The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-02-18
MeLquiades.
BY EDGAR WELTON COOLEY.

Copyright. 1902, by Daily Story Pub Co
AS the stage swung suddenly around
a bend in the road and swept along the
banks Of Phantom lake, ] caught a
glimpse of a white cross shining brightly
in the rays of the setting sun some dis
lance back from the road.
And as | was gazing at this lonely
grave wondering if it hid a tragedy, |
saw man rise from the mesquite bushes
beside it and drag himself away into the
dusk-a man so Shrunken, so defOrmed,
so bent with pain, that l shuddered.
Poor DEVIL said the grizZled driver at
my side, cracking his whip over the
heads of his leaders, poor devil, there
he goes, wounded in flesh, wounded in
spirit and the light snuffed out Of his
He paused a moment, gazing silently
over the valley. Then he turned to me
sharply.
what man will do for the love Of a
woman Now there's Melquiades Lopez,
that's him you saw dragging MS mlser-
able body, like a wounded coyote, over
the sand and the cactus--there's Melqu1-
ades endurin the pangs and the tor
lures Of hell and all on account of the
beautiful face Of a woman.
And yet, Gawd, l can't say that l
blame him. If you ever saw Piney-" he
lapsed into silence. His rough, brown
face grew saddened ard he sighed. Then
he resumed:
girl-a dream that seemed to throb in
each drop of your blood pulsing warm In
your veins.
ed inc her eyes and saw the bright gilt
ter that leaped from their ebony depths.
1t gave me feeling of loneliness, like
was layin' out here on the plains gain
up at the stars through the heart of the
midnight And her Eair-GaWd, her hair!
1t fell over the snow Of her shoulders as
misty, as thick and as soft as the vapors
that kiss the white broWs Of the noun
tains over there at st. Martins
Her face-when God made that face
he united the sweetness of June and its
roses with the mellower CLEAN of Oc-
tober 1t was a face that seemed plead
ing seemed begging for love, and made a
man willing to part with his soul just to
feel the soft touch of her arms round
his neck and the dew of her breath en-
his forehead
He frowned and suddenly f1inching his
whiIlasn. hit the bud from cactus.
but the trail that led to her heart
was staked with bullets that Missed IN
their wrath and the CLEAN of her eyes
was never more deadly or bright than
the flash of the bowies clasped tight In
the hands driven made by her magic.
THE trouble began at dance gived
down on the Pecos when Piney was
only sixteen. No flower that God ever
dropped down into this desolate valley
was fairer than she was that night as she
sat where the mellow light fell on far
proud little head and her Voluptu9SS
arms and her gently pulsating BOSOM
In the wonderful silk of her hair
there was fastened a cluster of roses as
red as her lips, and her graceful young
form was enveloped in immaculate white
that deepened the jet of her eyes.
THAT was the fairy that laughed and
chatted and tossed her curls and danced
madly over the hearts OF the BOYS to
the strains of the screening old fiddle
that Uucle Bill Claveness played as he
sat on a barrel in a corner The COM
bination was ripe for raising the devl
and hell was to pay before the ball was
half over.
Just how the row started has never
ben settled, but, all Of sudden, hush
seemed to settle, the face of the girls
turned pale, and the boys placed their
hands on their guns, as all eyes were