El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-06-14
LGONITA
BY WILLIS B. HAWKINS.
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gether; why she now went round by the
bridge and would not let him assist her
across the stream.
When he reached the open, he saw her
standing by the road ut the top of the
hill. A horseman who had spoken with
her rode away, smiling over his shoulder.
Something frightened in Gitano's breast.
With firm steps he came to the hilltop
''Who was he. 'Nita!"
''Who but that corregidor?' she an
swered archly.
what said he?"
Gitano.''
Leonita turned her face away.
HE said that mine is the beauty of the
night
Gitano's eyes flashed at the receding
horseman-
"Why of the night?" he asked.
Because" she faltered-''because-so
said the corregidor-my brow is the
moon touched snow upon the mountain
and my eyes are the glinting stars"
''Said he that? What more?'
"That my hair is the midnight cloud;
that my lips
She turned a pebble with her dainty
toe.
THAT my lips Gitano prompted.
care the dew bright berries of holly
awaiting the kiss of dawn-so said he.
the corregidor."
At the bend of the road the rider look
ed back and raised his glistening SOM
brero. Leonita waved her supple hand
and smiled. But when she turned again
to her companion the smile departed
from her lips, for the sadness of his eyes
rebuked her heart.
The next day and the next the rider
came, but Leonita was ever away with
Gitano in the lowland grove.
Then, as the third day closed, her IA
ther said to her:
"'Nita, thou art too much with Gil
tano. Let him go his way. Thou art no
longer a child"
But, my father, / am happy with Gil
tano."
$50 much the worse. Bide thee at
home. The corregidor will come again."
1.-The corregidorY'
"Aye. 'Nita: he hath seen thy beauty"
"What dost thou mean. my father?'
"Only that thy place is here. Let Gil
tano go his way"
Another day the rider came, and when
he went away Leonita's face was in her
hands.
''Silly child.' her father said. Thou
wilt be the corregidora, a great lady,
and ride in thy coach. Is this thy graft
tude for a fathers loving care?'
Gitano came at shutdown to learn why
Leonita had not kept their daily tryst-
Her father sat with them and told Gil
tano all-that the corregidor had smiled
upon her beauty and begged her for his
bride; that the fathers promise had been
given; that the notary was to come next
morning to seal the troth, and that until
then Leonita was to remain within.
Gitano heard as in dream The
words seemed to come over some vast
distance-even from some lightleSS world
whose fires had hickered out ages and
bn. fotb 10 7
nita weavered a message of the thread
upon her lap and trembled with excited
joy to see Gitano read it.
The moon was low, when call of
night bird softly fell through Leonitas
lattice.
"Gitano"
"'Nitar'
Cheek to cheek, they whispered from
their hearts, and in the meeting of their
lips were sealed pathetic vows of love be-
yond this life.
Then through the somber avenue of 81
lence they came again to view the
gloomy present.
''And spoke he only of the beauty of
thy face?" Gitano asked.
"Only of that" she answered.
81 would thou hadst no beauty, then"
Before they parted at the lattice Leo
nita begged one last memento of his hon
est love. A lush young vine grew in the
withered gum tree at the bottom of the
gorge.
Bring me sprig of that, Gitano, for
remembrance"
And when she took it from him she
babe him haste to battle his hands in
milk. Then Gitano knew the cruel ma
ture Of the vine.
''No, mol Not that! he cried.
But the lattice window closed.
In the morning light the father looked
on Leonita's face and horror paled his
own.
"'Nita," he gasped, sis it thee-my
child?'
'!Aye, my father, thy child
He swayed and closed his eyes.
"Say not So" he moaned. at cannot
be. My 'Nita was so beautiful-so beau
tifulr'
In overwhelming grief he sank upon
the floor and rocked and feebly beat his
breast.
80 santo Dios. What curse is this?''
Then came the other awful thought.
1.-THE corregidor will never take her
nowr' he cried.
''Why, my father? Doth he love me
for my face alone?"
But the father only walled as one gone
mad:
'"rhe corregidor! The corregidor! He
will not have her now"
Then came the rider with the notary.
''She was so much a child" the father
sobbed. "She played with young Gita-
no in the grove. She did not know the
devil vine would eat her beauty And
yet it hath but spoiled her face and not
touched her beautiful heart"
"Rustico," said the great corregidor,
''thou hast my earnest sympthy. Here is
q purse Of gold"
And with his notary he rode away.
When Gitano, with his scalded HANDS,
smoothed Leonita's hair, his tears ex-
pressed his heart.