The Sunday globe., 1901-07-28
The Tragedy of a Cuban Couples
Lives.
THE WIFE WHO WAS FAITHLESS
And The Punishment Inflicted BY The WrOnged
Husband for Beraylng His Honor - The
Five Dollar Gold Piece Demanded for Her
Honor - SanOhOs Forgiveness and The
Necklace Of Pearls.

scattered the dogs ran with side
glances and barked at him from a dis
tance. Sancho had the sieuth-like
movements that betokened the jungle.
bred Cuban and a nose that gave more
than a hint Of the Jew; yet his feet
had the tripping movement that goes
with men who tread the planks of a
ship. A lamp-lit pavement was no place
for him; his personality cried for a
cane swamp or a river-girt plantation
paclsed with singing negroes.
The riding light Of his schooner far.
ed duly in the misty river bend below;
all along the pier were close-drawn fig
ures Of men and women trafficking in
handshakes and other ebullitions that
are the stockintrade OF the sirens who
greet men from the sea.
Sancho hated the wharf siren. The
monotony Of the sea had bred in him
a few fixed ideals, a love Of his wife
and hearth; and it was this love that
kept him from the shadows of the
wine cup that lead to the murderous
deepS where the sirens are
His love OF his own was the tigers
love, playful, kittenish, yet behind it a
White.toothed menace that is the first
and last prerogative of the carnivora.
The news Of the schooner's arrival
had not reached his wife Juanita; her
absence was proof of that Juanita
was a Spanish creole of the common
place New Orleans type; but it had
been condescension in her to marry
SanchO, the Cuban; and so Sancho al
ways felt it, He looked up to his hand
some, coarse, passionate wife and Gag
erly did her bidding, And when their
little daughter had come, his mans
worship of the woman had gained
something Of the devotees worship of
his divinity. SanchOs love was his re.
ligion.
And Junita loved him too, though
she hectored him and scolded him.
Sancho accepted her rule as meekly as
her love, and was grateful for both.
Diving into a narrow street, Sancho
slouched past the garden-fronted cot
tages where children played and wom
en- crossed in the DARK of the veran.
dahs. He began to wonder if little Els
tella had forgotten him at all during
the month Of his absence, trading
round all the little Cuban coast vii.
lagos. 1t occurred to him that a sea.
faring life was not conducive to doms.
tic happiness The lonely sea oppress.
ed him at times and filled him with
cravings for his wife's presence, for
the dimpled caresses Of his little
daughter. And he had only the gray
seas hammering like Vulcans at the
schoOner's ribs to comfort him. Juan
ita and Estella were always so far
from him, but he thought he knew how
they felt in his absence, how they were
filled with a great gladness when he
came home. Some day he would give
up sailoring and open a shop-second
hand clothes, jewelry good
| pickings, he unused. His wife Juanita
! could sit in the doorway and keep an
eye on the goods hung outside Juan
ita was very pretty. All, that was
something to bring a sailorman home
She had Spanish eyes. los! her feet
were as small as a child's.
A thick Cubano took sudden refuge
between his teeth and it's immediate
incense cheered him like a plantation
melody. In his pocket was a pearl
necklace he had bought in Santiago
for the little Estella. His fingers
closed over it as he thought of the
pleasure it would give her. Some of
the street pickpockets might ease him
OF it. aCarmba, they would have to
break his hand first,
He turned into lane where chill
dren were beating each other and
bowling. The lane was blocked at the
end by a high wall; his cottage stood
directly beneath There was garden
in front with sea-shels and mignon-
ette along its borders.
His hand gripped the dOor-knocker,
but a sudden thought stayed him; he
seized the door.knob instead and push
ed it open.
The unwelcome darkness of the in
terror chilled him. Juanita's bedroom
was at the rear Of this little building
A thln slice Of light came through the
door not quite closed. She had eyi-
IDENTIFY lit candle. Santa Maria, how
amazed she would be! He fancied he
could hear little Estella's quick gasp
of surprise. How sweet was his home
comingl He flung off his thick coat,
and the roar OF the ocean seemed to
die from his ears.
"Juanita, Juanita." he called in
Spanish; 81 have come home, San
cho! | have come hOme!' He moved
forward and stood.
A terrible oath answered him. Then
he heard Juanita's sob and the thump
of feet on the floor. The door shut,
Sancho Mendoza leaned against the
door while a cold sweat took him be-
tween the shoulders "Who is in the
room, Juanita?' he whispered childish
ly. 81 have been away. | do not un-
derstand.'
A silence followed-the kind of ST.
lonce that sometimes gets a hanging
Judge by the throat.
"Juanita?' The Cuban spat with
dry lips; a hurricane of blood tramp
ed through his STOPPING body, His
wife's answer came in the slow whim-
per Of a desperate woman. an Di0s
miOi AH en- HOmbre de tOdOS los san
tos" There was no pity for her. The
devil had tempted. "AB en- HOmbre-"
The Cuban heard the rest and a
sound like the swirl Of the Gulf
stream roared in his ears. Again he
felt the loneliness Of the ocean and
silence in which some men measure
eternity Tick, tick, tick He heard
his own watch as though It were
speaking to the pistol that lay almost
against Il.
Juanita walled like a sick child.
Sancho threw away his cigar and
braced himself
i have been away. You do not care.
Very WELL do not reproach you. Tell
the man to come out"
The voice of the unseen guest an.
sNared him u rnnlnn un1,rn hniled