The Starkville news. (Starkville, Miss.) 1902-1960, 1904-01-22

of you for toast.
He resumed his seat amid the bois
terous hurrahs of his companions. For
awhile, in answer to Lopez's request,
toasts of different characters were given |
amid the general laughter of the guests. |
When all had spoken someone re-
marked
"Servedo has not spoken, and man |
loved by the peerless Margarita must
have much to say"
Lopez smiled and refilling his glass |
began:
Certainly; l have much to say and |
will not shrink the task. have story |
I wish you to hear, but before | relate |
it I want you all to drink toast with |
me-"
All raised their glasses and waited. |
Lopez turned to Margarita, saying:
''You will drink out of my glass this |
time, drinking only half, leaving the |
other half for me-"
Smilingly she put down her glass and |
Lopez began:
81 drink to the most beautiful, the |
most outwardly perfect woman in the |
world. to Margarita Toreno."
All glasses were drained and after |
Margarita had drunk half of what was
In Lopezs he swallowed the rest, adding |
with smile:
This is our love troth," and he re- |
sumed his seat. Now for my story"
Silence" cried the others, Lopez |
has got story. Listen to the story"
After awhile the noise ceased and Lo- !
pez began:
This is a true story, every word OF |
it is true, so note we'll what | say. 1t
was three years ago, a young man pass |
ing by cigarette factory saw lovely |
girl in plain dress leaving the building |
She was beautiful, with beauty which |
came from pure soul and noble heart. |
Well, he was young, ardent, and she
pleased him. He sought her out, saw
that she was virtuous, though poor, and
unable to get her any other way he mar
ried her in secret, since his rank and |
his parents pride forbade him to do so
openly.
He paused and turned with smile to-
ward Margarita. She had suddenly be- |
come very pale and her dark eyes met
his in a startled question; but without
seeming to heed her emotion he contin-
ued. measuring each Of his words:
"Only those who have truly loved, |
loved with all the strength of heart and
soul, can guess what hours of bliss. what
exquisite joys filled the lives of the two
married lovers. For two years that hap
piness continued, then cloud rose in
their sunny sky, and that cloud took the
shape of a woman, divinely beautiful,
| but satanically cruel.
"She was one of those lost creatures
which the world supports yet scorns.
She had princes and kings at her feet,
| but her vain heart wanted to possess the
man who scorned her. What's the mat
ter, Margarita? you are pale; does my
story move you?"
BY a powerful effort she overcame her
| weakness and answered.:
Go on; I am interested Only pass
| me more wine, l feel strangely dizzy"
And she drank eagerly the glass one OF
| her companions had filled for her. But
Lopez continued:
Seeing that she could not win him
she decided to take her from him. 1t
was an easy thing to accomplish, for
one night well-paid assassin struck his
| blow in the dark; one young life was
cut short; one love dream was brought
to an end and the next morning all
Madrid was shocked to hear OF the mys-
terious murder of the Villa del Rosa
A smothered cry from Margarita
caused all eyes to turn in her direction.
She was standing in her place. pale,
chastity. wild Some of the women rose
to go to her, but Lopez said in the same
| calm voice:
Don't worry, ladies; will take care
of Margarita. she will soon be we'll"
The smile had fed from all lips, cur
rent of dread passed among the guests,
most faces were pale and in the heart
of each was a fear that something was
going to happen Lopez alone remained
calm and after forcing Margarita to re-
sumo her seat he continued, his words
falling like a dirge on the oppressive ST.
lence:
"You all know the details of that muir
der. but what you do not know was the
oath the man took over the body or the
woman he had loved. He swore that
he would find the guilty and avenge her
death. He has this night kept that oath. .
Margarita gave a wild cry as she
started to her feet Lopez, with laugh |
of triumph, concluded:
."The hero of my story is myself. The
guilty woman stands yonder. AS to my
vengeance I achieved it as drank my
death and hers while pronouncing my
toast The wine we drank was pois- !