The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-02-13
ayes" She said pleasantly, .1t is very

YES" she said pleasantly. sit is very
! hot"
where are you going, senorita?''
| ITO the fathers store for some chiles"
you are going to have something nice
for supper?"
| Yes, some tamales.''
"Ah, wish" But he did not complete
! the sentence. 1t was cut off by a snort
| from the blue mule. now pulling and kick
ing as if in a resentful state of mind
| Steady" he shouted to the mule, snapp-
/ ed his azote then turned to the girl again.
| She had started off. why don't you
| come, then?" she asked provokingly, turn
| ing half-around.
''Wait a moment, Teresap pleaded the
mue-driver. viii you dance with me to-
| night?'
"Ill seer she laughed as If to prove
| that the sex has the same tantalizing in
| stincts in all ATTITUDES.
Ricardo heard mutter of derision from
the arrastrar next below his as the girl
| went down the path. He turned simply
Another voice accosted her inquiringly.
She answered gayly as was her won't, but
| did not linger "Hombre brutalr' mumbled
| Ricardo ut was that Ramon who stoned
| the mule" But he was too busy with
| thoughts of the dance he had bespoken to
! give Ramon more attention.
Ricardo thrved, and the blue mule was
his most helpful ally. Often did he call
| down blessings on the head of the stran-
| ger whom he had denounced as a cheat;
and sumptuously did the mule fare, as
| sumptuousness goes with mules and in
| Quitovic OF all the mules that labored
| In that quaint desert town, Azul was the
| most trustworthy, the most intelligent
| Why should he have a driver, when he
would so honestly drag the pole for the
whole of his six hours shift, night and
| day, without a word from his master?
| That rare visitor to the arrastrar town,
| the Spirit of Enterprise, touched Ricardo.
He contracted with the alcalde to take
/ charge of a second mill near by, and with
| the aid of the loyal Azul he operated two
| arrastrars at once and earned double pay.
He was the rising young man of the viii
! lage.
'Azul, mi favorito'' he exclaimed, night
! after night. as he embraced the blue mule,
| gave him his straw with the little meas
| ure of corn that cost so dear, and encir-
cled him with his hair lariat to preserve
] him from rattlers-"And they don't know
| not one of them knowsr
| l am sure that Ricardo had other and
| suitable expressions of attachment and adj
| mira ton for Senorita Teresa, in whose
| sight he had found increasing favor as the
months went by, and whose all important
| father did not frown upon his suit. Ri
cardo felt at peace with his little world;
| but is 1t not sad that prosperity and
| peace ever generate the poison that ran
| Killed. in the heart of RamonE
One day the jealous one betook himself
| to the court of the alcalde, in the store of
baked mud, among the beans and peppers
and miners kits. He had come with
| complaint he said his own and others.
| There was something new and something
| wrong in Quitovic
| Tomorrow I will listen to you," said the
alcalde, for tomorrow was always the al
| calde's busy day.
mo nVvrcs h4F IN
mon persisted till the great man paused to
| hear him.
at is a cheat" said Ramon. zone man
is doing the work Of two"
ut may be So" replied the alcalde, de-
| liberately.
"There will be mischief"
| eve shall see."
| "Creame, your worship! 1t will waste
the ore and lose the gold
The alcalde's eyes cleaned. do You
know that?' he asked
II am sure, your Worship
81 will see, tomorrow and the great
man waved off the little one.
Ricardo and Azul worked faithfully, as
| to-morrows approached and receded, UNI
| conscious of the disaster that had taken
| shape in Ramons mind. The latter held
his peace and flung no more taunts at the
| mule, sanguine that he had laid the train
for the catastrophe, and had only to apply
! the match.
How happy l amt murmured the hap
Ply Ricardo to Teresa as they sat on rock
near the arrastrars, next day. II have
| spoken to the padre"
Il have told nobody" she answered soft
~
mo, let it be a secret till all is in read
| mess. Then we will have a fiesta!".
Shall we go to San AntQnio?"
eyes. and you shall have flowers
| Flowers
MANY flowers and garlands. They shall
come from Sonoyta."
| Ricardo arose and bestirred the mule to
| greater actiVity-the other mule. Azul was
ever active. and Ricardo could return to
! his sweetheart.
1t was late in the afternoon and near the
| end of Ramon's shift. In half an hour
| his alternate would come to relieve him
| If he was to carry out the plan which his
| tempestuous brain had evolved as he lay
| sleepless and tortured on his bed of straw
| through the night, he, Ramon, must act
soon; and now, when they were absorbed
! in one another, when Ricardo's eyes say
no more than those of the bandaged mules
now was the time, the very nick of time
| So, behold Ramon creeping to the arras-
trar where Azul was sweating at his toll.
| Behold him Steathiiy crawling to the fur
| Their rim of the mill with an open knife
| IN his hand, while the blue mule uncon-
| scious Of the danger, plodded around and
around again to the spot where he hid.
and the two lovers chartered blithely
"Diablo!" muttered Ramon fercely. A
Knife flashed once, twice, and the deed
was done With an oath of satisfaction.
| Ramon crept back to his work-and the
blue mule, apparently ignoring him. dis
| played some petulance toward gnat
which had alighted on his shoulder then
TRANQUILITY pursued the long road which
led to nowhere
For how could Ramon have achieved his
ignoble purpose by the murder of AMI
That would have been but half revenge
While the retribution he had plotted vss
all-shattering and complete. He had lain
the train for an explosion, an earthouale
The two strokes of his knife had cut The
bandage from the mules eyes. that was
all; but was not that enough? Azul would
grow dizzy and dizzier and would fan in
his tracks; the mill would stop and Ri
cardo, all given to his charmer would rot
notice the episode. The alcalde would soon
stride by, for had not the cunning Ramon
sent false message to lure him home?