of firta-
ton. Here, in the half tropic south
west, with an unwise child of 16, of an
amorous race, the rather lax code of
honor of Richard Lowell fell from him.
She told him about her life.
81 was born hicr," she said, "een zat
house. But wen twelf years am, to
San Diego go to school, an zere Eeng-
lish learn. / speak note much Eeng-
lish now, for zat have only my muzzer
an my bruzzer, who zey speake but
Spanish; an Carlos he can Eenglish
speal<e, but he like Get note"
"Who is Carlos, sweetheart"
"He ees my sweetheart, wat I to
marry him ann
"Where is hep" The young man drew
u lltllt away ttui sat ClCCt.
"He ees at re mines in Conception. He
hat one mine for him, an he weel be
some time reech. He come to see NE re
Sunday. DO you note Spanish speake-
talk, sare?"
mo. Just few words. And where
is your brother?'
HE ees zis night far away. He weel
tomorrow weeth Carlos come back"
Lowell understood. He resumed grad
ually his posture of alteration. When
the cigarettes we're finished, he held
her bands, and in time he put his arm
about her and kissed her, and forgot all
the maxims of wisdom that had ever
beer taught to him.
What is that ring?' he asked, turn
ing and toying with the only one sne
wore.
"Eet ees Carlos. lie geef eet to me
Weel you see?" She drew it Off. Eel
you weel one match light"
He struck a wax one and held il to the
ring. 1t was an opal set in silver and
carved in the shape of skull. Lowell
knew enough of stones to understand
the difficulty of cutting an opal. He
knew the skill and patience it must re-
qure to shape it like this one. There
was probably not another like it in tb =
world; certainly he had never seen it,
if there were. In the tliekering light il
CLEANED and sparhled blue, and red, and
yellow fires, and the jaws seemed 10
comfort themselves into grin.
How wonderful" he calculated.
YES" answered Anita.
lie was seized with a wild desire to OBJ
tain it, and he played boldly for il. "Do
you love me, Anita. sweetheart, beauti-
ful?" he whispered, taking her face in
his hands and looking into her eyes.
She uttered a faint but sincere Yes y
lie kissed her again, not once, but
many times. "1f YOU love me, Anita
you should give me the ring to remem-
Der you by--a keepsake, as we call it,"
She slipped it into his hand.
"Ahl no. Geef eet TO me-" she cried
Of a sudden.
"Why?"
Carlos, be tell me Eat eet ees very
wat you say?-note nice lucky"
Then why did be give it to you7"
"lIe say Get ees for a man. note for
vyomen. ~ set ees like 2at."
z----