The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1898-03-04

Ff@sAa 80" ~|""'
evolved as he lay sleepless and tortured
on his bed Of straw through the night.
he, Ramon, must soon act; and now,
when they were absorbedin II another,
when Ricardo's eyes saw no more than
those of TIE b%andaged mules, now was
the time, the very nick of time.
So, behold Ramon creeping 20 the
errastrar where Azul was sweating at
his toll. Behold him stealthily crawl
ing TO the further rim Of the mill with
an open krife in his hand, while the blue
mule. unconscious Of the danger. plod-
ded around and around again TO the
spot where he hid, and the two lovers
chartered blithely.
"Diablo." muttered Ramon, fiercely.
A knife flashed once, twice. and the
deed was done. With an oath OF salts
faction. Ramon crept back 10 his work
and the blue mule. apparently ignor-
ing him. displayed some petulance to
ward a gnat which had alighted on his
shoulder, then TRANQUILITY pursued the
long road which led to nowhere.
For how could Ramon have achieved
his ignoble purpose by the murder Of
Azul? That would have been but half
n revenge, while the r%etribution he han
plotted was all-shattering and COM
plete. He had laid the train for an eX-
p~losion. m earthquake. The two strokes
of his knife had cut the bandage from
the mules eyes. that was all; but was
not that enough? Azul would grow
dizzy and dizzier and would fall in his
tracks; the mill would stop. and Ri
cardo, all given to his charmer, would
not notice the episode. The alcalde
would soon stride by. for had not the
cunning Ramon sent him a false mes
sage TO lure him home? lie would OBJ
serve the idle mill and he fallen niue;
he would see Ricardo neglecting his
duty to daily with Teresa. "Ah." he
would say. mo such lazy. careless fell
low shall be a son of mine. Up. You
%loafer, Leave my daughter and at
tend TO work.-No. begore, viii not
have Won work for me. Poltroon! Never
come near my arrastrars or cast a shad
ow across my path again." Ramon
could see and hear il all, and his little
soul dilated. Meanwhile Azul pursued
his circular pilgrimage as constantly
as the earth re evolved in its orbit. and
the lovers pratt.ed as increasingly as
the spheres sang to each other. in the
heavens.
Then Ramou's successor came to re
lieve him, and he would be free to wit
ness the denouement. The blue mule
could not keep on his feet much longer;
he must soon stagger and fail, and by
that time the alcalde would pass. There
could be no failure. all was going well,
and Ramon, making a skillfui detour,
hid behind the alcaIde's chicken house
TO watch, and wait, and see his triumph.
Yrs, there was the alcalde, across the
arroyo. He had received the message
and left his store. Paticnce. But the
mule. Why did he not pause? Why
did he not stumble? Why did rot the
earth swim under his feet? Why did he
not fall in a heap in the PATH. lannon's
blood boiled as he saw Azu steadily
pulling the mill around as he had drawn
il for hours. without a false step, with
out a sign Of distress.
And See. The alcalde had come up.
Ricardo raised his sombrero, and the
great man nodded to the happy couple.
With his business affairs going forward
probably, what magnate could OBJ
iect to polite attentions to his daughter
from the eligible one?
But Ramon swore an oath unto him.
self. His heart was a lump OF lead, and
beads of Precipitation stood on his
brow. Howl he wished he had made an
other use of the knife. And all the time
Azul was keeping on his course as
serenely as Jupiter or the far Uranus
All things seemed unnatural and dis
torted to lannon's turbulent brain. lie
had witnessed impossibilitics. Now lac
imagined that the blue mule looked NJ
at him and sneercd sardonicallN, and il
made him furious. Then he heard Azul
laugi-a long, loud, irritating, mad
denirg laugh.
When the mule brayed. Ramon sprane
To his feet, beside himself with rage and
!. chagrin. and started to fee. lie could
STAY in Quitovic 10 longer. lie would
put miles between himself and the scene
Of his humiliation. But n heavy hand
was laid violently upon him and bore
him TO the ground.
$50 YOU are the thief, are you?' said
a voice that made him quake. y
5 thought no better of you, fauit-finder'
m~urL.urador. 1t is you who has beer
eating my pullets!"
Alas for the quivering Ramon. h,
could not utter one word of defense OF
: protest. and littl, would it avail him !
he could. The alca.de both made laws
for Quitovic and executed them. Will
his strong arm. he dragged the wretch
TO his feet and led him off to the Gala
lboose.
4 When Ricardo found the severed band
age. he OWNED the secret of IL all, ant
u he laughed softly. Always n man o
gentle moods. he was too happy now e
harbor a grudge. "Ah. mi ~favorito.
{ he said 10 the mule as ne caressed hin
that night. che did not know that ",
. are blind. lie did not know that il WA
/, all the same TO you." And Azul wor'
U garlands. ms well as Teresa. when the,