The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1898-02-24
A MANS LOVE.

NOT the plelSanlcSt lulH6 oil eai III
is a lone mans life in a Mexican Min
ing camp. Which thought, in all its
force, struck Savitz in the commence
rneat Of his second year in Pinal de
Alno!es The first year he had not no.
ticcd 1t so much. When man has a
hitherto mismanaged mine and con-
cantrating plant 10 put on paying ba-
SIS that will please gentlemen or the llk
Cf those who owned the London Mining
and Concentrating Company, Limited,
he has not time to speculate over the
loneliness and general melancholy or
his headquarters. And SaVltZ was not
u man who particularly minded loneli-
ress. He thought he had a future
ahead of HIN. There was fortune to
be made for somebody in this abom-
inable. waled-in Mexican camp, and he
was the man to make it. Besides all
Of which, there was a girl off there in
London who was waiting and praying
for his success and the raising of his
salary. He was very fond of the girl.
There are SOME God-forsaken spots
IN Mexico Pinal de Amoles was or
these the most forsakcn. And when
Savitz after fourteen months desper-
ate struggle, finally had The mill and
the mine running IN tipJop order and
began to see rosy visions Of rise
within she next twelve months-the dt-
rectors were not gentlemen to be hur-
ried-the dreariness began each day
IL sink deeper into his soul.
To get an occasional newspaper and
the weekly letter in big, square white
envelope, Savitz had to ride forty miles
over a rough trail road to the station
to which the burros packed. He could
have sent a moZo, but he preferred to
go himself-it broke the monotony.
Not that there was anything to see en-
route. save cactus and clumps of mes
quite and the bleaching bones of cattle,
and now and then heap of stones,
surmounted by O rude cross, marking
the place where some lonely traveller
had been robbed and murdered.
Halfway between the ferrocarril and
Pinal there was a sort OF Indian pue-
bio, however, where lived old joaquin,
the owner CT several burro trains. And
coming back from the station one
glowing hot day, Savitz stopped to
speak to the old rascal about the hiring
OF some burros for the freighting OF
mineral to the railway. Joaquin, un-
fortun ately, was exceedingly drunk; so
was his wife; and Savitz was perforce
obliged to speak to very pretty half.
Indian girl who was taking care of the
couple of shameless ones"
Her name was Dolores, she told Sa-
vitz, shyly, and she was the niece of old
Joaquin. Her home was over near the
coast-oh, many leagues away-four or
five days; she did not like her home; it
was very triste. She liked the amuse-
ment and the dancing. And Joaquin,
her ito, was very "amiable"-but for
the drinking.
Now Dolores was more than pretty
she was downright beautiful, with an
appealing mixture of Indian and Span
ish charm, and eyes and hair of old
CASTLE, and she was spotlessly clad
and sweet and fresh-in fact, the first
pretty woman that Savitz had laid
eyes upon for many a long month.
Wherefore he told her that perhaps he
had best do nothing about the burros
Just then, until Don Joaquin was-re-
covered. And he would come back
again in few days. the day after to-
morro ow, perhaps manana. And then
he said "adois-hasta la vista, senori-
ta." and rode away; sweet, dark face
with Spanish eyes and crimson lips
haunting his eyes and fancy.
OF course he went back and hired the
burros the very next day. The day
after that he found that he needed sew
eral more animals. That necessitated
another visit. Something else came up,
too, in few more days--again was 1t
necessary" that he see Don Joaquin,
who by this time was beginning to
chuckle to himself, seeing opportunity
for a good bargain. He was a poor
man; why, therefore, should he support
a. muchacha who could do better for
herself than could her poor tio? Be-
sides the which, he (Joaquin) needed
badly the sum of five hundred pesetas
to invest in new burrco for the trail.
Surely the senior could afford that? AS
for the gfrl-carramba, he would ar
range that.
Now, SavitZ was not a thorough
scamp. He had thought 1t all over to
himself, and reasoned out matters, and
finally told his conscience that the
thing would hurt nobody. Here was
tho girl, born lady at heart and pret-
ty as they make them, in the power of
this dirty old Indian thief who would
sell her to the diablo himself for
hundred pesos. Why not engage her
as his housekeeper, to look after his
clothes and keep the place decent?
There could be no possible reason
against it He would see that she was
we'll paid, and her life would be pleas
art. What wrong was there? AS we'll
h!S hcueekeeper as the abused and beat
en- wife OF some brute of muleteer.
So Tio Joaquin received the sum of
three hundred pesos, with Dolores in
exchange, under the strict understand
ing that the senior was in another year
to be married, when his wife, perhaps,
might object to a housekeeper, at
which time Dolores would be returned
TO her uncle or her coast home with
full and sufficient pay for her services.
TO which the worthy ito assented Gag
erly, with assurances that the above
would be explained at length to Do
lores. Which, Of course, the old
wretch had no intention Of doing. Do
!ores was a good girl, and wore the
St.,o - ~ i,.nrt,, l1x. Io,,a