The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1904-02-16
AZ S Told a t
Martins ~ ~
~ Beasriz Beiiido De Lrna.
Copyright, 1901. by Authors syndicats)

THE night was warm, and the
drinks. refreshing to our dusty
nuhs Walters passed noiselessly
fro, bearing trays laden with
SEES, the electric fans overhead
with giddy whirr, and there
dancer on the stage who was
y look upon. Altogether, Mar
a much more pleasant place
5e han in the sultry atmosphere
p de-
"lhai girl," said Brown, slowly, eye
n ne dancer through curling clouds
oke, as she snapped her cas-
anets and twisted her 1.-THE figure in
hythmic measures of a Spanish
minds me of woman knew in
it's il story, Brown" questioned
Lester.
#ll. rather" our friend replied,
mphatically. Like to hear it?"
we assented eagerly for Browns
stories we're usually worth listening
fo
"as said before" he began, sit was
"a cuta. ! was there for the paper,
iust before the Spanish-American war
r0 ont, and / saw the conflict
b Most of the time, after hos
we're declared, l was all over
island, wherever the fighting was,
at Arst / was quartered at Ha-
gana, and it was there that knew
Antonina.
"She had come from Paris and was
dancing at the Tacon theater. The
city was mad over her, after the fash
ion Of the Latin race, and, in fact, she
made even my phlegmatic Anglo
Saxon blood run quicker than was it's
wont. She was hardly beautiful,
though have never seen such eyes be-
fore, or since. She had small wicked
face, was slender almost to thinness,
and not very tall. But to see her
dancel ] am sure no one has equaled
her. Every motion was daring, poet
ical, and possessed the very essence
Of grace. She was absolutely mistress
of her art, and of her audiences.
II don't know what she was, but
mostly Spanish blood, although some
said she had a strain of Freneh-some
said Arabian, and seme even limited al
the African, but whatever her nation
atty, her magnetism was marvellous.
The gallants few wildly at her
feet She was looked upon with hor-
ror by the church, although it was
said-but never mind that. She tan
talized her lovers, laughed at them
Tilted them, yet chained them to her.
Among her most constant admirers
was Gen. Ruiz, of the Spanish army.
He seemed to be more favored than
the others, but was insanely Jealous.
in fact hereft Of all reason.
Political matters were very much
stralned-feeling between Spaniards
and the Cubans had reached its high
est pitch. Not day passed without
duel or quarrel, or an arrest. Yet
in spite Of this, Antonina danced every
night to crowded house, and tho
pleasure loving city, although honey
comheG by plots and intrigues, for
got, Tor the moment, all save the mo-
ment's enjoyment.
"Ihs man most dreaded by the Span
tsh oMcials was one Juan Sanchez. an
lnsprseat leader. He was the son Of
s wsslthy planter who had figured
prominently in a former outbreak,
Az h45 Oeen exiled to Ceuta, Soain's
ps-1- colony in Africa. The son. grow
log to manhood and finding himself
an outcast, embraced the rebel cause
ana had made himself troublesome.
he had gathered his recruits from
nei2hooring provinces, and lived in
the mountains, evading every effort
OF the government to capture him.
u DO not know how il came about,
but Ruiz evolved the idea of affecting
his capture through Antonina. The
general possessed diamond of enor-
nous va.ue, family jewel, and this
he promised to the woman if she would
lure the outlaw to her house. An
torina had long coveted the stone,
and lad tried every one of her wiles
to obtain it, so it can be understood
that she readily promised to attempt
The task.
ut might be thought that this was
q most difficult undertaking, but Ruiz
had his spies everywhere, and An
tonina her willing slaves. One night,
when Sanchez was in the city on a
secret mission, he was taken to the
theater, by Que of his own friends, to
see Antonina dance; was introduced
10 her after the performance. and,