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

Y THE OPAL SKULL.
OF all places to oppress one with the
huitlessness of life there is none like
unto the southern portion of the Colo
RADIO river. There seems always to be
visible from its banks, If banks they can
be called, some faint blue-gray noun
tain peak of 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
lor less from the river.
In among the willows by the river was
q small, canvas-covered wagon. Two
thin broncos were hobbled near by, and
q man was gathering sticks for a fire.
He 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 fat board door of the adobe
opened, and a woman came out. She
was slender, therefore she was young
80 reasoned the man, who knew Mex
leans. More than that he could not see.
After a 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! beg your pardon, senior; I
knew note Eat you wear HER." she cried,
starting back.
"It gives me much pleasure to see
you. Will you not sit here with me?"
He spread 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 cigarette.
4ACA AouliCs ~ tAdiloPilCaI NCAJ ooOLAs
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 flirta-
tion. 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.
"I was born hicr." she said, "een Eat
house. But wen twelf years am, I to
San Diego go to school, an zere Eeng.
lish learn. I speuk note much Eeng'
lish now, for zat have only my muzzea
an my bruzzer, who zey speake but
Spanish; an Carlos he can Eenglish
speake, but he like eet note"
"Who is Carlos, sweetheart"
HE ees my sweetheart, wat I tt
marry him am"
"Where is hep" The young man drew
little away and sat erect.
"He ees at re mines in Conception. HI
hat one mine for him, an he weel b
SOIllc tlluc ICCCA. I1C SOAAAC w SCO &A1N ~
Sunday. Do you note Spanish speake-
talk, sare?"
"No. Just few words. And wher
is your brother?"
HE ees zis night far away. He wee
tomorrow weeth Carlos come back"
Lowell understood. He resumed grad
ually his posture of alteration. Whel
the cigarettes were finished, he hell
her bands, and i'm time he put his arm
about her and kissed her, and forgot al
the maxims of wisdom that had eve
been taught to him.
"What is that ring?" he asked, turn
ing and toying with the only one sh
wore.
"Eet ees Carlos. He geef ,eet to me
Weel you see?" She drew it off. ZEE
you weel one match light"
He struck wax one and held it to tn
ring. 1t was an opal set in silver an
carved in the shape of a skull. Love-
knew enough of stones to understan
the difficulty of cutting an opal. II
!, knew the skill and patience it must II
quire to shape it like this one. Ther
was probably not another like it in th
world; certainly he had never seen i
if there were. In the Pickering light
CLEANED and sparkled blue, and red, an
yellow fires, and the jaws seemed
comfort themselves into grin.
"How wonderful" he ejaculated.
"Yes," answered Anita.
He was seizlA = with wild desire to ol
tain it, and hebplayed boldly for it. ID
you love me. Anita, sweetheart, beaut
ful?" he whispered, taking her face
his hands and looking into her eyes.
She uttered a faint but sincere Eyes
He kissed her again, not once, b'