The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-02-19

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his arms, shouts, Come, cara mia
And to the passionately suggestive mu-
sic they whirl away in the danza And
when it is ended he leads her to the
cantina for a cooling drink. Then
Juan meets his aunt Dona Josefa, who
removes the cigar from her lips to
salute him warmly
Returning, they pass the table in
front Of jose Morales fonda, which is
now deserted. save by one-old Cuts
sippe, whose gray head is thrown for
ward resting upon his outstretched
arms in drunken stupor.
Who is she? Zetilla MIA
Which one?''
THE slim young maiden in white,
with yellow flowers embroidered in her
see!-seated upon the bench just
opposite. Is she not lovely?"
oh! that is Nestore,'' with little
Jealous pout. DO you think her
pretty?"
| Pretty No; that is not the word
( She is glorious. The crimson roses of
CASTLE are in her cheeks; the Califor-
MIA gold is powdered through her hair.
She is la mas hermosa cosa en- ell (1ne
! prettiest thing in the worldly I would
j, dance with her cara mia. Will you
present rhe?"
En- verdad No. Present yourself,
senor, retorts she in huff.
Muy bien," and taking Zetilla at her
word, Juan knots his sash more tight
ly about his waist. Then, with a
reckless step boldly approaches the girl
who is indeed wondrously beautiful, be-
ing of the pure, blonde Andalusian
/
hair and dark brown velvety eyes,
| She is clad in a white bodice and
! gown, with a deep embroidered hem,
| over which is another skirt, commonly
called. sarga, of some SOFT gauzy text
silken flowers She wears no jewelry
no. ornaments save a single strand Of
pearls twined about her small, proud
head. The sleeves of her bodice are
short and loose, disclosing the bare,
white, shapely arms Her thick, crisp
hair is gathered into one massive braid,
which hangs far below the trim, small
waist.
| Nestore regards Juan in astonishment
and slight displeasure. But with his
shirt dragged carelessly open at the
neck, whence. his slender, handsome
throat arises firm and strong, he is
| really a splendid looking fellow stand
| ing straight and tall-taller by far
than any other present.
''Senorita' He bows deferentialIy,
with an easy, natural grace before her.
"Senorita, on my knees, dare beg the
honor of this danza?'
She hesitates. His beautiful dark
eyes are resting upon her face, eagerly
awaiting her answer, until she replies.
Con mucho gusto, senor" And in
another moment they are swaying.
gliding, amongst the jostling couples.
She dances divinely. He signs with rea
greet when the music stops. They seat
themselves beneath the overhanging
grapevines. Juan twists and breaks
cluster of grapes from the stem which
grows and twines about the railing,
and laughingly they share it together,
the luscious fruit Staining her lips and
pretty, slender white fingers crimson.
! How very beautiful she is. He has
never seen any one half SO lovely. They
speak on every available topic. He tells
her of his three years absence in Mex
leo and Arizona, while she mentions
her wen-loved home in Monterey, and,
ssOh, Senor!" .Nshe cries, turning her
head in that direction, Can you not
smell the delicious scent of the pines, |
which is waited hither?"
And then they dance once more. |
Again. and vet again. Dance until
looks smiles and meaning mods are in |
terchanged What of that? What sig |
nifies anything, save that Juan is by |
this time overhead and heels, fatholns |
deep in love. 81
on the morrow the sun has long |
of yesternight congregate to start for
the games. Juan anxiously scans the |
throng of fresh, merry faces until his |
eyes rest upon Nestore, who is very |
pale this morning, while dark circles
lay beneath the great brown eyes He |
spurs Pepita toward her, but at this |
instant Don Guissippe has ridden up |
and Juan checks the horse suddenly.
He will wait; there will be ample time |
to speak during the games, and at
night his pulses leap at the thought |
he will hold her in his arms again. |
Has she not promised him six values |
and countless danzas?
.Buenos dias, caballero,' and Zetilla |
all traces of anger banished, forgotten, |
calls him to her side. Zetilla, who |
flashes her black eyes and white teeth |
upon him, and laughs and talks all !
during the bull fight, which has so far |
proved a very tame affair." until the |
bull. 4 magnificent young animal, who
has gored and ripped up several of his |
kind. is now forced to combat with a |
bear whose entrails are soon strewn |
upon the ground, and when a mule is |
brought in, the spectators shout with |
delight Bet and win, bet and lose !
again. The sport becomes madly ex- |
citing, and, amid the believing of the |
frantic bull, and shrill screeching of /
the enraged mule, one is deafened. The |
contestants gore, bite, rip and kick un-
til, finally, both poor brutes are down, |
never to rise again, which ends the |
sport for the day.
AS Juan stoops to buckle the cincha, /
an alteration arises between Don |
Guissippe and Don Joaquin.
"Caramba.''' laughs zetilla, "they are
at it again. Those two old fools will |
kill each other some day"
Yes answers another, land all over |
a miserable tract of marsh land filled |
with tules, only fit for the water fowl
to mate and build their nests in
AYE, de mi. Hace I'm horrosa. The
sun has been hot to-day cries Rosita,
the bride, wheeling her horse dexter
ously, Juan, milo. Let us ride fast,
and catch the wind in our thrOatsh