Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1898-03-02
4 MATADOR' LOVE.

Tomorrow the fiesta of San Pablo and
San Pedro is to be the occasion of a spe-
cially fine bullfight, in the BucareH Plaza
de Toros, for the benefit of the popular
matador, Ell Joven de BarcelOna-other
wise Jose de Garcia.
For considerably more than week
Jose has been borrowing money from
each ard every one of his friends-such
of them as have money, that is-for the
purpose of getting up 4 more than usually
elaborate costume. After much thought,
he had decided on violet. gold and silver
rs being best suited to his rather light
complexion and hair Now the costume
use, save for a few finishing touches.
These Anita will attend to for him per-
hapS, # she happens to be in good hui
NOR. But Anita, rs Jose reflected with
4 sigh, was somewhat dehcti-she did
nothing whatever without bride or pay.
How different from Carmen-poor little
Carmencita! Now, had it so pleased
him. Carmen would have fattened her
pretty body in the mud for him to trample
on And of a verify, he had trampled on
her. Bullfghters do not know remOrSe
as 4 usual thing, but Jose came very near
feeling it, as he sat staring at his beautl-
full costume and thinking of Carmen.
How badly he had treated her from the
first. Then she had been the sweet, shy
novia of his friend Enrique, the picador.
Then they We're fighting in one of the
Basque provinces, where there were many
pretty girls, of whom Carmen, though
very shy and cold was the prettiest of
ALL
Jose's lips curved scornfully when he
remembered how Enrique had loved her.
"Caram ba-the fool, so to love a woman.
[ did well, yes, to give him the dag
ger.
Jose had "given him the dagger" one
beautiful fiesta night. after the corrida
de toros, when the blood of both men
was heated and coursing quickly after
many copitas of the fiery red Basque
wine. On account of Carmen, Of course.
How it happened:
Fired b. Garments Indifference, per-
haps also by the fact that she was the
sweetheart of his friend, Jose had been
making love to her with all his might
and main, meeting in response indiffer-
ence and disdain So that, his fiery
Basque blood fully up, Jose swore thai
she should love him and that he would
take her away from Enrique, even
though he persisted in the inferno for it.
To pay her out for her GOODNESS to him,
the most popular matador in Spain, he
would make her love him, even as WOm-
en- had done before now, and Enrique
would drop her. Then he, too, would
sc0rn and leave her. And serve her
right. That any woman should dare
treat him, Jose de Garcia, with indiffer-
ence.
Il was not difficult to arouse Enrique
suspicion. A few red roses, a crimson
pamela. gold ring, first openly dis
played by Jose among his cantina friends
and then left anonymously at Carmen s
house, did the work.
Poor Carmen never knew. She was
working industriously. day after day,
sewing and embroidering on what she
thought would be her wedding garments.
For Enrique had asked her father, and
her father had said Yes" And the mar
riage was to take place before the mata-
doris went away from Santa Maria de
Biscay.
OF course, she knew that something
was wrong with Enrique; never giving
jose a thought, beyond anger at his i'm
pertinence, she could not understand
what was the matter. But Latin women
are used to heat and cold-they accept
such things uncomplainingly, and all they
can do is to steal away to some little
chapel and pray that the Virgin, who I'M
derstands the hearts of women, may
make all right again.
Late one evening, when Carmen was in
the chapel saying her rosario, Enrique
stole TO her home and watched Stealthily
from the rose thickets. He did not see
Carmen, though he knew she must be
there. But he did see Jose swagger down
the lane and wait outside Garments win
dow with red roses in his hands. That
was enough. Then he went back to the
village and drank quietly, steadil y, until
when, late at night Jose came in, war
bling Spanish love song, with a red rose
on his breast Enrique flung his wine
into the matador's face and screamed flu
riously: ''Sin verguenZa Ladronr'
There were cries of rage; the crashing
of glasses, as tables and chairs were
knocked over; the flash of quick dagger,
and heaying, painting grOans, as Enrique
fell dying under the feet of his boyhood' S
friend
Jose had to flee from Santa Maria Sc
cretly. in the night. And Carmen went
with him. With the cunning of diablo
himself, it had been represented to her by
bribed friends that the quarrel and fight
were over another woman, and that Jose
had been defending her own right as the
betrothed of Enrique. After that it was
plain sailing for Jose. Carmen went with
him to Madrid, and, as he was just the
type of man to inspire wild, unreason-
ing, unthinking love in a woman, Car
mems love for him grew day by day until
she came to feel nothing else-no other
thought entered her mind but jose Jose.
Those days IN Madrid, before he had
ceased to care for her! Even now Jose
could not remember them without a
tingling of the blood. For no woman had
ever loved him us Carmen had. In so
lIt&llS, III All ways Sic udu proven little
time when he was so badly gored in the
San Sebastian bullring, and they thought
he might die. He wondered now, with Il
small thrill of amused, gratified vanity. if
Carmen had ever rested for one moment
during the weeks that the wound had so
tried him.
In the moment of the worst pain. she
had never stirred from his side; holding
him close, and soothing him with all the
tender love words a Spanish mother Law
ishes on her little one, she had tried to
help him to bear it and doubtless had suf-
fered far more than he. And when he
was getting better how had she managed
to provide the delicious food that she
brought him every day?-because he had
saved no mOney-trust a matador for that.
She must have paWned every garment and
bit Of jewelry that she owned
In Madrid he had deserted her to come
10 Mexico. That was four years ago.
Sometimes he rather regretted it. Car
men had loved him SO much as to tire
him, but still she had always been will
ing, nay anxious, to work her fingers off
for him. There was never a word of re-