Evening journal., 1912-08-17
A MEXICAN
LOVE AFFAIR
By sHEILA ESTHER DUNN

BY SF1ElLA ESTHER DUNN
Don Martin Furtado. Mexican gen
tleman of forty and a bachelor, drew
goodly sum Of money from the bank
and gave It to Dona Isabel Mendoza
his fiancee. for the purpose Of buying
the necessary furniture and the trous-
seau. This may be surprising to those
Of other countries where the bride is
expected to furnish her own bridal
outfit and quite often provides the
home, though In Europe this may be
done with the dowry which is always
supposed to go with the wife. In Mex
ico the groom furnishes both furniture
and trousseau.
Don Martins fiancee was just half
his age and was for a time undecided
between him and a young man a cou-
pie Of years her senior, Jose Herrera.
But as Jose was equally poor there
seemed to be no possibility Of their
marrying. One day Jose proposed a
plan by which they might raise the
wherewithal for their union. He sug.
gested that Isabel engage herself to
Don Martin long enough TO secure the
trousseau and the furniture, then just
before the wedding tell him she had
discovered that she did not love him.
1t was probable that Don Martin
would not permit her TO return the
gifts, for he was a gentleman and
known to be a very liberal man.
Just how Dona Isabel received this
proposition within her heart does not
appear, but certain 1t is that she agreed
to 1t. Don Martin had proposed to her
occasion he was surprised to be ac-
cepted. He told her that she had made
him very happy, but that he did not
wish to buy a wife-he desired one
who would love him. II therefore al
any time before their marriage she
felt that she preferred another man OF
that she did not love him he would re.
sign her
The next day Jose came to see her
and she told him that she had accept
ed Don Martin and what her elderly
lover had said to her. Jose asked what
she had replied to his expression OF
willingness to resign her in case she
discovered that she did not love him.
She said she had answered he need
not fear for her marrying him without
love; that, she promised, she would nev.
er do Jose laughed at this, declaring
that she was trump and was work
ing the old fellow beautifully. He was
about to give her a ldss, but she held
him OF. saying that so long as she was
engaged to Don Martin she would be
true to him. 1t would be time enough
for kisses when she had broken witt
him and engaged herself to Jose.
Having received the means for the
trousseau and the furniture, Dona Isa
bel proceeded to the dressmnker and
milliner for the former and asked Dor
Martin TO go with her to select the lat
ter But he told her to buy what sh,
liked and II the purchase money over
ran the sum be had sent her he would
make It up.
Isabel was several months buying {
wedding outfit; then Don Martin one
day asked her IL she would name tn,
day. But she was not to hurry, ant
he reminded her Of her promise not tC
marry him without love. At this Isn
bel appeared very thoughtful and said
/ nothing. Don Martin at this assumed
that her conscience was pricking hel
and said:
I ssco...tao- ,-,,,--,1f ,-,foo.od fro,,
your engagement. Moreover. the gift:
l have made 1 shall expect you t.
keep, for on no account would I re
ceive them If you returned them"
mot II I were to marry anotherT
"If you marry another consider 1t I
wedding gift from me-"
When Isabel told this to Jose he wai
delighted and asked her II she coulC
not stick the old fellow for something
more. She promised to see about il
Jose asked her to set the day whei
she would marry him. and she fixed !
for that day three months hence.
A month before Jose was to MARI,
Isabel one OF his friends told him tha
he had heard that Isabel was TO b.
married on the day fixed for his an'
her wedding.
"Oh. that isn't announced yet" re
piled Jose. You must not say any
thing about IT,"
"How do you known
''I should think would know sine
am to be the groom"
Your
'sYes, l."
81 did not hear that" said his friend
'I heard that she was to marry Do
! Martin FurtAdo"
"That's another affair that no
D., fiancee had some time ago. She wa
: engaged to Don Martin for awhile
But keep this matter to yourself"
AS his wedding day drew near Jos
scraped together all the money h
|. could and borrowed an amount to b
paid by a mortgage on his furnitur
10 be made the day after the wedding
One day the postman left an envelop
b for him, and. opening Il. he found a
: Invitation to the wedding Of Don