River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1907-04-04

1t was to ROsita what her first ball at
Sherry's is to q New York debutante.
Senorita Rosita lived a lonely life Of
hard work and much discomfort uab-
itations are small and rough, and most
Of the ordinary comforts of life are IN
known in the mountains. The only
uxuries in the edible line are canned
goods for the sun is hot by day, al
though the breeze is cool by night, and
there are no facilities for keeping any
thing fresh. The only people she saw
were those who lived the same hard
life that she and her parents lived,
and there were few Of these. But
Rosita dreamed SO, also, did others,
for the Mexican gives much of his
time to dreams and music; but ROsi-
ta's dreams were Of the life of which
She heard in only a vague way and
knew nothing at all For Rosita was
pretty, and she knew it, and she had
the feminine longing for admiration.
And at this dance she met her
knight, even as she had dreamed. He
was handsome, he was dashing, he
was roughly picturesque-no at all
typicaIly Mexican, but a combination
Of American cowboy and Mexican. He
gave incidental evidence of the Next
can love of color in his scarf, and his
broad brimmed, cone-shaped hat was
decoratively Mexican, but, otherwise,
he was mostly cowboy. She danced
five times with him this night.
1T is not well that you should dance
so much with this Eduardo Ramirez"
said her father This Eduardo is of
those who are ever lodging the ru-
rales."
She knew what that meant; he
brought over the line into Mexico sup
plies upon which no duties were paid.
But smuggling is not even misde-
meanor in the unwritten mountain
code.
rs that then so dreadful?" she
asked DO not the freighters who
travel by night bring us much that we
need? DO you not deal with them? Is
not the law made to beat us down?
Does not the law Of Mexico put a tax
upon WldG wv llllDL nave " i've, " AACh
we bring the things from Campo?"
Her father argued no more, but he
was glad when next morning they left
Campo far behind.
But Eduardo came to see her. 1t
hattered her that he should ride SO far
to see her, so, for her own satisfaction,
perhaps it was just as well she did not
know he had combined business with
pleasure and delivered some struggled
goods on the way. He was not of the
freighters who smuggle on a large
scale but, with his blackboard and
horses, he was always ready for the
more daring jobs.
! She saw him when she went to the
spring for water, and later she stole
away to meet him in the shelter of a
great rock, just over a spur of the
mountain back of the house. When
she failed to return. her father went
TO look for her. and he found the
wheelmarks where a blackboard had
been turned in the road.
Eduardo has been here" he said
quietly, when he got back to the
house
Eduardo and Rosita rode through
tie night reaching Campo the follow
ing day. There they were married,
and Rosita thought a life of bliss was
opening for her. Eduardo was a
jealous and passionate husband, but
this she liked: it gave her a feeling Of
value and Importance that was pleas
ing. She was glad to be guarded and
ruled and protected in this way; she
gloried in the feeling that she was
owned by this man and was thus
priced by him.
For two days they remained togeth-
er at Campo. and then he left her for
two days, first making it plain that he
would hold to personal account anyone
who exceeded what he deemed the
bounds of strict propriety in the treat
ment of his wife This warning all
men needed. giving her only the most
formal courtesy, which she deemed
evidence of the high respect in which
har husband was held. OF the business
that took him away, she merely sur
missed that it had to do with bringing
some Chinese over the border, and she
wisely asked no questions.
Another two days they had to-
gether when he returned, and then he
had business down the Tres Pesos val
ley. and this time she went with him
She was happy beyond the power of
expression. He was liberal and de-
voted: he had money in greater sums
than her father had ever possessed at
one time: he bought for her whatever
she desired: but, most of all, she liked
his fierce, jealous guardianship. for in
that, she was sure, was great love.
I'VE will go and make peace with
your father" he explained.
They were received with neither re-
proaches nor great joy. Having as
sured himself that they were really
married, Rosita's father accepted the
situation philosophically, and, in a
matter-of-fact, uncommittal way. made
room in the house for his son-in-law.
Two days again-always two days
and Eduardo found it necessary to re-
turn. But this time Rosita did not
ride with him. He was taking her to
no home of their own; he was making
no home for her; he was giving her no
chance to make a home for him; he
was leaving her where he had found
her. Still Rosita believed in him. He
would come later to take her away
from this life for good.