The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1907-05-08
HOW ELLIOTT WON

| ElllOtt was lonely - decfdedly
lonely-and more than trifie
| homesick. In months he had
heard his mother tongue used with
| fiuency only when he talked him
self, and on the few occasions
when he had ridden over to Cayey
and spent Saturdays with the sol
diers.
Spanish was not the musical Ian
guage it was cracked up to be, he
reflected, except-ah! when it
was talked by the prettiest. dear
est little girl in the 1orld-the
| only girl in Porto Rice whopeould
compare with an American girl.
Pepita was the only tie thavkept
him in Aguacate. If it were not
for her he would throw up his job
and go home. He frightened at
the thought Of the gay, black eyed
damsel. He would marry her in
minute if he could. If he could
only convince her stern old father
that all Americans were not bad.
Old Don Felipe, Pepita's father,
had good reason to dislike the
Americans. He had been wealthy
coffee planter and had been i'm
pOverished as the result OF the
American invasion.
Elliott met Pepita by chance one
one Of the native teachers. The
vivacious Puertorriquena and the
handsome young American were
mutually attracted to each other.
But when he had suggested that he
call upon her in her home, she be.
came frightened. 1t would never
do, she said. Her father would be
terribly angry.
They met secretly at the friends
house and finally the girl shyly
admitted her love. But when FL
liot suggested that he visit Don
Felipe and make an honorable
proposal of marriage, she paled. 1t
would never do, she said. Her
father was inexorable. But she
could not suggest anything else.
Elliot braved the old planter,
Don Felipe was thunderstruck. He
had known nothing of his daugh-
ter's acquaintance with the
maestro"
What. A daughter of his to
marry an American? Never, he
said.
That was months ago. and from
that time Elliott had not set eyes
upon his sweetheart. They eX-
changed notes, swearing eternal fl
deity, but she was kept closely con-
fined to her fathers hacienda
Elliott and Miguel finally ar
rived at the cabin of Don Manuel,
| whittier they had journeyed to at
tend a Fiesta"
In the single large room of which
| the cabin boosted motley crowd
! was engaged in dancing the Porto
| Rican national dance, the DANA"
Seated upon table was the orches-
ira, one man tinkling away at a
''tiple," another engaged at the
rhythmic. rasping "guicharo, made
of large gOurd, and a third play
ing the guitar.
Elliott watched the dancers for a
while and then started out for a
stroll around the plantation. Hear
| ing shouts in clunp of coffee
bushes, he wendell his way there, to
! find large crowd engaged in cock
fighting. Among them was Don
| Felipe.
1t was furious fight. Don
Felipe's finest bird was matched
against the prize cock of the alcalde
of Aguacate. The cocks had been
at it for about 10 minutes and Don
Fellpe's bird was having the best OF
it.
The other cock finally lost heart
1t ran about, streaming with blood
and attempting to escape the on
slaughts of it's fierce opponent. The
defeated bird, seeking an opening
between the stakes that surrounded
the pit, was about to escape. Dor
Felipe, much excited, kicked the
bird back.
In an instant a ragged peon, who
had staked his all on the defeated
cock, drew knife from his bosom
and with snarl leaped at Dor
Felipe. But Elliott was quicker
Just in the nick of time he sprans