The daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1904-1905, 1904-06-21
The Road Mia
CHI ore
By SARAH CoMSTOCK
Copyright. 1908, by 7. c. Mcclure

Eyes" 1t was entirely good tenn
pered. Therefore the other voice be-
came crosser.
whats the use primping two hours
for that mere nobody of Filiberto?"
ITO be sure, what is the useT' Can
dida's good temper was maddening.
Her mother was at the remote end of
the house, but she could see mentally
the smiling, tantalizing face that she
knew so well.
Candida's mirror smiled back at her.
1t was tiny mirror with a shabby
frame. but it held the loveliest and
most famous picture in all Alta Cali
fornia. The portrait was that of a
sixteen-year-old girl, strongly built and
exquisitely rounded, as those Castilian
girls of old California were-the COM
plexion a pure Castilian olive without
a tinge of rose; the eyes a sparkling,
vivid black; the hair as black as the
eyes, a splendid mass coiled high and
caught with a comb.
''Ah, but it is of use, even if Filiber-
to is a mere nobody. What do you
think, lovely senorita ?" she said to the
face in the mirror. The face laughed
back at her.
Candles were fastened to the wall on
each side OF the mirror, so that a
strong light was thrown on the face
therein. Candida could watch it to
good advantage as it grew lovelier I'M
der her skillful touch.
A lock of hair did not suit her. She
| brushed it, pulled it, unfastened it, re-
| fastened it, finally pulled down the
whole mass of hair in a heap and be-
| gan coiling it all over from the begin
ming.
you're the slowest of all my girls"
| fretted her mother in the dining room.
1t made no difference to her whether
| Candida was slow or not on this Occa-
sion, but she was out of sorts with all
! the world. She had expected that the
| comandante would invite her daugh-
ter to accompany him to the fandango
tonight. She had watched in vain for
the message. She saw her match
making blighted after being brought to
a critical point.
"Wbere's the girl?" growled a ter
rife voice. 1t was that of her husband.
"She's dressing"
"What for, when she's going with
nobody but Yorba? She had as well
wear her working gown"
"Ah, DiOs-after all our hOpes!'
Sonora BARRACKS wrung her fat hands.
Its of no avail to whimper about it
The girls been a fool, you may count
On that, no matter what she says
She's done something to annoy the
Stl1h
as her mother. She will reap as she
sows''
MY stubbornness made me marry
you" put in the sonora.
| "And you got better than you evel
deserved" He strobe out of the room
grumbling like thunderstorm.
Candida, adjusting her comb, heard
it all and smiled.
"Ah, madre mia, how blind you ar
in spite of your lynx eyes," she sait
| and took q note from her bosom.
Contrary to custom, l send this t.
you instead of to your mother" sh
reread with satisfaction. For it i
your answer l desire. Will you accom-
pany me to the fandango? If not
shall go to Santa Barbara on business
for the fandango without you wOul
j hold no charms"
Below was what any girl in CalifOr
MIA would have given her black eye
for-the signature of the popular &C
mandante.
No member of the family had see
the messenger ride up and deliver thi
note to Candida. Nor had any on
seen her send back her answer whic
read:
81 must beg to be excused from thi
fandango, for my ankle is still wea
since Pero threw me, and l dare nc
risk a dance"
Nor did any one know that she ser
another message to a certain nobody
The coast is clear. The conan
dante is going to Santa Barbara, so /
: will never know that go to the dane
Father will let me go with you for tt
once, for he thinks l have no other ii
yitatiOn.'
Candida's conscience shook off fl
as duck shakes off water. There ws
not a cloud on her brow as she mac
= herself lovely for the ball. Her faith
, had given a grumbling Eyes" to Fl
]. bertos invitation. He had refuse
8, over aud over to let the girl accompa1
rs this young man, whose fault was pc
q erty. but now pique played it's pal
and as he realized that the coma
r dante was not inviting Candida aft
o. all his promising attentions he I
); solved that she should not be left
home.
, II don't care; take her to the dan
: if you want to-" he said to Filiber
. Yorba. Then he went off mutteril
= curses on the head of the coma
" dante. They had gambled togeth
n many a time, and they had lain 81
=. by side in their cups when the aguar'