The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-08-02
ROMANCE OF A TURQUOISE.
Life of Frenchman In Mexico a
Sacrifice to His Love.


Life of "A Frenchman In Mexico a
Sacrifice to His Love.
~, From the Chicago Tribune.
Since his return from Mexico j. C.
Thompson, district passenger agent for
the Northern Pacific, Railroad Com
pany in Chicago, has been wearing a
ring set with a stone of wondrous
beauty-a pure, perfect turquoise of
unusual size and brilliancy. It has ex-
cited no little comment among connois-
seurs, and the expert who set the stone
asked whence it was obtained. Be-
hind the story lies the tale of a sudden
flush in the turquoise market when
man was sent rushing from New York
to- Mexico to buy the output of the
newly discovered mine.
In the dry, dusty, sunbaked little
adobe town of Las Cruces, in the Rio
Grande Valley, between Albuquerque,
N. M, and FL Paso, Tex, where some
500 Mexicans toll away their dreamy
days, a young French barber named
De Mules cast his lot. De MULES was
plucky and enterprising and he soon
learned the language and became
known to all the travellers and tourists.
The young Frenchman was smiling
and happy, rolling out in soft accents
the bars from a love song, regardless
of heat and dust and other Mexican
discomforts. He saved his small earn
ings that he might one day return to
the land of his birth and to his widow
ed mother Walz & Co., dealers in
Navajo blankets and Mexican drawn
work, opals and topaZes, sent many
customer to the sunny young barber.
The dark eyes of a Spanish Senorita
peeped from under her drawn veil at
De Mules one day and his song grew
more tender and dreamy. Sometimes
he would break off in the middle of Ia
BARN the glory of his dreams.
Inez Merriam lived with her father
in one of the best adobes in the viii
lage. They ranked above the barber in
station, yet the soft-eyed Inez watch
ed for his passing to and from the
shop and listened for his song with
quickened heart beats.
De Mules realized the passion he
had aroused in the girls breast almost
as soon as he recognized his. own deep
love for her. Then, before the. ac-
quaintance was hardly begun, the Sc
norita's father swept down and for
bade the barber to cast SO much as
glance toward his daughter. She was,
he affirmed, affianced to Senior Vilque,
a Mexican, owner of many fine horses,
and whose chief accomplishment was
his excellent craftsmanship.
Poor De MULES submitted in out
ward behavior but grieved secretly,
and then told his troubles to the men
he shaved The senorita was guarded
closely by an old serving woman.
Throughout the Rio Grande Valley
and in the Oragos Mountains near by
are found beautiful topazes, opals,
amethysts and turquoises. One day an
idea lodged in De Mules head. If he
had money he could snap his fingers
at the senorita's father and bear his
sweetheart to his own country. In the
Orgaos Mountains there must be a
wonderful bed of the finest turquoise
in all the world. They meant wealth
to someone, why not to him? His eyes
glittered when he mentioned them, and
people began to tap their foreheads
significantly.
Mr.. Thompson dropped into the bar
ber's shop one morning. De MULES
had soon told him all about the glow
ing bed of turquoises, and with plead
ing eyes begged monster" to grub
stake" him.
"In do it, De Mules: how much do
you want?" was Mr.. Thompson's an
swer.
The little Frenchman threw down
his razor and Rugged his visitor, lather
and all, in his delight.
Three long months alone in the
mountains, going from rock to rock,
from crag to ravine. higher, ever higher
up the jagged sides of the Orgaos.
picking up a bit of stone, breaking il,
and looking fiercely into the pieces for
the bright CLEAN of the turquoise.
and then one day he appeared again
in Las Cruces. half starved, ragged
and with torn. gnarled hands.
He had strength enough left to find