The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1897-02-19
THE OPAL SKULL.

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-covered wagon. Two
thin broncos were hobbled near by, and
a man was gathering sticks for 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. 1t 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 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 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! I beg your pardon, senior;
knew note Eat you wear HER." she cried,
starting back.
sit gives me much pleasure to SEE
you. Will you not sit here with me?"
He spread a blanket on the ground
near the bright Goals, and motioned tc
her, with deep bow, to be seated. Sht
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 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.
81 was born hicr," she said, "een Eat
house. But wen twelf years am, to
San Diego go to school, an zere 1 Eeng-
lish learn. 1 speak note much Eeng-
lish now, for Eat have only my muzze1
an my bruzzer, who zey speake but
SPANISH; an Carlos he can Eenglisb
speake, but he like eet note"
'Who is Carlos, sweetheart?"
HE ees my sweetheart, wat / to
marry him am"
'Where is hep" The young man drew
a little away and sat erect.
"He ees at re mines in Conception. He
hat one mine for him, an he weel be
some time reech He come to see me re
Sunday. Do you note Spanish speake-
talk, sare?"
mo. just a 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 i'm time he put his arm
about her and kissed her, and forgot all
the maXims of wisdom that had ever
been taught to him.
"What is that ring?" he asked, turn.
ing and toying with the only one she
wore.
"Eet ees Carlos. He geef eet to me.
Weel you see?" She drew it Off "Eet
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 re-
quire to shape it like this one. There
was probably not another like it in the
world; certainly be had never seen it,
if there were. In the Pickering light it
cleaned and sparkled blue, and red, and
y
comfort themselves into grin.
SLOW wonderful" he calculated.
YES" answered Anita.
He was seized with wild desire to OBJ
tain it, and he played boldly for it. do
you love me, Anita, sweetheart, beauti-
ful?" 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 remem-
Der you by-a keepsake, as we call it,
She slipped it into his hand.
"Ah! no. Geef eet to me-" she cried
of sudden.
"Why?"
Carlos, he tell me Eat eet ees very
wat you say?-note nice lucky"
"Then why did he give it to you?"
HE say eet ees for man, note for
a woman, Eat eet ees like zat."
81 expect Carlos wanted to keep you
from giving it away"
mo. He say Eat one man wat keer
Get for fife years. he die sure"
II am not afraid. would be glad to
die to have your ring for even year."
mo. Geef eet back to me-"
'Then you do not love me-" he said,
3ejectedly. "You are like all women,
you are glad to break mans heart"
mo, no. lofe you. You can keep
eet. Iweel tell Carlos loose eet."
At the moment her mother called to