The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-02-13

He would observe the idle mill and the
fallen mule; he would see Ricardo neg
lecting his &uty to daily with Teresa
"Ah,' he would say, mo such lazy, care
less fellow shall be son of mine! Up, YOU
loafer! Leave my daughter and attend to
work!-No, begone! I will not have you
work for me. Poltroonl Never come
near my arrastrars or cast a shadow
across my path again. Ramon could see
and hear it all, and his little soul dilated
Meanwhile Azul pursued his circular pill
grimage as constantly as the earth revolv-
ed in it's orbit, and the lovers prattled as
increasingly as the spheres sang to each
other in the heavens.
Then Ramon's successor came to relieve
him, and he would be free to witness the
denouement. The blue mule could not
keep his feet much longer; he must soon
stagger and fall, and by that time the
alcalde would pass There could be no
failure, all was going well, and Ramon,
making skillful detour, hid behind the
alcalde's chicken house to watch and wait
and see his triumph
Yes, there was the alealde across the ar
royo. He had received the message and
left his store. Patience! But the mueI
Why did he not pause? Why did he not
stumble? Why did not the earth swim I'M
der his feet? Why did he not fall in a
heap in the path? Ramons blood boiled
as he saw Azul steadily pulling the mill
around as he had drawn 1t for hours, with
out false step, without sign of dis
tress.
And see! The alcalde had come up. Ri
cardo raised his sombrero, and the great
man nodded to the happy couple. With
his business affairs going forward prof.
tably, what magnate could object to polite
attentions to his daughter from the eligi-
BILE one?
But Ramon swore an oath unto himself.
Jfs ri of
of perspira ton stood on his brow. How
he wished he had made another use of the
knife And all the time Azul was keep
ing on his course as serenely as Jupiter
or the far Uranus. All things seemed un-
natural and distorted to Ramon's tuTbu-
lent brain. He had witnessed impossible
ties. Now he imagined that the blue mule
looked up at him and sneered sardonicaly,
and it made him furious. Then he heard
Azul laugh--a long, loud, irritating, mad
dening laugh.
When the mule brayed, Ramon sprang
to his feet, beside himself with rage and
chagrin, and started to fee He could stay
in Quitovic no longer. He would put
miles between himself and the scene Of
his humiliation. But a heavy hand was
laid violently upon him and bore him to
the ground.
so you are the thief, are your said
a voice that made him quake. 81 thought
no better of you, fault-finder! murmura-
cor 1t is you who have been eating my
pullets!''
Alas for the quivering Ramon, he could
not utter one word of defense, or pro-
test, and little would it avail him If he
could. The alcade both made laws for
Qutovic and executed them. With his
strong arm, he dragged the wretch to his
feet and led him off to the calaboose.
When Ricardo found the severed BAN
dage he OWNED the secret of it all, and
he laughed softly. Always a man of gen.
tie moods, he was too happy now to har-
Dor a grudge. "Ah, mi favOrito," he said
to the mule as he caressed him that night,
"he did not know that it was all the same
to your And Azul wore garlands as well
as Teresa, when they rode TO the little
adobe church at San Antonio, where Padre
Francisco married and blessed them.
Your blessing on Azul, too" craved
Ricardo, with a coin in his hand-and the
holy mans benediction rested on the blue
mule of Quitovic.