Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-09-02
FADED BEAUTY.

FADED BEAUTY.
The poet to the contrary notwithstand.
ing, there are occasions when "it might
have been" are joyful words. Most men,
upon meeting again in after years their
first loves, realize this and offer up prayers
Of Thanksgiving.
It was SO with Hurlburt.
In the early days Of the Pacific coast
Hurlburt was stationed at San Diego. 1t
wal q picturesque little town. Its streets
were not much more than cowpaths, and
its houses were mostly of the good old pat
tern-adobes, n story high, and built
around a patio. In such a house as this
lived Manuela Topaz, and In one of the
oowpath streets Hurlburt first met her. 1t
was upon q Sunday. Hurlburt had just
come from inspection and was on his way
to take dinner with friends in town. He
still wore his r~egimentals and was a very
gorgeous sight indeed. He was also tall
and yellow haired and blue eyed-quite
the figure to strike the fancy of a pretty
little Mexican girl who was coming home
from mass.
She had read no books that could have
told her that it was the accepted thing to do.
She had probably never given such sub
jects q moments thought. But when the
mind Of a child becomes the mind of o
woman IL is at one bound, not by slow
degrees. Inspiration struck full upon
Manuela's brain, and she dropped her
rosary, from which 1t may be inferred
that the love of the fathers and the wis
dom Of ages have taught woman nothing
new in affairs Of the heart. The impulse
Of the intrigante and of the child of nature
are the same.
Hurlburt, Of course, was close to Man.
uela when the rosary dropped. He re-
turned 1t to her. If she had not been with
a servant, he might have spoken. As IL
was he observed more narrowly what he
had been observing for some moments as
he approached, that she was graceful and
pretty. Then he raised his helmet and
passed on.
You can count upon any one but the
typical Anglo Saxon. You expect men of
Latin and Slav races to make fools of
themselves, but the Anglo Saxon Is such
q thoroughly logical, reasonable, clear
headed person that the bottom of your
universe drops out when he deviates from
the path Of common sense. And when he
does 1t Is never a mere depression. He
goes, a flaming comet, wbirling through
space and carrying all your stellar system
Of plans and beliefs before him. The last
thing any one would have expected of a
big, quiet, rational youth such as was
Hurlburt was that he should wax roman
tic over q street meeting with an imma.
ture ruse to attract his attention. Never.
theless that same day after luncheon he
said to his host as they sat smoking "Who
lives in the house on the next street, where
the two hooking bird cages hang on the
wallY"
"You must be more explicit" his host
said. "There are a number Of houses on
the next street, and one and all have
hooking birds"
Eyes" said Hurlburt, "but there is a
hedge of red and white geraniums in front
of it,"
II saw you meet her" the civilian told
him. "Her name Is Lopez-Manuela, /
think"
Hurlburt became very red. When your
phlegmatio mar grows embarrassed, he is
badly embarrassed. 1t was some time be-
fore he regained speech and came floun-
dering out Of the sea Of silence. When he
did, he changed the subject.
Not that he abandoned the cause; far
from 1t. 1t took him two weeks, but he
got himself introduced to Senior Lopez
and had then taken to call upon him. The
senior wal a we'll educated man, and the
most hospitable Of his hospitable race. He
made Hurlburt free Of the house at once
and showed him everything 1t contained,
save only Manuela.
"You must come again often" he said
az they parted. Hurlburt replied that he
would and went again in three days.
Neither did he see his lady Of the rosary
upon this OCCASION. He addressed himself
10 Sonora Lopez, who was handsome and
we'll preserved.
"You have . daughter, have you not,
senoraf"
Sonora Lopez understood only just SO
much English as she chose. She did not
CHOOSE 10 understand this. She turned her
soft eyes upon Her husband, and he an
sWsssd for her.
"Ws have . daughter. " he said, "but
~ 10 veEy young"
Hurlburt understood that he had offend.
cd . semioriental prejudice.
II having thus been made obvious to
him that Manuela would not be produced
BY her parents, he went to an early mass
at the church, met her and introduced
himself. It CHANGED that she was alone.
MAY I walk home with you, ~senoritasn
he said. II have the pleasure Of knowing
your father"
Eyes, sir" said Manuela. y
Il was but q few hundred yards to her
home, but he made the most Of his time.
Manuela answered In monosyllables and
raised her eyes but twice. Hurlburt's In
~fatuation was complete. Senior Lopez was
angry. He wal very civil to the officer,
but he sent the girl 70 her room at once.
II met the senorita 1t mass" Hurlburt
explained.
fare you, then, . Casholici" inquired
the Mexican.
"No," said Hurlburt and determined to
pursue the policy that sages who know
nothing Of mankind tell us ID Invariably
the beat. Invent to the church on purpose
TO meet your daughter. saw her on the