The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1898-02-24

man you cared for to your own home
upon the payment of certain sum or
money. OF course, 1t was different
from their own country, where one
must go before the registro and the
padre and sign many papers, thereby
causing much trouble and many ex-
penses. OF verify, it was of no i'm
portance.
Dolores loved the white senor."
When Indian and Spanish women love,
they do it with heart, soul, and body,
and it is possible that she might have
gone to Savitz, even without the assur-
ance from Tio Joaquin that it was
marriage in verify" Quien sabe,
however: Dolores was good girl, and
said her prayers every night and every
morning.
Men are, after all, not wholly without
heart and conscience-even to some Of
them memory remain. for feeble prick
ing. now and then. In the long after
years, the recollection of this one year
in the little Mexican mining camp
when Dolores was with him was the
one thing that marred the peace and
content of Savitz's life.
Like many Mexican-Spanish-In
girls, Dolores was strange and most
sweet miXture-without doubt, a baby
in mind. Innocent, trusting, the
thought of the outside world, other
| men, other women, other things, came
never to her. Savitz was her idol, the
one thing in life. To make him COM
Portable and happy, with the house al
ways clean and sweet, perfumed with
the flowers cf San Juan" and the hun
dreds of big purple violets that swarm-
ed all over the garden; to be always
at his beck ard call. for him alone. was
to her life, With all the passion of the
Spaniard and the steadfastness of the
Indian, she loved this man. To think
of his death was the one trouble and
sadness of her life; in her girdle she
wore tiny dagger always To Savitz
she never explained. But long ago she
had resolved that when he died. if it
was before her, this dagger would help
her soon to join him, the light of her
soul"
For Savitz 1t was at first an amuse-
ment and source of some comfort, for
Dolores was sweet and faithful, and she
worshipped him with heart and soul,
which ct first he liked. Later it bored
him, and he began to tire of velvety
black eyes. and Castiiian love-songs,
and black hair with red roses in it.
And day by day longings grew strong
er in him fer the fair sweet face, and
the gray English eyes, andAthe woman
who could understand. doll, a play
Thing. was good for a time, but for
ones life companion one needs a wo-
nan. So that when letter came from
| iha inin
Company, Limited, one day, with news
Of the lorg-expected rise" Savitz first
kissed the picture of his English sweet
heart and then thanked God, and then
began TO prepare for hasty trip home
10 get his bride-the directors permit
ted it.
AS for Dolores, understanding that
her lord was going away to his TERRA
for three years, but would surely re-
turn to her after that, she could only
be brave ard helpful, with her own
tiny, trembling hands packing his
clothes, and forcing herself to smile
now and then. Her querido must not
see her triste, it would grieve him.
She must hold up until he had gone;
after that, she could cry her soul out,
be would not know.
She was to go home to the coast, said
Savitz, and live there, where he would
come for her afterward. Tio Joaquin,
no! For the tito was a drunken man
and beast, and Dolores must not even
see him! No, she must be good and
brave and comfort to him, as she al
Ways had been, and go back to the coast
| home. And here was money-it was
enough for her whole lifetime.
The leavetaking was over; Savitz
galloped off down the trail, with the
kisses of one woman fresh on his face,
TO marry and bring back in her place
.he woman from over the seas.
Dolores watched until his form could
| 40 longer be seen; then she barred her
self into the bedroom, and knelt there
,or hours. alone, praying to the Virgin.
Sut there are times when the Virgin
doesn't help! Dolores didn't know it,
however. That came afternoon she de-
parted for the coast home.
Twice had the snow-tree blocmed out
in spotless white, and twice had the
time of the violets come and gone, af-
ter the departure of Dolores. The cas-
ita where the Indian girl had once
| been mistress was now covered with
vines and lovely English creepers that
grew and tlourished in the sweet noun
tain air, when, one warm, perfect,
moonlight night, slender figure, wrap
ped in rebozo and tapalo, toiled slowly
and wearily along the trail. A por-
tero's house had been built, some time
before, at the hacienda wall, and to
get in, you had first to arouse and
sneak to the portero, who was an In
dian.
He knew the woman, Dolores. And
while he vaguely answered her ques-
tions and heard her sob out that no
matter If "her lord" was far over the
seas, she must at least see his house
and the place where he used to sit and
his hammock in which she had often
swung him, the man was wondering in
what manner he could break it to her.
Pues, 1t was an ugly thing! And des-
perate, he begged her to come quietly
after him and his first peep through