The record-union., 1897-10-31

handled sword, held it like this, and
planted himself in front of the bull. He
looked IL in the eye, laughed in its nos
trils, and then, with a swift, forward
thrust, a great mass want boum, BAN,
and the bull fell. Araquil, laughing,
turned to the matad0res and said: You
see, you others, it was not difficult"
But this was not all. These men were
furious with rage when they heard the
braves for the feat and the Kisses for
themselves. They surrounded him TO
demand an accounting for his audaclty.
Araquil looked at this circle of enraged
matadores, and then with sudden I'M
pulse leaped over the head OF the man
in front of him and regained the spec
tators level. That evening he ana one
of these men fought behind the circus
with knives, and Juan fell with Wea-
pom in his breast. He was in bed h1teeh
days and was then ready to kill anothef
bull and a matadore with him, II neceS-
sary. He had some remedies for wounds
for he did a little of everything and ire
quented the houses of people who mace
pomades and drugs from mountain
herbs. He had made for himself an es-
sence from some wicked plant, aconlte
or know not what, that he wore IN a
ring on his finger. He said that man
ought to be master of his life, able 10
finish it when ne would "A knife might
be taken away from you, but ring,
no." and with a gesture OF the hahu 10
his lips, zone is free" He was man.
this Araquil. One day this handsome
youth of twenty-five, who had been
loved without loving anybody, encouh-
tered in village dance in Loyola, on
Easter Monday, young girl, Whom ne
invited like the others to be his part
ner. 1t was Pepa Chegaray.
A waltz and a guitar turn the heau ol
the young in my opinion. Neither Juan
nor Pepa could forget this meeting III
the open air, the music accompanied oy
smiles and the song more Intoxicating
than cider.
Since this Easter Monday, Juan Ara
ouil. ordinarily so gay, had become saw
age. very gloomy, speaking seldom ana
Father Chegaray down there smiled no
longer. 1t was this devil of love which
was passing that way.
Yes. it was love, complete, absolute,
and as rapid as clap of thunder.
There is love like that. She dreamed
MN, ne VI lO OAA~
He was as sad as a. garden without
flowers; love made him surly
Why? Because he hadn't a sou IN ms
pocket and Pepa was rich, and above
all because that castiron Father IL
bursio had said his daughter should
never marry a man who had no for
tune except his tennis racquet.
But" said AraqUil, at last, to Father
Chegaray, "Pepa loves me; she has
told mo So"
"she has told me so, also," said the
father.
II adore her. I am madly in love.
I will kill myself if you do not give
her. to me. What must 1 do to ha& e
her for my wife,"
'"That which 1 have done myself" 3"
said the farmer. Work, and bring to
the home something to support the
children. I have not struggled all my
life to throw my money and my daugh-
ter away on an idle fellow. When you
can say to me that you have amassed
a little fortune, and that you can fur
nish your part of the bread and salt
you can have Pepa, since she loves
you"
sary-how much?" asked Juan.
1.-TWO thousand douros."
This would be ten thousand francs of
our money.
1.-TWO thousand douros?" said Ara
quill, very white. Where can it be
found?'
Il found it in the earth. Search" re-
sponded the farmer.
Tiburcio was not one who, having
spoken, goes back ON his word. No;
Araquil had not killed himself, as he
had threatened the old man, nor had he
dug to amass that sum. Pepa, brave
girl, did not disobey her father, but,
very much in love with the handsome
fellow. resigned herself to wait until
Juan gained the exacted dot.
Only in their meetings and conversa-
tions before the old man, she did not
conceal from Araquil that she had for
him those sentiments which unite two
beings to the last sacrament. And she
had sworn to him, sworn to him on the
prayer book of her dead mother, that
she would never belong to another if
not to him.
Such a pledge, given by a creature as
beautiful as a star in heaven, ought TO
have given heart to the audacious.
Juan said to himself: VERY We'll 1 will
have the 1000 douros. 1 don't know
how I will get them, but will have
themi"
While he rolled this project in his
brain, this is how he worked. He
played against the champion of Tolosa
at tennis, and lost by one point. The
stakes were large What a commence
ment of fortune lost by one point, by
one point! He tore his hair and beat
his brow in his wild rage
He had to have these 10000 douros,
and he repeated to himself what Pepa
had said to him: Life with you or
with no one, Araquil but I viii obey
my father living, and dead 1 will re-
spect his wishes"
Poor Juan had begun to think of go
ing far away. He had been told that
on the Plata in South America, some
of the Basques who had gone there had
made fortune Yes, Monsieur, it ap-
pears that the tennis players of our
country in Buenos Ayres could pick up
handfuls of pesetas. That pretty house
you see ON the right on the return to
Saint Sebastian belongs to a young
man from Hermann who thus made a
little fortune in the new Southern
world. If the idea of not meeting
Pepa. of no longer seeing her at a dis
tance, at mass, vespers or a bull-fight.
or even at the window as he passed the
farm, had not determined him he would
certainly have gone away. Yes, a a
trapper, gold seeker, or an adventurer
he would have searched something to
do, for since the old man had said
Search" it was better to do that than
to stay.