The Somerset reporter., 1901-12-26

height. Guanajuato was turning out
from its serpentine Streets close built
and i'll smelling its hordes of human
ity, from the family of the Goberna-
dor, handsome, well dressed and mod
ern, down to the swarms of beggars,
with sightless eyes and deformed
limbs, bearing in their bodies the mark
cf Mexico. With her dark past.
The whole movement was toward the
Presa, the upper town, where the arts
tocratic element had by natural law
appropriated to itself the better air,
prodgal in sunshine and flowers, clean
water and fresh breezes, secure against
the ever present dread of typhus.
Reservoirs supplying the city with
water gave the location its name, and
now, on the recurrence of his birthday,
st. John, the apostle of healing wa
ters. was to cleanse the city. The
gates were to be opened and the presas
were to empty their flood into the now
nearly dry river bed, carrying with 1t
in mad rush to the Lagos the years
accumulation of disease and debris,
The wealth and ultra fashion were
out in carriages. Laughing faces of
dark eyed senoritas dividing the attep-
ton with the picturesque vendors of
holiday dulces or sweets, impossible
gyrating monsters, ear splitting wills
Ties and rafting devils boxes, wildcap
little urchins who played cart wheel
and leapfrog or did tricks for centayos.
But the browning event was to be the
annual bullfght, in which, instead of
professional matadores, young cabal-
leros, men of high social rank. were to
contend for the honors bestowed by
the fair hand of the queen of beauty.
Great preparations had. been made
for this special function, and long be-
fore the appointed hour the rose gar
landed old amphitheater, where since
the days of Cortes man and beast had
met in an uninterrupted series of I'M
equal combats, was filled to overflow
ing.
On one side rose tier upon tier of
dark eyed senoritas. closely guarded by
ever watchful senoras; on the other
side young bloods (haciendados), with
the tightest of trousers and broadcast
of sombreros, heavily loaded with gold
and silver trappings, here and there
one in tailoring from the latest Pari-
sian models. for everything French is
undeniably dear and desirable to the
Mexican heart.
While awaiting the arrival of the
queen of the fiesta the audience cen
tered its attention upon two men in
their midst-Philip Carter, the energet-
ic. elegant American, whose homage to
] the royal Isabella during his few
weeks soiourn In Guanaiuato had al
ready given him notoriety. and Senior
Enrique Costello, a recognized sutton,
even now playing the bear" for her
favor.
The presence of the latter. one of the
best of their senores matadores. In the
audience, signifying that he WAS to
have no part In the fray, was causing
evident comment among his friends
They could not know how the weary
waiting for a signal from his love. the
Jealous devotion newly stimulated by
Il demon CT jealousy born of Carriers
evident favor with the girl, the very
ardor of his passion had consumed his
strength to such an extent that he
knew better than to trust his future to
a hand that tremhled If but In the pres
ence of her he loved.
But the Senorita lsabella's royal
beauty as she now sat enthroned in the
midst of her maids of attendance, the
lovely face with its brilliant eyes peep
ing from the meshes of exquisite lace.
the hand wrought mantilla without
which no queen of the bulltight is
regally arrayed. lips ripe and red as
the heart Of a pomegranate, were fast
arousing in him the desire to bring
upon himself not the mere smile and
victor's wreath, the applause of the
audience, but a tribute to daring that
should carry with it herself and her
love.
What did she want of the love of
gringo?
Because she had lived In their coun-
try a few months did she know them
with their heart of ice? Did sho think
her lover tropical enough to warm
home in the north into any semblance
of her country?
lie had felt so unneryed, so wearied
with the pacing to and fro In heat and
cold, day and night, In front of her
dwelling, walking where she walked,
waiting where she rested and seeing
the smile that belonged to him by ey-
cry precedent of their race given to
big Americana, a gringo from over the
line,
But jealousy, strong as death In
Mexico, can also give strepgth
Two bulls had already been slain,
and the third had dangling from his
shoulders six gayly decorated bande-
rillas, or sharpened goads. Furious and
snorting, he was waiting to attack the
red cloth, this time to his death, when
a shout, lost in a roar of fear sounded
far up and down the city.
\ man, placing his hands on the bar
rier dividing the audience from the
arena, had us deliberately leaped over
it to death as n sehoolboy to play.
Snatehing the red rag, he approached
the maddened beast who WAS paving
the ground. believing with pain and
anger. gathering his fury for final
charge upon those who dared to so tor
ture him
The noise of the audience died into