Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1898-07-13
PURCHASED LOVE.

Sola Veiar, simple child of a guileless
race, believed in her very soul that wealth
would outweigh in the heart of Antonio
Mascavei the beauty of Refugio Garfias,
great and renowned though that might be.
Therefore, and for this only dill she sigh
for riches and hate the poverty with which
| Providence had seen fit TO curse her FOR
Sofa was not beautiful, save for the beauty
that some find in firm chin and power
full mouth, a wide forehead and deep eyes
overset with mighty brows, which may
have their charm for the student of his
kind, but not for lover and least of all
for Mexican lover.
Antonio Mascavel preferred the type of
! Refugio-small featured. red Tipped, soft
eyed, graceful and lovely as a dark Venus
and his opinion was also that of the sur
rounding country of the city of Los An
geles and the mission of San Gabriel The
fame of the daughter of Gartias had spread
even among the Americans, and when
strangers asked to be shown beautiful
Mexican they We're taken to the house of
Garfas, upon the outskirts of Sonora
town. So it may be supposed that Refugio
had lovers. They came from far and near
and from every rank of California life.
There was an American whose fortune
was vast and as generously spent as for
tunes were in the early fifties. There was
an Englishman with determination to
have her at any cost, even at that of few
lives, a tendency Of character which ac-
counted for his presence in the States and
for his repatriation. There We're innu-
merable Mexicans, ranchers, shopkeepers,
desperadoes and gamblers. All followed
tamely and suppliantly in Refugio' S train
But she loved only Mascavel. She ad-
mitted it at last to Senior Garias when
that wiry little creature demanded that
she make a choice. The senior was aghast
The possibility of it had not occurred to
him.
Antonio Mascavel" he said. But
you do not know him"
Refugio nodded her little head Isl"
she said
Where have you seen him?"
She was not minded to tell of the meet
ings in the willow hidden bed of the ar
royo, SO she held her peace.
But the man is bad character. He is
a gambler.
Still Refugio was silent There must be
better arguments than faults, vices or
crimes to bring against the unanswerable
one that a woman loves.
aware after he had protested for hours and
for days and after finding that despite his
prohibitions, despite close supervision, his
fair daughter and Mascavel were in con-
slant communication.
Then he hunted out Antonio himself
where he sat playing at cards in the bar
room of the Lafayette, and he pleaded
with him courteously and respectfully, for
MascaVel Was big man and a desperate
one, But he, too, answered that he 10 ed,
and when all was said and done it had
gone no further than this-that they both
loved and that wisdom might stand aside.
Gartas went with his batfled hopes TO
Senior Wear the brother of Sola. The
house of Nejar, a two roomed adobe which
had never been whitewashed, stood sew
eral hundred yards farther north along the
road than that OF Gartias. 1t was the last
one before the open country and had no
neighbors
Senior Nejar was much younger than
Garfias He had the same mighty brow
and powerful mouth that made his sister
hideous to race that loves all things gen
tie and gracious. He was one of those
who pinned for Refugio, but her father did
not know this. So he told him the whole
story of his thwarted will and plans and
IIupiOFtu duNlcS as ne Illdue cigarette.
If it We're not for the cursed laws of
the gringoes, if things were as they were
| in my youth, could force my own daugh-
ter to marry the man pleased, he said.
Vejar shook his head. You cannot do
that" he answered
What, then, shall do?' Garfas was
moved to the point of tears They hung
on his long black lashes and dropped on
| his old blue OyerallS.
The situation was too complicated to be
set straight in moment 1t was not sim
| plifed by WEARS having his own suit and
| chances to consider. Il cannot advise you
at once, he said II will think and will
help you II l can in the morning" He
took counsel with his sister when Garfias
had ridden away
"Oh, snarled Sola, the love of An
toniol A thousand dollars would bury it
SO deep that it would never rise again. -
yet, said her brother, not understand
ing woman, you would be glad to have
The deep eyes shone She shrugged her
shoulders Yes, l would be glad to have
it. And I could have it for 1,0OO-per-
haps less
DAT that cost you must be content to go
without 1t. What advice shall give to
Don GarfasP"
''How should know, Let him see to
his own troubles and be glad that your
sister is not SO beautiful that you have no
peace because of her,"
1t was long after dark when horse
stopped at WEARS adobe. Vejar had been
asleep. He jumped up and went to the
door. He had his finger on the trigger of
his revolver A man stood under the bro
ken down ramada- Before he spoke the
Mexican had seen by the moonlight that
he was gringo. They talked together in
low tones until Sola joined them, rubbing
her eyes and moving noiselessly with her
bare feet across the dirt floor.
This man." said her brother, sis an
American. He says he has ridden all day
to get into Los Angeles before night, but
his horse went lame. 1t is so bad now that
he can go no farther, and he'5ishes to stay
here until morning"
II L I