Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1897-10-15

Pretty Ninette skipped daintily along
the shore, her bright curls tossing with
the breeze and the gayly colored kerchief,
which should have confined them, swing
ing in her hand.
She entered the studio with eyes shining
like stars, the soft color coming and going
in her cheeks, the dewy lips, arched like
Cupid's bow, tremulous with excitement,
and it was no wonder that his artist soul
reveled in her beauty. When the day
work was over, he called her to him and
showed her the picture, which was ap-
preaching completion.
"We shall soon have it done, my dear,
and then we will send it away to the big
city, where there will be none so beautiful
as my little fisher girl. Only few more
days and our work is over"
He drew her close to him and pressed a
kiss on her innocent lips, which to him
was but an expression of thankfulness to
the child who had helped him to win the
fame he felt sure was within his grasp,
but to her it was the awakening of soul,
and he, northerner that he was, did not
understand how soon womanhood with all
it's joys and sorrows comes to maidens I'M
der southern sun.
She silently left the room and thought
fully pursued her way to her home. Her
few simple duties over she crept to her
bed, still with this new secret warming
her heart and opening out new vista of
happiness in her life
Mother she had none. Her father, a
rough, uncouth fisherman, was seldom at
home except to sleep off some drunken
orgy 1t was strange that so lovely a
flower could have sprung from such a
parent, but it was said that the mother
had been of gentle birth, had married the
handsome, rollicking daredevil and bro
ken her heart when she came to realize his
utter worthlessness.
Some time in the night Ninette was
awakened from deep sleep by hearing
voices outside the hut, and soon distin-
guished her fathers and those of some of
his cronies. AS she listened she grew cold
as with sudden chill as she heard them
plan to waylay and rob some one, and she
held her breath to catch the name. All,
heaven, could it be that she heard Alright
"The picture fellow" they said. che has
plenty of money and jewels worth tax
ing" She must save him, he who had
caressed her SO fondly, her dear friend, for
even to herself she scarcely dared call him
by any fonder name yet. She would listen
to all their plans and perhaps she could
warn him.
"He will be coming home along the cliff
road from the chateau that holds his sweet
heart" said her fathers voice. "They will
think he fell over, he added, with fiend-
ish chuckle.
"Hist," said another, the girl may
wake"
She could hear no more, for they moved
away, but the iron had entered her soul,
and jealousy had made "a woman of the
girl of yesterday cover the cliff to see
his sweetheart" Then she could never be
anything to him. She was only child to
amuse him. Then all her passionate ma
ture rose in revolt. No one else should
have his love, she thought. They might
throw him from the cliff. She would have
the remembrance of that kiss of yesterday.
She covered her head in the bedclothes
and shivered and wept until morning.
Then with the bright sun came better
thoughts, and she remembered the grand
picture that was to go out into the world,
she must save him or it4worLF, not be
finished. She would go along the cliff
,oad az evening and warn him of his dan
ger. So, alternating between love and
jealousy, she spent all the day, and when
The sun sank to rest behind the hills she
was on her way over the rocks and up on to
he cliff, where she could hide herself and
watch for his approach.
1t grew dark and the moon was hidden
l.:, III ,@, |
up. Still she did not stir. The thunder
rolled and lightning lit up the heavens
wi tn fitful flashes. Perhaps he would not
,eturn tonight and she prayed he might
not, although 1t was agony to picture to
herself the lady at the chateau pleading
with him not to go out into the night.
Hark, that was his voice surely singing
softly to himself, and in one of the flashes
she saw coming from the chateau road the
'orm of him she loved. In one swift mo-
nent she exulted that he had left his lady
IN spite of pleading, but the feeling was
brief, for from the other direction she
heard voices and realized that the evil deed
planned in darkness the night before
would be executed unless she could pre-
vent it. Nearer and nearer they come I'M
ill they are almost opposite her hiding
place.
Holy mother, what can she do? There is
no time to warn him, as he comes jauntily
On to his doom, and she sees like "a flash
MS mangled form on the rocks below to be
washed out with the cruel waves in the
Then the picture rises before
ner in all its divine beauty, her brain is
bursting with excitement. Unknowingly
she PUSHES out of her concealment, and
5he ruffians, seeing the form in the dark
ness, think their victim is in their power.
In her frenzy she has gone too far. One
'alse step and she falls over the cliff. A
lightning flash lit up the sky and there
was one shrek as of lost soul as she went
over the edge. The men turn and flee for
dear life thinking in their superstitious
fear that evil spirits are pursuing them.
In an instant all was over, and unable to
End the cause of the disturbance, the art
list kept on his way home.
The next morning the village rang with
for the frightened men had
confessed all, and the body of the girl was
'ound in the surf.
The maiden had sacrificed her life for
her friend, and although he never realized
that his thoughtless kiss had cost her her
life, he undertook the simple burial and
placed white cross at her head, and he
md his beautiful wife make yearly pill
grimages to the little grave of her who
gave her life for his.-Boston Herald.
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The Chilkat Indian, Packard