Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1898-06-23

| to Don GarnaS!
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,
| It was long after dark when a horse
stopped at WEARS adobe Vejar hal
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 broken-down ramada. Be-
fore he spoke, the Mexican had seen
by the moonlight that he was a Gringo.
They talked together in low tones
until Sofa joined them, rubbing her
eyes and moving noiselessly with her
bare feet across the dirt floor.
This man." said her brother, "is
an American. lie 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 nc further,
and he wishes to stay here until morn
ing"
Let him stay" said Sofa, not too
graciously He can have my bed.
cannot Sleep"
! Vejar grunted in much contempt.
''Mascavel does not lie awake for you,"
he said.
Sofa made no answer. She accepted
the fact. She put the American upon
the blanket covered willow boughs
that she called her bed. Her brother
tied the horse beside his own in the
roofless adobe workhouse, and fed it
some day. He did nothing for it's lame
foot. The suffering of dumb animal
is a matter Of pure Indifference to
Mexican, when it is not cause for
laughter.
The American was a mere youth.
Sofa saw that when the patch of moon
| light finally worked around to where
she sat upon the floor, leaning against
the wall, and went near to see if he
were breathing. 1t seemed that he
slept very lightly, for he started up,
with his left hand upon his belt and
his right hand upon his revolver.
You were SO still l thought you
might be dead" said Sola, in her deep,
placid voice, full of the Indian sweet
ness Of sound. He took his hand from
the weapon and lay back shanefacedly.
| 1t was only woman, thick-set, lazy,
good-hearted Mexican. He had not
been able to see her face, and he did
not know that the comfortless pallet
was her bed. He turned on it and fell
asleep again. But Sofa sat thinking.
Long after her brother was dreaming
in the next room she crouched, look
ing into the darkness, with her great,
wide eyes-seeing nothing. And in her
brain ran the clink of the coins as the
young Gringo had put his hand to his
belt. There was a purpose in her I'M
flinching mind. That she debated IT
therein was due only to her uncertain
ty as to how many coins had clinked,
as to whether there were enough to
buy Antonio Mascavel. Five hundred
dollars would do it-for a time. After
that ne might kill her; or he might let
her live and go away with Retuglo-
which would be worse He was gam
bier through and through, and none the
less so because of being luckless. A few
hundred dollars in actual cash would
present to him unlimited possibilities
of the wealth that it might win. And
there is always the poor chance, in a
woman's mind, that the man may
learn to love as she loves. Me might
forget Refugio; or she might marry.
some one else.
She went slipping across the earthen
floor and CROPPED in a corner behind
| string of chles Her hand came out
from the shadow holding a knife that
cleaned as she moved back through
the strip of moonlight and toward the
Dough pallet where the incau-
tious youth lay, sleeping heavily now.
Fifteen minutes later she went into
| the room where her brother lay upon
bed like her own. She reused him win
her bare foot. He turned with sleepy
grunt.
Get I'D and come here" she said.
She was not a capricious creature. 1t
was her way to do little, but that in
logged earnest. So Vejar sprang up
and went with her. She stopped be-
side the bed and pointed down to the
body.
Il have killed him." she said.
Veiar made no answer. He did not
understand.
Il have, killed him." she repeated.
You take him away and bury him.
1t flashed upon Vejar that what his
sister said was true. He was frighten-
ed. He dropped down beside the body
and dragged it into the streak of moon
light.
Take care" Sofa warned him; If
there is blood on the floor it can be
seen. l can burn the blanket that is on
the bed; and no one saw him come"
Vejar let the body fall, and stood up
facing her. She could see the dread
full light in his eyes, but she did not
care.
You can turn his horse loose and 1t
will never be known she said in
differently. He had money. There
ic aioht hundred dollars. / have