Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1904-06-22
SHORT STORY FOR
EVENING HOURS
Love Of RIO SECO'S ALCALDE

Don Lucas, was called Familiarity the
"alcalde," and was practically lord of
life and death. So long as no bad re
ports reached the State capital Of dis.
order and the like, Don Lucas did ac.
cording to his own sweet will. The
town, with its white, pink and light
blue low houses. was sprawled along
the dry river that gave its name to the
place, and all around were orchards
ed to exist through months of rainless
weather. Dust lay, as now, inches deep
on the roads. except that the streets
near the plaza were roughly paved
with cobbles.
A holy peace brooded over the
charming little town where the easy
going people, innocent of useless
knowledge, were favored by q climate
so even and so charming that merely
to breathe the air and sit in the plaza
was to make one forswear great cities
and the absurd life OF civilization
which leads no whittier The climate
Is still the charm of the town, and the
railway is far enough away not to dis.
turb its ancient repose.
Don Lucas, In his buenos tiempos,
his best estate. was SO years old,
broad shouldered, with keen black
eyes; his well shaped head was carried
proudly, and his curling mustache was
most romantic. There was something
about the man that won you at first
glance. He had the air of a Spanish
cavalier of the 10th century. about the
best OF the centuries to have been born
in, and, II he were your friend you
could count on him through thick and
thin. "Un hombre de brios," people
said. and. In fact, he was man of met
tie. Under their breath the townsfolk
conided to me that Don Lucas was q
despot, that he ruled with a rod of
iron. How else could man of his
resemblance to the cabaleros Of old
Spain govern? Nobody could say that
he did not rule with distinction and
the grand air of authority. II always
gives me pleasure to find men like Don
Lucas who inherit the proud Spanish
blood with a dash Of the gallant Moor,
and perhaps a drop or two of the stern
Roman blood.
Mounted on his big, black horse, FL
Cid, the young alcalde was like a cav
alier out of a canvas by Velasquez.
Women took furtive look at him
from behind their balcony curtains as
he rode through the streets and they
admired him for his gallant air. It
was a remote and hopeless admiration;
they knew he was married, and to a
woman more than n dozen years his
senior. III she would have the good
sense to die" So thought the youn-
ger women. But they knew not the
romance OF Don Lucas life.
Donna Ramona, lawful wife OF the
young alcalde, was nearer 80 than less,
and tall and strong; her hair was like
a horses name, black and coarse. Her
temper was vigorous. and her tongue
rarely held In leash. She did not live
In the town, but few miles out at the
rancho OF Las Palmas. which the al
calde had bought shortly after entering
upon his rule In Rio Seco. Donna Ra-
mona scolded and made bitter com.
plant, but In Mexico the husband Is
master, and public opinion sustains
him In ruling, his house and Its in
mates. The popular idea In Rio Seco
was that Donna Ramona was served
quite right. People did not like her.
How came the young cavalier to wed
this woman who so led him In years?
When he was IL and she was 80, una
Jamona. past her prime as women OF
that age are in the tropics, Don Lucas
became fascinated with her, and on his
being caught hidden In the orchard OF
her fathers house by an old man serv.
ant was deemed to have compromised
the lady ana galiahtiy onered 10 make
her MS wite and SO prevent taik.
Il lacked sense then explained Don
4.