The Farmington times and herald. (Farmington, St. Francois Co., Mo.) 1902-1905, 1904-01-07
NINITA---
A TRAGEDY OF ARIZONA
By MRS. N. l.. RAfSt.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooo
\ATHEN Philip Demar exchanged the
w hard. uncOngenial climate Of his
native New England states for the
semi-trupical ATTITUDES of Arizona he
hoped only for a temporary respite
from the sentence Of death which his
doctors had imposed upon him. He
settled up his few affairs and babe
goOd-by to his friends and relatives
thankful that he had never married
and would leave none bearing his name
Ia mourn for him
That was iG years ago Here he was
alive and we'll. the fortunat" owner of
a rich mine, living In handsome
home, and married aye. there is the
ruh-mnrried 10 little half.Spanish
half-Mexican concert singer with
whom he was madly in love, people
said Otherwise why did he marry her
a girl who could have been had for the
asking, so the American contingent de
clared And ne had taken her away
from Apache Jim, the handsome half.
breed who had been educated by the
government and had more rich min
ing claims than be- could count on the
berinRed fingers Of his two hands
when he took n fancy to Ninta-S Span
ish for baby girl" he built her
concert hall in the worst town in the
region OF Prescott, and made money
from her musical notes He dressed
her like a hiEh-born Mexican lady, beat
her. and burned her incry IN his
tantrums. and sworc that some day he
would kill her
This girl was now the wife Of Philip
Delmar Sweet-tempercd and obcdiout
she sat At home and waited for her
husband She had been married year
and yawncd YEARLY most Of the time
when she was not praying her thanks
TO the virgin for giving her such a
good home and husband
Ninita would have been glad To talk
with old Tercsc. their one servant but
her position rs mistress hrhorr'd hDr
from that privilege. and she found
refuge in her musical occupations, her
piano and guitar. and the practice Of
her rare COn,raltO voice
Il sing for my Felipe" she would
say swoctly. the little brown thing
dressed by Philip In American clothes
such as he remembered that bis mother
and sister wore. and looking $40 in
congruous amidst her SURROUNDINGS
Yves. my Nna"-to him she was al
ways Nina Sing to your Philip and
charm away his mood as David
soothed Saul"
so? He was Americana You lofc
him too"
Then this grave. elderly man would
laugh at her, ne who had snatched her
ri a brand from the burning for her
souls salvation was It, or for her ma
two charm and beauty?
She yawned again and looked At the
watch at her belt. To old Teresc,
lettering near he said,
Tree o'clock and he come nOt-my
Felipe Oh n he hurt -dic-my hyart
go broke lofe him So"
With that she gave great start
Coming out between the walls Of the
Williams canyon was man on horse
back. and Il was not her husband, Philip
Delmar He was far handsomCr man
and he sat his fiery Mexican mare with
a grace that Tailed we'll with his pic
turesque outfit There was a riot Of
color In his ensemble Ninita's eyes
flashed with the old half-wickcd light
that had been QuenChcd for year. This
was cavalier. grand, superb and once
he had beaten her, but that was nothing;
she had not hated him. Yes it was
Apache Jim He had been inCarccrated
IN a jail In Albuquerque for year Now
he was free and looking for Nina, and
Joy at seeing him made her forget her
husband
80 you run OFF with the senior
Americano7" he said after scant sal
utation. you come back now with me
.-yes?"
mo. no. He marry me; he give me
dose" She held up slender brown
hand and showed him the plain band of
gold. her wedding ring. guarded by
superb diamond. ME wife now"
80! But you come to me--my NInita
that make no difforcncc-yuu hear?"
He grasped her shoulder rudely and
turned her about to face him. His
teeth clicked savagely. and the force OF
that cruel hand was crushing her arm
But the violence was dearer to her than
= caress-tbe Americana lover was toe
tame. She often longed for blow.
Me go with you leetle Of the way
she said. tcmporizing. How splendid &c
her eye the rude bearing, the barbaric
opulence OF his dress. while she was no,
any more like her people, not even O
reboso or the common tapia to remind
her that she was the descendant of 0
don.
Me ride to the chapparal with you
Jim; you wait"
She sent Teresa for her horse while
she ran upstairs and slipped into the
braided cloth habit that she wore when
riding. Her husband permitted a con.
cession here Every button was mug
get OF solid gold. with the initial letter
~s><nV VhkioVeu oH IL w utH hut
rejoaned Apache Jim she called HE at.
tentfon TO the buttons. There are WON.
on who play with Gre. Nina was on.
Of them.
Her horse was o fiery mustang that
never felt whip or spur. Its nature was
TO run like the wild things OF the plain
and Nina was allowed to ride It because
II could carry her swiftly out Of dan.
ger. Now she hurried and sprang to
the saddle before her old lover could
reach her. She did not want to have
the so good Senior Americana" find
them together. She was beginning. too
10 feel afraid, not of Apache Jim, but |!
OF herself.
Teresa, watching them. saw the two
earnestly together as they rode |