The professional world. (Columbia, Mo.) 1901-192?, 1902-08-15

layout, his blood spattered the stack
of chips that Pete had coppered on the
queen.
Her name was Jesuscita Espanosa,
but the people of the wild west show
called her Susie. In the street parades
the crowd always applauded when Susie
passed, tricked out in a spangled bo-
lero jacket, red waist, a yellow skirt
overlaid with black lace work and a
sugar loaf sombrero canted sideways
on her head. In the performance she
charged with the cowboys to the rescue
when the Indians attacked the stage
coach. With her horse at full tilt, the
reins swinging loose on her neck, her
eyes blazing. her cheeks full of color and
her black hair streaming back on the
wind, she made a pretty picture as che
rode in the van of the b~uckskin-clad
frontiersmen.
To have dreamed day dreams of An
dalusia vas to have known Susie. Of
ten, in Imagination, you have lounged
by some Spanish roadside while, with
a show of w%ell-turned ankles, just such
a girl danced a f%andango to the music
CT castanets. In the PLACE de toros you
have caught sight of her in holiday col
ors. standing tiptoe on her seat, crying
"Bravo!" with kindling face as the
matador drove his espada home in the
heart of the bull. On a summer night,
when o%leanders made the air sweet and
the noon was white on the distant ST.
erras, you have seen her lean from a
1atticed balcony and drop a rose to a
cavalier stunning a serenade on his
guitar in the shadows beneath.
Though a Mexican of the humber
classes, she had nothing in common
with the peon type. In vivacity, Ian
gor, passion, she was pure. Castilian.
Her face had a dewey freshness, a pen
sive sweetness in repose. When she
spoke, it sparkled. When she smiled
it lighted up as if an electric spark had
frightened suddenly behind the mask
Of her features. Her dainty figures
was finely nodded, and from her little
feet to her proud head she looked a
thoroughbred. Her big, lustrous brown
eyes seemed made for the melting
glances of love alone. Looking into
,heir clear depths, it was difficult to
imagine that they had ever cleaned
with murderous f~erocity along the bar
rel of a siX-shooter.
la bala lie penetro los dos ojos,'
said Mexican Pete. Eel cayo muerto
sobre la mesa. Su sangre Sc esparcio
sobre una pila de fichas que estavan
apostados sobre la reina."
Proving, as you see, that the look of
a woman's eyes is 40 index to her char
acter.
Down in a village in a valley of old
Mexico. where Susie grew to woman
huod, two lovers sued for her hand,
and only one found favor in her eyes.
Juan, the accepted one, was a cavalier
for the little beauty. He was well
formed and handsome. He rode like a
vaquero. None danced the fandango
with more grace. He sang quaint Span
ish ballads to his guitar with such a
fetching voice and air that half the
maidens of the countryside would have
been his for the asking. AS the old
women of the village crouched by the
adobe walls in the sunshine and gossip
ed over their cigarettes, they smiled
with satisfaction when Juan and his
sweetheart happened by.
"What a pretty pair!" they said.
"They were made for each other
At last the wedding day was fixed.
There came a Sunday when the good
padre published the banns in the old
church in the plaza. Bright-faced girls
fore gathered atSusie's home and laugh
ed and chartered as they sewed upon
her bridal clothes. The happiest two
in all the length and breadth of the
valley were Susie and her sweetheart,
Juan. Lost in their dreams and their
passion, they forgot Ramon, Susie's dis
carded suitor-crafty, evil-eyed Ramon
Gonzales, whose love, disappointed, had
turned to hatred, and who bided his
time to strike.
Sitting in the moonlight in front OF
Susie's home, Juan's fingers strayed
idly over the strings of his guitar, max
ing soft, f~ragmentary music. His
sweetheart sat beside him, her head
resting on his shoulder. On the NOR
row they were to be welded. In fancy,
they heard the bells Ginning merrily in
the gray belfry. They beheld the
church crowded with people in gala at
tire. They saw maidens strew flowers
for the bridal pair. They heard the
voice of the padre at the altar as he pro-