The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-06-18

The envelope bearing TWO crossed nagA
Please, Bernsnao''
He stepped back and SAD: Come and
get 81.
II has been before remarked that Ne had
Been drinking little: II wouid rot have
9etracted from the stris growing fear of
him had she realized that besides helng
~ . hct~hto~acd race and very plainly
infatuated with her for same time EanA
h was a. present at the smorcus stage q
Standardization.
She shook her head. Let me have Il.
do. and hurry with the saddle" she urged.
adding. 'swe shall be iate for supper. and
year mother win net like a."
You must give me kiss nrst." He AAA
said what he had come 10 say.
''Don's Be Silly
Rus he would not be denied. "A little
enc he Insisted. and caught her 10 him.
Why you not kiss me. auersdaf You
know been loving yoa long time-ever
since l see yea that night come tell
nay mother geinx 10 ask yoa marry with
me. Don't be mean 20 me-" He touched
her lips lightly as he spoke
With an extra csYort she tcre herself
from his arms. Keep away: let me bel
l viii tell yeur father. don't like yout
I WON'T. won't. I say Keep away" Il
was childish TO the last degree. hut she
was beside herself with rage and terror.
She s,oeped and picked up Kcod-s.sed
stone For the space az q lightning sash
she had mental vision Of herself stand
inG a. an angry child Of ten might hurl-
ing defiance at his foe ''I'il IRE y rock
at yoa." and she smiled at tho remem-
bered words. Dent you dare como near
me-" she half sobnesi ''or I win thruW
this straight In your face"
-
as he surveyed her approvsngiy from be-
meath his half-closea lids. II was 30 much
more interesting this way. You can hit
nothing. You not mad with me-you only
make believe"
Thuds She rad thrown t.: but when
was a woman ever known 10 hit what she
aimed att II struck his foot. The effect
was primarily a sharp pain In that locality:
secondly a partial transition on his part
from the affeciicnase 10 The bad-tesnpsred
stage. He caught her easily enough. and
held her IN spite ~ her struggles; he kiss-
ed her over and over.
You win let me kiss you now - much
~ want" he painted: you will love me
and marry me-"
"You,.' she laughed, scornfaliy. II love
him. him--rny soldier. whose letter you
have. Marry you! am married to him
there, you know now. I have told no one.
because / must work until he comes hack
from the war. and feared could not set
a school II II WAS known Now let ma 60.
bernardo; YOU sea IL Is useless for you to
hope. Give me my letter.
But her confession had only innamed
him tho more. At the mention Of the let
ter again he held her fiercely 10 him. ~
will not. will tear IL up. and then you
shall see what
hut with one last. supreme effort she
had wrenched herself free. tearing the let
fx~rf r~.r h lx<sf xx - >.,s4n. n
now she runs with the speed o6 q hunted
creature TO his horse.
Bafsied. enragei, he pursues her. but for
moment Providence seems TO ho on her
side. for he catches his spurs In a tough
vine and comes To earth. Hut she IL not
80 to escape. With an oath ho draws his
pistol from his belt and tires. To give
him his due. angry as he 10. partially ire
sponsibie. too. his benevolent Intention -
he sights IL merely TO put hall through
the horse or SO close 40 to put him to flight
before she can mount. but Just ~ the
light flashes along tho tarrei she reaches
the animals side and turns her head.
With cry she springs TO one side-the
wrong side-and takes the bullet In her
breast.
He stops tho blood the hest he can. ne
weeps and prays to her to forgive, TO h0Av.
en- To save: he leaves her now. TO catch
ono of the horses and bear her home.
All this time her clasp on her letter has
never relaxed. and as she opens her eyes
and finds herself alone. with trembling
fingers she tears of the envelope. There
arc twn letters inciosed. She reads line
or two Of the one. then reads the other
through. once. twice~-it Is very abort
and yet again. She takes up tho first
now. but does not try 10 read u, only
pressed It TO her lips In long, long kiM.
as though the senselees papcr were her
lovers warm mouth: finally she hides both
letters in her dress and closes her eyeo
again. A little. tender smile dawns upon
her face
Thus. through tho mist Of his tears Of
agony and rem,'rse. bernardo sees her ana
maryels. He wonders more. when. a. 10
raises her in his arms. she lifts her beauti-
fui eyes To his with no reproach In their
glance. only the same sweet smile that
hovcrs round her mouth.
"Muchas srasias. senor." she breathee
for. you sce. just then II did not matter
much, In her estimation. that she was gp-
Ing to die: she forgot for the moment tho
poor little grandmother. and what might
have been With this letter had come one
from the colonel. They had killed her SOL
dier.-A b. Smith In the San Franchise
Argonaut.