The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1912-02-22
A Tragedy Of the
Mexican Revolution
By F. A. MICHEL
Copyright by American Press AssO-
citation. 1911
By F. A. Mitchell


! tel in Mexico when saw a young
Mexican and a girl pass in in eacn
! others company. She was talking rap
! idly to him. evidently trying TO per
! suade him to do or not 10 do some
! thing. Suddenly | heard crack. and
| the young fellow fell dead. He mad
been shot by man standing on the
other side Of the street.
The girl was wild with grief and
horror at thus seeing one | believed TO
be her lover shot down beside her.
She fell upon the body and called Wild
" for him to come back TO her. a lit
tie knot Of people collected. and pres
emily | saw them bear the body away,
the girl following. supported by a wo-
man. doubtless her mother. The party
disappeared in house a short dis
lance up the street.
Presently a man came out Of the
house into which the body was carried,
and. passing me. | asked him in a
mixture OF Spanish and English to tell
me what caused the affair.
Nothing. senior. except that the muir
dered man is a supporter Of the Dtaz
government. We are all insurrectOs
here"
With this brief summary of the story
he passed on. | learned from another,
however. that the murderer and the
murdered man both wanted the same
girl
l had caught glimpse of the muir
derer. | did not see him fire the shot.
but saw him walking away a moment
later He was a villainous looking
man in Mexican costume and with
swagger. | saw him pass several
times during the day and did not see
in his face or in his manner the slight
est conjunction for what he had done.
On the contrary, be seemed to be proud
Of his deed.
The second act of the drama was
more astonishing still. | saw the muir
derer go to the house where the body
Of his victim had been taken and
knock at the door. The summons was
answered by the woman who had sup
ported the girl after the murder. The
villain said something to her. and she
disappeared The man waited some
time on the step. and at last the girl
whose lover be had shot came to the
door. He talked to her for quite
awhile, after which she went back
into the house. and the man came on
down the street, He had lost some of
his swagger. and his face wore a Sc
rious look. He disappeared in sa-
loon in the next block where pulque
was sold.
That evening after supper I lighted
a cigar and strolled beyond the out
skirts of the town. l was on the
plateau where the climate is temper
ate, and the air was very pleasant. A
full moon was rising as the sun was
setting. Hearing voices behind me. l
turned and met with another surprise.
The murderer and the girl whose lover
he had murdered were coming toward
me. He was doing the talking, while
she walked in silence.
These are a strange people," I said
TO myself THE villain. having MUIR
dered his rival. is pursuading the girl
to be reconciled to him and take him
instead"
They passed me on the other side OF
the road without appearing to notice
me. too absorbed in their own grew
some affair to think Of any one be-
sides themselves.
If self preservation. as has been
said. is the first law Of nature curiosi-
ty is certainly the second. Indeed,
there are instances where curiosity
has been preeminent. | was interest
ed in this affair. and instead OF turn
ing away from the path the couple
were taking | stroIled on behind them,
keeping them in sight. But presently
the road where they were walking
made a turn. and l lost them.
| stopped and. leaning against a
fence. looked at the broad face OF the (
moon rising over rhe distant extinct |
Iztaccihwatl or the White |
Woman" from its resemblance 70 /
woman lying dead ROBBED in q shroud .
Of snow. my thoughts divided between Z
the drama Of the day and the noun .
rains OF many ages Realizing that .
might get into trouble by being too OBJ
servant OF other peoples affairs, was
Of going back when. turning
my eyes for last glance TO the point
where the couple had disappeared.
saw the girl coming alone. She was
very fast seemingly fitting n
along like a spirit. stood perfectly n
still. She passed me. walking in the
middle OF the road and so wrapt in her
,wn emotions that she did not see me.
will not attempt to find word TO de-
scribe the expression on her face.
lever wish to see such an expression
Igain.
l did not. need to so on to discover
what she had done with her compan-
on. Her returning alone and that
ook on her face assured me that she
lad taken a swift revenge for the
Ieath Of her lover. | went back to
ny hotel, threw my belongings into
ny trunk. paid my bill. went to the
tation. where waited two hours for
train TO take me out OF the country.
did not draw a free breath ill | bad
Oarded IL and was moving away from