El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-12-25

and drawings and pumps had disturbed
him Tonight it was different
It was a busy time at FL RayO mine,
Tor the men under ground had broken
into a great flow Of water as they
picked away at the valuable ore des-
tined to make the American owners rich,
and it was a tremendous task to get
the additional pumps to working and
get the water out. Owens had put his
whole heart into the work when he first
came, and his only dlscOura cement
proved the numerous feast days and the
dissemination of the natives to stick
to the job" But now, the work seemed
to lose its charm. POring over a draw
Ing Of the 400 foot level, the young
American would find the black lines
dancing and forming themselves into a
face with pearly white teeth, lips like
the roses Of an April morning and
cheeks like the lilies that graced the
chapel at Harvard on an Easter Sunday.
But always the face was in the fancy
of the young man.
Every Sunday night he was among
the first on the plaza at the concert;
never a reast day came that he did not
now welcome il. for there would be
concert that night and a promenade and
maybe-weu, maybe he would see the
race again Each time, IL was a heavy
step that carried the young man back
10 the cramDed quarters in the dingy
little adobe and each night there was
no sleep without a vision, always the
same vision.
The springy step lost its elasticity;
phe enthusiastic young heart that had
entered so eagerly a few weeks before
into the process OF matching engin-
eeFing skill against the forces Of ma
ture no longer found any satisfaction
even in the daily reports of the gradual
lowering Of the tremendous under
ton and commentator from the own
ers began to lose their power to thrill
him; II was a daily grind. The feast
days were as welcome now to tho
for the same reasOn-they gave him
time away from his work; he was tired.
The feast of Guadalupe arrived and
the town was again in its gala attire,
Tor Guadalupe was the patron saint Of
the little village and it marked the
approach Of Christmas. The century
old chimes did not ring because the
wormeaten wooden supports in the an
Client belfry would not stand the
strain, but the scrowds flocked in and
William Owens, thinking. with moth
ing to do found himself swept along.
Near the door the duplicating crowd
OF beggars halted the young American
for few copper centavos.
And so beautiful, too, to be shut up
in convent" he heard girlish voice
say as he halted before the beggars
to contribute.
Ordinarily the idle chatter of two Sc
nOritas going to their mass did not in
terest this young American. but this
conversation was different.
Yes, she promised her father on his
deathbed that she would take the veil;
he said she was too beautiful to marry
in Mexico; he never forgot that he was
Q Gringo and that her mother was
Spaniard. And all the money he left
TO the church and"
The girls passed in and Owens turned
to follow-he was interested. he wanted
to hear more. But he had been so in
tently bent upon what he had heard
that he did not notice the aDproachin
procession. He had to step aside to
allow it to7enter. It was the nuns from
the Mercy osDital-Sisters Of Mercy
going to communion
As his eve wandered aimlessly down
the long line of these plain women,
the sun suddenly ceased to shine: the
world became dark; the atmosphere
was heavy he clutched at his throat
for breath; he swayed. almost fell,
then staggered to the spot where
rose had fallen, grasped it in eager fin
gers, pressed it to his lips until the
sweet fragrance was crushed out
against them and wandered off-Off
in the direction of the mines He had
seen the face again; he had also seen
the smile the teeth, the lips-all were
as beautiful as the night several weeks
before In the plaza; Il was the vision,
but this time it was. in the flesh.
Early next morning a bruised. bro
ken body was carried from the mining
shaft to Mercy hospital. The superin-
tendent had fallen while making an in
Spection on the feast day. they said
The khaki clothing was soaked in the
life blood Of the stalwaTt young Ameri-
can; crushed red rose was gripDed
tightly in the clutched fingers Of a
hand upou a linn arm.
The sister superior attended the COM
many doctor as he examined the heart
beats and felt for wounds in the broken
body; a Young girl came in: a young
girl in black; with pearly teeth and
rosy lips; she carried a basin Of cold
water AS she glanced at the cor
there was low shrek, a sob. a de-
sDairinE vail; the basin and tie water
fell fun unOn the back Of the kneeling
doctor and a moaning fiCure in black
knelt beside the plain bed just as the
eyes Of an American engineer opened