The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1902-01-07
THE LAUGH OF FATE.
BY LEAvENwoRrH MAC Nan.

there was love in her heart; a smile and a
song on her lips. But that was at half-past
five, and she did not dream then that the
four students who had ordered dinner t
four bits plate would disappoint her
The dwarfed room was crowded with spicy
odors from the kitchen where the culinary
mysteries that compose Mexican dinner
were spelling to be eaten. Luisa stood at
the window, watching down the steep alley
and pllng lnvectlves on the students for
their pertidy. In patch of sunlight some
dirty, bedraggled children played in half
hearted sort of way. A goat was cleaning
promiscuous fodder from the cobbles. The
door of the Gianduja wine house framed the
globuar form of its proprietor.
Lulsa took no notice of these, however.
They were to her as much a part of the
alley as the tumbled houses and the cob
bles. Her gaze leapt beyond to where the
alley lost itself in the avenue that is the
business center of San Francisco's Latin
Quarter.
Luisa watched the passers-by on the ave-
nue. until the darkness made further watch
ing useless. Then she returned to the
kitchen to preserve the rejected feast for
the guests tomorrow might bring. A few
minutes later her unwelcome labor was in
terrupted by loud knocking and the rat
ting of the window shutters. The scowl
left Luisa's face. She knew all the time
the dear students would come, she told her.
self, as she fastened to answer the per.
cmptory summons
Enter, s. prs, - she said, cheeriy, throw
ing wide tn, loor
A man staggered over the threshold and
sank, half talnting, into a chair.
Mother, mother" he gasped, 81 must
have money. must fly. Already they may
be hunting me. l must have money. You
must get me money"
Luisa stared an instant at the bloodless
face, the fear-iled eyes Then she hastily
closed the door and shot the bolts. Then
she turned to where the man crouched like
hunted thing.
Pedro, my son!' she cried, what has
happened? What have you done? Pedro!
Pedro! = She grasped the hand of her son,
then shuddered back in horror. The hand
was wet with blood.
Pedro watched her action and resented it
There was tinge of defiance in his voice
when he spoke
Il have killed Calico Cortez. We were
playing cards in his ROOM cheated and
he saw it. He called me thief; the son
OF thief, and murderer. He said you
and my father We're driven from Mexico.
linen he assailed your name and my knife
cut the words from his lying tongue fled,
forgetting to withdraw the blade. They
may discover him any moment Listen.
What was that? must fly, mother. Unjust
have money!"
Heaven pity US, my boy, am penni-
less"
"Nonsense!" cried the son, in high anger.
will you let your avarice drive me even to
the gallows? You have lied to me often
enough. There is money here, and I'll
have it."
He sprang up and began to search the
room. The quest was vain Half frenzied,
he seized the woman by the throat, threat
ening her life unless she revealed the hid
ing place of her savings
by the blessed mother, swear"
you lie, curse you! You
There was sound of hurrying feet in the
street. Pedro's hands relaxed and his face
paled. He threw the fainting woman from
him and made dash toward the rear of the
house.
After little Tulsa struggled to her feet.
Pedro! Pedro!" she walled. There was
no response. He was gone, and in anger,
the son VINO was more to her than life Per-
haps already they had taken him. And he
would have to die, her beautiful Pedro
would have to die. She sank on her knees.
tearfully imploring pity and help.
Suddenly her sobs ceased The light of
hope came into her face. He might come
back, and there was the ruby! The ruby
would yield money enough to take Pedro
beyond the reach of the law-even to Mex.
leo.
Tulsa rose hastily and pinned skirt
across the frayed blind to effectually ex
clude prying eyes. Then she cautiously
opened the door and scanned the little yard.
Satisfied that no providers were about, she
returned to the kitchen She loosened the
neck of her dress and drew forth greasy,
worn leather case. Her hands trembled as
she unwound the cord twned securely
about it,
For years the ruby had been to her as
comforter. When life and love were Young.
Jose, her husband, had given her the level.
That was far away under the FURNISHED
skies of Mexico; far away, where Jose was
sleeping the trouble-free sleep.
The ruby was all that was left her from
those happy, singing days. She had chung
to it in the face of biting poverty. 1t was
to her sacred thing, made holy by the
memories it kept alive And now she must
part with her treasure. She held it close
to the aandle and gloated over its wonder
full beauty. pain shot through her throat,
where the fingers of her son had bruised the
tendons and smothered for moment her
mother love. Then the pain ceased and she
remembered the velvet clinging of baby
fingers and the pleading eyes that were like
Jose's. Then mother love triumphed.
She threw shawl over her head and hur-
ried from the house, toward the lights o.
the avenue. 49,.
Tulsa sought out jeweler with whom she
had often had dealings and offered the jewel
for sale, asking 500 for it,
The man examined the stone and looked
at Luisa's shabby attire. Then he laughed
and handed her treasure back.
Zone hundred dollars, sonora! You must
be joking. The thing is only glass. -Four
bits would be a big price for it. Soae one
has played a trick on you. Take my woru
for it, it's nothing but glass"
Luisa was dazed. She tottered from the
store and toward the hill. In her heart had
Weakened bitter hatred for Jose-Jose who
had been dust for 20 years.
III L. 1