Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-11-16
DAILY SHORT STORY
THEIR ELOPEM EMIT.

with the ranchmans daughter:"
that
Come, tell me about it.
We'll, senior. | don't like to- but il
/ must | must Beceuse Arlngo had Il
good ranch and several thousand sheep
be must expect to wed his riaughter to
some grandee. lie WIS Il widower.
and Juanita was his only child. If he
had had i son he would not have been
so careful OF her. As it was, he watch
ell her more carefully than. his sheep,
which roamed where they liked. But
Juanita was never allowedtto leave the
ranch lest she meet some young fei
low without any property and, losing
her heart, make it unpleasant for the
old man and his plans. / haa some
capital in Arango'S hands, and he re-
lied on me TO keep the sheep from
freezing or starving and TO do the sell
ing | could not see why he would
not favor me for a son-in-law, but he
did not True. L am twenty years old
er than his daughter. but that is not
so bad. and do not women prefer to
marry men older than themselves? 1
acted very honorably with Arrange. l
asked him for his daughters hand
without having first spoken to her, in
stead of acting like an American and
getting the girls heart without permits
sion"
But did YOU not try TO run away
with the girl?''
that. What you suppose Arrange do
al n
daughter? He laugh in my face. That
laugh was the only answer 1 ever got.
/ bore II as best could, but never try
10 take a mean revenge.
Arrange would never let any young
men come to visit at the ranch but his
daughter. who had been educated at
the convent. sometimes had her school
mates come to see her. One day one of
these girls. Blanca Savedra, came to
the ranch. She was a tall girl, with
blue eyes and red cheeks. l did not
think her beautiful. because she had
on her upper lip that suspicion of
mustache which for me would spoil
any wOman's beauty. But there was
careless swing with her and an honest
bearing that | liked. At first she did
not take any notice of me, but after
time she began TO make friends with
me. Then | thought, Here is a chance
TO console myself for the loss Of Juan
tia and at the same time let the old
man see that L am not so much dis
appointed after all
"One time / started i'll TO ask Blanca
to be my wife when she threw up her
hands and exclaimed:
"'Oh. heavens, is this the constancy
of man? Not two months ago you pro
posed for the hand of my friend, and
now you are going to propose for mine.
Here is Juanita dying for love of you,
WHO do not deserve To he loved
well. l tell her that did not know
that my love for Juanita was return
ell. Besides. Arrange would not con-
sent. Would not it he better TO take
the girl who was free to act for her
self?
You have no pluck she said. If
loved n girl who loved me. l would
elope with her.
Then for the first time it occurred
to me TO have revenge on Arrange for
his insult Besides. if / marry his
daughter | must some time share her
property with her. SO l say to Blanca
that if she will help me 1 will carry
Off Juanita.
THAT is easy she say. All you
have to do is TO provide relays of
horses TO the railroad fifty miles
away. | will contrive TO get Juanita
of the ranch to you. and you can get
"A train before the old man knows of his
girls escape.
In few days all was ready. l had
arranged TO have blackboard with
the swiftest horse on the ranch near
the entrance TO the ranch at III o'clock |
at night, and the two girls were to
meet me there | asked Blanca what |
reward she expected for her disinter |
ested action, and she said size acted |
only through friendship for two low |
erS. | told her that she must go with |
us and live with us as long as she |
liked. The truth is / was more IN love |
with her than Juanita, but Juanita |
would have the ranch some day. and it |
would have been very foolish for me |
to give her up for Blanca, who told me |
that she had no money at all. Don't |
you think so. senorT
by all means. Go on"
lon the night we were TO run away I |
waited under a clump Of trees with
the blackboard. for the moon was full. |
and il was light as day. They must
have had trouble in carrying out their
plans To get away. for ii was nearly |
10 o'clock before they came. When I
saw two girls running toward me l
thought of Arrange laughing at me, and
/ laughed out loud myself Along came
the girls in the moonlight, Blanca pull
ing Juanita after her
When they came Up TO the buck
board | said:
BE brave, Juanita. You will never Il
regret this action. l.
You will not, sweetheart said Il
Blanca. He IS right
Blanca put Juanita into the buck
board while | held the reins The /,
horse started too soon. and | was q
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