The times., 1897-03-12

The Opal Skull
ewendolln overton in San FRANCISCO Argonaut
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fell from him. She told him ahoSt her
life.
II was born hier,' she said, "een zat
house. But wen / twelf years am, | to
San Diego go to school, an Zere | English
learn. l speak note much Eenglish now,
for Eat l have only my muzzer an my
bruzzer, who zey speake but Spa anish !;
an Carlos he can Eenglish Speake, but he
like eet note''
WHO is Carlos, sweetheart
''Ile ees my sweetheart, wat TO marry
him am
Where is hep" The young man drew
little away and sat erect
He ees at re mines in Conception He
haf one mine for him, an lie weel he some
time reech. He come to see me re Sunday.
Do YOU note Spanish spcake-talk, sare?''
NO. Just a few words And where is
your brother?''
''lIe 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 were finished, he held her
hands, and in time he put his arm aLout
herand kissedher, and dforgOtallthe maxIms
of wisdom that had ever been taught to
him.
SO they sat-to all purposes alone in the
prairie-she with her black head upon lis
shoulder, he carcssng the soft warm fin
gers.
What is that ring?'' he asked, turning
and toying with the only one she wore
'Eet ees Carlos. He geef eet to me.
Weel you see?'' She drew it off '.Eef
you weel one match light
He struck wax one, and held it to the
ring 1t was an opal set in silver and
carved in the shape Of a skull Lowell
knew enough of stones to understand the
difficulty OF cutting an opal He knew the
skill and patience it must require to shape
il like this one. There was probably not
another like it in the world; Certainly he
had never seen it, if there were In the
Pickering light it cleaned and Sparkled
blue and red and yellow fires, and the
jaws seemed to comfort themselves into
grin.
How wonderful he calculated
Yes" answered Anita
He was seized with wild desire to obtain
it, and he played boldly for it ''DO you
love me, Anita, sweetheart, beautiful"
he whispered, taking her face in his hands
and looking into her eyes
She uttered faint but sincere Yes"
He kissed her again, not once, but many
times. IF you love me. Anita, you should
give me the ring to remember you by-a
keepsake, as we call it
She slipped it into his hand
"Ah! No! Geef eet to met she cried
of sudden.
"Why?"
Carlos, he tell me zat eet ees very-w at
you say?-note nice lucky
Then why did he give it TO you?''
He say eet ees for a man, not for "A
woman; Eat eet ees like zat.''
Il expect Carlos wanted TO keep you from
giving it away
No. He say 2at one man vat keep eet
for fife year, lie die sure
II am not afraid. | would be glad to die
to have your ring for even a year.
No. Geef eet back TO me-
Then you do not IoYe me-" he said, de-
jectedIy. You are like all women; you
are glad to break mans heart.'
NO, no. l lofe you. You can keep eet.
! weeI tell Carlos | loose eet.'
At the moment her mother called to her
from the adobe She threw her plump arms
about the American neck and said a cling
ing goOd-by, as If her heart were sadl '
wrung And for the time being she was in
desperate earnest.
AT daybreak he saw two hOrsemen. both
MeXicans, ride up 10 the house He guessed
that they were the man Manara anG Carlos;
and he hitchcd up the team quickly and
went, in fashion that suggested flight,
taking the ring with him.
Now 1t happenCd-as such things VIII
happen in the new West-thatC Carlos : alera
grew very rich within a few months and
went to live in san Diego with his wife
and thatthcy Were much courted and sought
after, for Valera was generous and we'll
hammered and rot Unlocking, and Sonora
Valera was bewitching, a typa more
than locally famous for her beauty, and
possessed OF charm that is peculiar
to women of her race who have learned
the usagcS 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, Seuora
Valera greeted with lovely ease and grace
a guest whom her husband brought home
with him, Mr.. Richard lovell, of Los
Angeles. But as she greeted him she