The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-09-12
NINITA.

When Philip Delmar exchanged the
| hard, uncongenial climate of his native
New England states for the semi
tropical ATTITUDES of Arizona. he hoped
only for a temporary respite from the
sentence of death which his doctors had
imposed upon him. He settled up his
few affairs and babe goodbye to his
| friends and relatives, thankful that he
had never married, and would leave
none bearing his name to mourn for
.-ss-s.
That was sixteen years ago. Here he
was alive and well, the fortunate owner
of a rich mine. living in a handsome
4 home, and married-aye, there is the
| half-Mexican concert singer, with
whom he was madly in love, people
said. Otherwise why did he marry her,
girl who could have been had for the
asking, so the American contingent de-
| clared. And he had taken her away
from Apache Jim, the handsome half
/ breed who had been educated by the
government, and had more rich mining
I claims than he could count on the be-
/ ringed fingers of his two hands When
he took a fancy to Ninita-Spanish for
baby girl''-he built her a concert hall
in the worst town in the region of
Prescott, and made money from her
musical notes. He dressed her like
high-born Mexican lady, beat her, and
burned her finery in his tantrumS, and
swore that some day he would kill her.
Delmar. Sweet-tempered and obedient,
she sat al home and waited for her
husband. She had been married year
and yawned YEARLY most of the time
when she was not praying her thanks
TO the Virgin for giving her such a
good home and husband.
Ninita would have been glad to talk
with old Terese, their one servant, but
from that privilege, and she four 1 ref
uge in her musical occupations, her
piano and guitar, and the practice of
her rare contralto voice
Il sing for my Felipe she would say
sWeetly, the little brown thing, dressed
by Philip in American clothes, such as
he remembered that his mother and
sister wore, and looking so incongruous
amid her surroundings.
yes, my Nina"-to him she was al
ways Nina-"sing to your Philip and
charm away. his mood, as David
Soothed SAUL
80? He was Americana. You Iofe
him. too?''
Then this grave, elderly man would
laugh al her, he who had snatched her
as brand from the burlington her
souls salvation was it, or for her ma
tive charm and beauty?
She yawned again and looked at the
watch at her belt. To old Terese lott
ering near she said:
Tree o'clock and he comes not my
Felipe. Oh, if he hurts-die-my hyart
go broke lofe him So"
With that she gave a great start
Coming out between the walls of the
W1lllamS Canyon was man on horse
bac!. and it was not her husband
Philip Delnar. He was a far hand
somer man. and he sat his fiery Next
can mare with grace that tailed well
with his picturesque outfit. There was
riot of color in his ensemble. Ninita's
eyes flashed with the old haIf-wicked
light that had been cuenched for a
year. This was a cavalier grand, su-
4 md -
but that was nothing; she had not hat
ed him. Yes, it was Apache Jim He
had been incarcerated in a Jail in AL
puquerque for year. Now he was
Tree and looking for Nina and ioy at
seing him made her forget her hus-
band.
so you run off with the Senior Amer
lcano y he said after a scant salutation
lou come back now with me-yes -
NO, no. He marry me; he give me
dose" She held up a slender brown
hand and showed him the plain hand of
gold, her wedding ring, guarded by
superb diamond. Me wife now
so! But you come to me-my Ninita
that make no difference-you hear2"
He grasped her shoulder rudely and
turned her about to face him. His teeth
clicked savagely and the force of that
cruel hand was crushing her arm. But
the violence was dearer to her than
caress-the Americana lover was too
tame. She often longed for blow.
Me go with you leetle of the way"
she said, temporizing. How splendid to
her eye the rude bearing, the barbaric
opulence of his dress, while she was not
any more like her people, not even d
rehOso or the common tapia to remind
her that she was the descendant of
don
Me ride to the chaparraI with you,
Jim; you watt
She sent Teresa for her horse while
she ran upstairs and slipped into the
braided cloth habit that she wore when
riding. Her husband permitted a con-
cessioa here. Every button was a mug
get of solid gold, with the initial letter
of her name engraved on it. When she
rejoined Apache Jim, she called his at
tention to the buttons. There are women
who play with fire. Nina was one of
them.
Her horse was a fiery mustang that
never felt whip or spur. Its nature was
TO like the wild things of the plain,
and Nina was allowed to ride it because
1t could carry her swiftly out of danger.
Now she hurried and sprang to the sad
die before her old lover could reach her.
She did not want to have the so good
Senior Americana" find them together.
She was beginning, too, to feel afraid,
not of Apache Jim, but of herself.
Teresa, watching them, the two
talking earnestly together as they rode
rapidly down the darkening sides of the
great valley. Once her young mistress
turned back, but the man caught the
bride of her mustang, and the two dis
appeared, swallowed up in the darkness.
Philip Delmar made no search for his
lost wife, feeling absolutely certain that
she had gone of her own free will. But
he marked the time when Apache Jim
would throw her aside, and there would
be none to care for her. Never could ne
see her again. but through others he
would save her from the final wreckage
which was sure to come. And one day
he heard a strange story. Apache Jim
was in Yuma-had been there for a long
time, but Ninita was not with him-had
never been there. Then Philip Delmar
went to meet his enemy and have a
reckoning.
They faced each other at table in the
public plaza and neither fiinched. Apa-