Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1899-06-20
A Willy VENGEANCE,

the United States, there are no more than
nine white people. All these, equally as a
matter of course, are familiar with one
another's affairs. Only one matter has
ever baffled them, that being the true
cause of the broken engagement between
Lieutenant Teddy Dupont of the garrison
and Miss Warren, daughter of the inspect
or general. 1t was the only real, genuine
love affair in the place, and naturally ey-
cry one took the greatest interest in it.
The wedding day had been set and ar
rangements made for a honeymoon trip.
The women were hunting up things that
might perhaps be made decent to wear.
The lovers themselves seemed happy as
the day was long, and things we're I'M
ming as merrily as the proverbial marriage
bell. Then, as Mrs. James expressed it,
before you could say "Jack Robinson"
the engagement was declared broken.
Miss Warren departed a day after for New
York, and Lieutenant Dupont started on
his downward race to the devil. 1t was
all very strange; no n understood, and
no one understands nov unless it be En-
riquetal
After leaving West Point Teddy Du-
pont had, as is often the case with young
and untried officers, started out on a pref
ty rapid pace. At that time he was sta
TONED in a rather tough city, where many
men 60 the pace. But before he had the
time to do very much harm to himself his
regiment had been ordered out to Pinos
Altos, a New Mexican sand, adobe, mos
quito, Greaser, border town, where Unit
ed States troops were needed several times
per month to quell disturbances that were
continually arising between the few min
ing whites and the Greaser-Mexican pop
ulation.
None of the officers wives went at first,
since 1t was a more than usually rough
town. Later when things had quieted
down they would come. And so it happen
ed that for several months there was no
white woman in the town of Pinos Altos.
Had there been, perhaps this story would
never have been written.
At first things had been rather exciting,
for the Greasers and Mexicans and Indi-
ans, resenting the entry of the soldados,
had s'raised Cain" to some extent. And,
as in the making of trouble and worry
they preferred the methods of sticking
knives in the back after dark, burning
houses and hurriedly equipped barracks,
ETC., Lieutenant Dupont and his men had
some little work in the quieting of the
turbulent spirits. So long as the rows
were on Dupont was in his glory. When
they were off and there was nothing on
earth to occupy him but q few hours duty
each day, he became desperately bored and
Ill tempered. He thought longingly Of
the big cities, with their glittering streets,
tho ,,,,1ci<, ,1ov1yc o1,1b lac oyd othor p1oooS
Then he would stare angrily from the bar
racks window down at the sandy town of
Pinos Altos, with its one solitary mission
church and the low adobe houses that
seemed populated equally by burros, pigs
and fat, brown babies. There were even
no flowers to be seen-nothing but prick
ly cactus and miserable, dried up mes
quite-not a pleasant outlook for a young
and improved officer who had yet to learn
that duty is duty whether at West Point
or Pinos Altos. 1t was too much for
young Dupont, and he cast about him
without further delay for something to
amuse him-anything to amuse him.
Not that you could call E%nriqueta anus
ing-far from 1t! But she was pretty-so
pretty! A woman of the %sierras, half
Mexican and half Indian, with SOM sprin-
king of half forgotten Spanish blood, she
was typical Of her dusky, passionate race,
and for a long while 1.-TWO months) Dupont
was wildly in love with her and had seri-
GUS thoughts of presenting her to his peo-
pie at home as Mrs. Teddy Dupont. But
common sense stepped in and made him
realize that the serdped and blanketed
girl, even with her beautiful eyes and face
and figure, would look odd at the head Of
the breakfast table at home. She might
look still stranger receiving his mothers
guests in the stately old drawing room
and at the dinners that were given week
ly by the old fashioned folk in his county.
He shuddered as he thought of the latter,
even though at that same moment Enri-
quota was swinging in his hammock and
taking sly puffs now and then from his
W cigarette, for she could not be made
to see that forks and knives should be used
instead Of fingers when eating.
The other men in the camp of course
knew about "Dupont's Irritation with that
good looking Greaser girl" but it was
none of their business to say anything
about the doings of their superior officer.
Besides, many Of them had flirtations Of
their own from Sublieutenant Jackson
down to the boots boy, and people who
live in glass houses should not throw
stones.
Pinos Altos had become so regenerated
at last that the married men began to talk
of the coming of their wives and the fix
ing up of quarters. There were great stir
and hustle and hammering and securing
and mending begun on all sides in the
married quarters. Even the unregenerate
unmarried men sheepishly did what they
could to aid the laboring Benedicts-''it
would be SO good to see a white woman
again." they all agreed. Dupont didn't
care-he knew all the married women Of
the Seventh, and they were, according to
his ideas, slower than most; no fun in
them-no 60! And as for some harmless
flirtations! He smiled as he thought of lii
tie Mrs. James and the time that he had
dared to squeeze her hand at a dancei
How s'hopping angry" she had been! No
it didn't matter to him whether they
came or not. Enriqueta, savage as she
was, had more life and go in her than the
entire outfit. By the way, he must take
care that they didn't find out about her,
else he would be cut. It isn't pleasant to
be cut by the only white women in ones
station.
1t was much jollier after the women
came, for they stir red things up, as wom-
on are in the habit Of doing, and many
little ADJUSTMENTS were organized, such
as picnics and riding parties and card
games and small dances, where there were
Just about enough couples to make the
lancers come out straight. Dupont faith
fully took his part In everything, though
Of late he had been drinking rather heavi-
", and two or three Of the women didn't
any longer speak to him. They had their
suspicious about Enriqueta-in a little
place one IL obliged to know these things,
40 l 4 am told-but, above all, when you in