The Pickens sentinel-journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1903-1906, 1904-05-11
A PIECE OF SCARF
[Origlnal.1

lie was n young man with fair hair
and blue eyes and above oil n winning
smila. He asked Marina If he might
have ono OF her flowers growing In
bed beside the door and when no did so
smiled at her. That wos tho last Of
Marlna's peace OF mind. Edwin Coop
or, the stranger, young civil engi-
nccr OH the railroad being built through
tho valley below, had plucked her heart
as easily rs he mad plucllcd her flower
But there Is danger In picking hearts
In those tropical gardens. 1t Is like
touching one Of the beautiful insects
Of the country. Marina did not sting
Cooper, but one Narvaez, dirty little
Mexican, who had seen the engineers
smile and how it went to heart that
he had in vain tried to appropriate, was
ma1o his enemy. and such enemles,
who invariably strike In the dark, are
to be dreaded. When Cooper went the
next day no had cut an end from
faded many colored scarf Marina wore
She followed him TO the gate, chatter
Ing as she went, and the last thing
Cooper said to her was, "See, l will
wear your souvenir in my buttonhole>"
Cooper had no sooner departed than
Narvaez, who had been present the
evening before-indecd he hnd been
hanging abeHt Marina NEST OF tho time
entered and upbrahcd her for her
conduct toward the stranger This con-
duct had been without excuse, for Ma
rinn was betrothcd to Narvaez. She
had consented to be his wife not bo-
cause she loved him. but because he
was the first man she had met since
she emerged from childhood. She did
not seem to DO at ali ashamed Of hay
Ing been led aside so easily She told
Nnrvaez In patois Spanish that he was
a miserable specimen OF humanity and
the stranger was n god. Narvacz was
so beside himself with rage that he
was tempted to run q knife into her,
but was too much infatuated with her
to do so. IIe resolved that ne would
take revenge OH the Americana.
Cooper continued to wear the bit Of
scarf in his buttonhole. Whether ho
didn't have time to take 1t out or
whether he expected that he might
meet the little girl from whom he got
1t and desired to let her see that he
valued 1t. no one knows. Several OF
his associates ed him what it meant
was 1t the badge OF a society, n dec.
oration-what was It? But he only re-
piled that he had got It from girl
One day Cooper was carrying n theod-
olite, which he occasionally set up
on three legs, looked through 1t Mt
rod on which was a slide and made
some figures in his notebook. lie
found 1t tedious process, and once
while ho sent his rotlsman forward
long distance he sat down on the grass
to walt. There was no one else about,
and he sat enjoying the solitude anil
listening to tho birds. Suddenly n
huge stone came down on his head and
crushed his skull. The rodsman, not
hearing or seeing anything from him
for some time, finally went back TO
find out what was tho matter. Cooper
was dead.
There was no clew to the murderer.
CoOper's Yaluables had not been taken;
Mt least none was missed, and no one
could understand how any person could
have had any interest In numbering
ANOl iplIB lllc lIuHtNY NHf-
Vae1 renewed his attentions to Marina,
who, so far as he could SEQ, had for
gotten the handsome stranger.
when shall we be marrledY' said
the little Mexican one day to Marina.
"Tli tell you," she replied. "Wo Will
be married when you bring me the bit
OF my scarf gave tho engineer"
II bring you tho bit of scarf! How
could l get itT'
"You must find 1t. Perhaps he left
II 0mong his clothing. You might steal
It."
II will not do such n thing"
Then Will not marry you"
From that time Marina would have
nothing to do with him. At last one
day he brought hor the souvenir. Then
sho named day for tho wedding.
On that day while Nnrvaez was put.
ting on new suit Of clothes he had
bought at store for his marriage he
was arrested and carried before the
Judge. There were present number OF
the men employed on railroad construc.
ton, and sitting In a conspicuous place,
wearing on her bosom tho bit of scarf
which shO had made the price OF her
consent, was Marina. Narvaez looked
at her In establishment. She returned
his look with cold bloodcd stare
Narvaez was accused OF the murder
OF Cooper, and Marina was called to
the stand. She told her story, giving
an account OF Cooper's visit and the
giving him the bit OF scarf, ending her
testimony in this wise:
II knew, senior Judge that Narvaea
had killed the Americana, but could
not make him be punished without the
proof knew the Americana would
wear my scarf, for he promised me.
When heard that II was not found on
him / suspected Narvaez had ii as n
trophy. pretended not to suspect Mar
vaez Of the murder, but tod him he
must steal 1t for me from the America.
nos clothes. At last he brought It to
me-"
1t did not take long to convict Mar.
vaez Of the murder. Just before he was
led away he seized an iron inkstand
from table and before he could be
prevented hurled II at the girl he had
supposed he was to marry that day and
who instead of becoming his bride had
become tho Amerlcano's avenger. For.
a L.N.. n.