The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1898-04-23
MANUELA'S TRANSFORMATION

1
| ers of Thanksgiving.
| 1t was so with Hurlburt.
| In the early days of the Pacific coast
| Hurlburt was stationed at San Diego. II
| was a picturesque little town. It's streets
| were not much more than cow-paths.
and its houses were mostly of the good
old pattern-adobes, one story high, and
built around a patio. In such house as
this lived Manuela Lopez. and in one of
the cow-path streets Hurlburt first met
her. 1t was upon a Sunday. Hurlburt
had just come from inspection. and was
on his way to take dinner with friends in
town. He still wore his regfmentals. and
was very gorgeous sight indeed. He
was also tall, and yellow haired, and blue
eyed-quite the figure TO strike the fancy
of 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
10 do; she had probably never given such
subjects a moments thought; but when
the mind of a child becomes the mind of
a woman, it is at one bound, not by slow
degrees Inspiration struck full upon
Manuelas BRAIN and she dropped her
rosary. From which it may be inferred
that the love of the fathers and the wis
dom of ages has taught woman nothing
new in affairs of the heart. The inn
pulse 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
turned it to her. If she had not been with
a servant, he might have spoken. As II
was, ne 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 anyone but the
typical Anglo-Saxon. You expect men of
Latin and Slav races TO make fools of
themselves But the Anglo-Saxon is such
a 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, IL is never mere depression. He
goes, a flaming comet, whirling through
space, and carrying all your stellar sys-
tenn of plans and beliefs before him. The
last thing anyone would have expected
of big, quiet, rational youth. such as
was Hurlburt, was that he should wax
romantic over a street meeting with an
immature ruse to attract his attention.
nevertheless, tIldt same Gay. dIttE iuUtu-
con, he said TO his host, as they sat smok-
ing under the ramada. who lives in the
house on the next street where the two
hooking bird cages hang on the wall2'
You must be more explicit his host
staid: there are a number Of houses on
the next street, and one and all have
hooking birds
Yes" said Hurlburt but there is a
hedge of red and white geraniums in front
OF it."
4 saw you meet her" the civilian told
him; her name is Lopez-Manuela, l
think
Hurlbut became very red. When your
phleGnatic man grows embarrassed. IL
was some time before he regained speech
and came oUnfidering out OF the sea of
silence. When he did. he changed the
subject
Not that he abandoned the cause. Far
from it. 1t took him two weeks, but he
got himself introduced TO Senior Lopez.
and had then taken 10 call upon him.
I he senior was weli-educated man, and
the most hospitable of his hosptable
race He made HurIbut free of the house
at once and showed him everything ii
contained save only Manuela.
you must come again. often he said
as 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 him
self TO Sonora Lopez. who was handsome
and well preserved.
you have a daughter have you not,
sonora
Sonora Lopez understood only just so
much English as she chose. She did not |
choose TO understand this She turned /
her soft eyes upon her husband. and he !
for her.
we have a daughter" he said. but |
she * very young
Hurlbut understood that he had offend |
ed a semi-oriental prejudice
1t having 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 IL CHANGED that she was alone. !
'May ] walk home with you. senorita?" |
he said. Il have the pleasure of know |
ing your father"
Eyes. sir. said Manuela.
It was but few hundred yards to her !
home, but he made the most of his time. /
lIanuela answered in mOnosyIlables and |
raised her eyes but twice. Hurlbut's in |
was complete. Senior Lopez 4
was angry. He was very civil to the Of |
icer. bue he sent the girl - her room at |
once
II met the senorita AT mass" Hurlburt |
explained
Are you, then- Odtnoilc- lhqulICN |
the Mexican.
mo" said Hurlburt-and determined to /
pursue the policy that sages who know
nothing of mankind tell us is invariably /
he best went to the church on pur- /
pose to meet your daughter. l saw her |
IN the street the other day''-he refrain
I'd In a moment OF diplomacy from speak
NC of the dropped beads-"and ! admired |
her very much. That is why | came to
,aIl upon you. ! thought | would see her |
openly under her own roof. As | did not
encountered her elsewhere. Now, said /
Hurlburt leaning back in his chair in an |
easy pose that did not meet with the |
,unctiious Mexican's approval. II should |
ike to ask you to be allowed to pay my |
court to your daughter
Sencr Lopez had no objection to the |
officers suit but he did object to his |
fashion of advancing it. He incased him
self in perversity.
my daughter, sir. is too young
He rose to his feet by way Of suggest
ng that Hurlburt would do well to take
his leave. Hurlburt rose. too. but not to
go.
MAY / ask her age, senor?"
"She is sixteen years Old
''You have told me that you married |
he sonora when she was but fifteen"
THAT was in the old times. We do not |
10 so any more"
But I will he willing to wait for a
rear, if SenoTita Manuea will love me-"
"Sir. we will talk no more concerning
his MY daughter is too young to be |
and ! do not wish to give her
o an American which was not in the
east true. Up to then it had been his
plan to do so, but his obstinacy was
'oused.
The result was one that any one, most
Of all a Mexican, should have foreseen.
IIurlburt embarked upon an intrigue. He