Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1902-01-09
| As Told at
Martins y y
BY Beatrix Beiiido De Luna.
,copynsht. isol. By Authors syadiosss.,
THE night was warm. and the
drinks refreshing TO our dusty


drinks refreshing TO our dusty
mouths. Walters passed noiselessly
TO and fro, bearing trays laden with
tall glasses. the electric fans overhead
buzzed with giddy whirr, and there
was a dancer on the stage who was
good to look upon. Altogether, Mar
tins was much more pleasant place
to be than In the sultry atmosphere
outside.
THAT girl" said Brown. slowly, eye
ing the dancer through curling clouds
of smoke. as she snapped her cas-
tansts, and twisted her 1.-THE figure In
the rhythmic measures OF a Spanish
dir, reminds mo OF woman knew In
Cuba"
"Is II q story. Brown2" questioned
Lester.
"well, rather" our friend replied.
emphatically. Like to hear III"
We assented eagerly. for Browns
stories were usually worth listening
20.
"As ! said before" he began, ut was
In Cuba. i was there for the paper,
just before the Spanish American war
broke out. and saw the conflict
through. Most OF the time, after hos
tilities were declared, was nll over
the island. wherever the fighting was.
but st first ] was quartered at Ha-
vana, and IL was there that knew
Antonina.
"She had como from Paris and was
dancing ut the Tacon theater. The
oity was mad over her. after the fash
ion OF the Latin race, and, In fact. she
made even my phlcgmatic Anglo
Saxon blood run quicker than was its
wont. She was hardly beautiful.
though | have never seen such eyes be-
fore, or since. She had small wicked
face. was slender almost TO thinness,
and not very tall. But to see her
dancel am sure no one has equaled
her. Every motion was daring. poet
heal. and possessed the very essence
of grace. She was absolutely Mistress
OF her art, and OF her nudiences.
II don't know what she was, but
mostly Spanish blood, although some
said she had strain OF French-some
said Arabian, and some even limited at
the African. but whatever her nation
shty, her magnetism was marvellous.
The gallants flew wildly at her
feet. She was looked upon with hor-
ror by the church. although II was
said--but never mind that. She tan
talized her lovers. laughed at them,
Tilted them. yet chained them to her.
Among her most constant admirers
was Gen. Ruiz. OF the Spanish army.
He seemed to be more favored than
the others. but was insanely Jealous,
In fact bereft Of all reason.
political matters were very much
strained-feeling between Spaniards
and the Cubans had reached its high.
eat pitch, Not q day passed without
q duel, OF n quarrel, or an arrest. Yet
In spite Of this. Antonina danced every
night TO u crowded house, and the
pleasure loving city, although honey.
eombed by plots and intrigues. for
got, for the moment, all save the mo-
ments enjoyment.
The man most dreaded by the Span.
sh ofieiaIs was one Juan Sanchez, an
insurgent leader. He was the son Of
wealthy planter who had hgured
prominently In q former outbreak.
and had been eriled TO Ceuta, spain's
penal colony In Africa. The son, grow.
Ing 70 manhood and finding himself
an outoAst, embraced the rebel cause
and had made himself troublesome.
lie had gathered his recruits from
neighboring provinces. and hvsd In
the mountains, evading every effort
OF The government 10 capture him.
Il do not know how u came about.
but Ruiz evolved the idea OF affecting
his capture through Antonina. The
general possessed diamond OF snor.
nous value, family jewel, and this
he promised 10 the woma n II she would
lure the outlaw 10 her hous. An
toEina had long coveted the stone,
and had tried every one Of her wiles
70 obtain II, so IL can be understood
that she readily promised to attempt
the task
1T might be thought that this was
q most difficult Undertaking, but Ruiz
had his spies everywhere, aud An
tonins her willing slaves one night.
when Sanchez was In the rii, on n
secret mission, he was takru tn The
theater, by one Of his own frn. .d.. To
see Antonina dance; was introduced
20 her after the performance, aud,