The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1903-07-24


wear : white cross on your shoulder.
will wait for you at the pottery stall 81
old Pancha- Then Mexico adiosg'
The girl watched the shadows set
Ting down over the festive city, and
SUNNI oned all her courage for this
fatefnl step. As she looked cbout
her, she felt the very walls that had
sheltered SO many dutiful Cardenas
daughters must cry out against her,
but what else could she do?
The old bishop of Arezzo, the fam
lily confessor, was holding a solemn
conclave in the room below with
Miguel and the sonora. So. slipping
into her disguise, she waited for the
noises of the household to settle
down into a twilight quiet. - -:
''The only safeguard is a convent -
she heard her brother saying as she
crept toward the half-open door.
But as they sat so calmly deliber-
ating upon her fate, little did they
dream that at that moment, that
very instant, not three yards from
them, the little rebel was stealing
past them out into the world. Once,
in the course of their discussion,
something had caused the old sonora
to stop and listen. Was it a door
creaking on rusty hinge, she asked
herself, or rat scampering through
the thick adobe wall? On the other
side of the partition the little fugi-
tive stood breathless. The noise was
not repeated, however, so the voice
of the sonora arose again and droned
on in its argument as to the respect
i've merits of the different sister
hoods.
The fugitive daughter wondered if
these old souls, who could dispose so
calmly of another life, had forgot
ten the joys of the heyday of their
own youth, or if the good rich blood
had ever caroused through their veins
as hers did now. She crushed her
toy-basket close to her heart to still
the tumult of it's beating for fear it's
loud knocking must arouse the
house. -
The shadows had wrapped the city
in merciful monotone of gray as
she slipped out the door, under the
armorial bearings of the house of
Cardenas, whose name she was no
longer to bear. Never before had
she been out in the street alone. Old
Carmela had always been as close as
her shadow; but, as she remembered
she was no longer herself, but for
the nonce mere peon toy-vendor,
she held her basket close, and turned
toward the plaza. The tide of travel
was still set in that direction, for
the evening was the gayest time of
all. So, falling in with the throng,
she was soon an Insignificant atom in
the crowd.
Arrived upon the plaza, the eyes of
the Senorta Cardenas widened with
excitement. This was the first time
in her life she had mingled so closely
with the market-place rabble. The
haggling of the buyers, the solicit
ing of the vendors, the babel of
tongues, the yelping of the dogs, the
curious-looking foreigners, made up
as strange a. sight to the carefully
brought up little Spanish girl *as to
the rankest outsider. Her cheeks
glowed and her eyes burned with the
thrill of novelty, and, forgetting
about her toys, she stood lost in won
der at the life about her. The plaza
with it's people, it's booths, it's
groups of bull-fghters, flower-girls,
and grandees, all jostling shoulders
good-natured haste, might be a full
dress rehearsal of Carmen" she
thought.
At every step deeper into the crowd
her safety became surer. She began
to wonder what would happen at
home when they discovered her
fight. She smiled to herself at the
CONSERVATION that would easue when,
after deciding finally upon which
convent she should enter, they found
their bird had flown.
Just then, a rude party of Mexi-
can youths, seeing the smiling little
toy-vender, stopped with a familiar
jest and tried to talk with her. Now,
for the first time, she realized her
forlorn position. A sudden fear
seized her that she might in some
way miss Randol in all this great
crowd. Then a new fear clutched
her heart. What if, after counting
the danger her abduction would bring
upon his head, he had failed her!
The next instant she banished the
thought, for straight beyond, tower
ing above the crowd, she saw the tall
erect figure of Randol jostling every
body out of his way in haste to reach
the stall of old Pamela in time. The
girl watched him with already the
pride Of possession. How different
he was from the other men she saw!
How handsome and fine! The mans
keen eyes were scanning every face
that passed. Purposely, she drew in
to corner to watch him and realize
the fact that it was for her his eyes
were so intent and his face so eager.
She could wait and prolong the joy
of the coming moment, for when they