Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-07-05
The Daily Story
BOSOM FRIENDs-BY RYLASD BELL.
copyrighted. 1913. by Associa;el LiterarA Bureau

Pepita said nothing. She was think
ing that Enrique was now man of
influence in the dominant party. and
if it became his interest to sacrifice
her husband he had the power to do
so. Not that she feresaw any such sac
rifce Indeed. she realized only the
desire of Corars younger days to pos
seSS his friends wife, and doubtless
that had died out long ago.
One day body of troopers rode into
Cusio's hacienda and arrested him. As
tonished, he asked by what authority
they acted, but the officer in command
only shrugged his shoulders and said
that the arrest was by order of the
government. Pepita saw her husband
taken away from her with a sinking
heart.
do not worry. sweetheart" he said.
81 shall notify Enrique Coral, who
will surely have the power to beat or
this enemy, whoever he may be, who
has doubtless taken this means of be-
ing 'revenged upon me for some fan
cied injury"
She did not care to discourage him,
but she failed to share his confidence
in his friend. If Enrique could help
him without too much sacrifice to him
self she believed he would do so. But
Enrique was not the president, nor the
vice president, nor a general, nor one
of the cabinet When her husband had
passed out of sight she turned away
and gave vent to her fears.
The next day the blow fell. A mes
senger came from Enrique Coral to say
that her husband and his friend had
been shot the night before while try
ing to escape from his guards. Coral
had applied to the president for Man
uel's release. and the application had
been granted. He was going himself
to the Jail with the order when he
heard the sad news. he begged Pepi-
ia IL there was any way by which he
could tighten her affection to let him
know.
The young widow did not leave the
hacienda after her husbands murder.
Coral came occasionally to see her.
She received him with neither cordi-
atty nor GOODNESS. What she felt to-
ward him he was unable to divine;
what she showed was not different
from her bearing toward him when her
husband lived.
During the incumbency of Madero
Coral ventured to show to Pepita that
the love he had borne her still lived.
He met with a simple turning away.
He was a man who did not consider
anything impossible. He spoke his love
and asked the widow to be his wife.
He met with a refusal, as he had ex-
pected, but believed that he would at
last succeed.
Not long before the revolution that
deposed Madero Sonora Cusio left her
hacienda to make several visits to the
City of Mexico. What she was doing
there no one knew. Indeed, some of
her visits were made secretly, and no
one who knew her was aware Of her
presence there. She met several gov
eminent officials and gained access (by
bribery to certain documents. Among
others there was a letter from one in.
authority to a military officer, stating
that, on the information of Enrique
Coral, Manuel Cusio was known to be
plotting against the government. The
officer was ordered TO arrest the said
Cusio and confine him in the city
prison.
When Enrique Coral called again on
his old love he was received in man
ner that seemed to warrant another
proposal. He asked her to reconsider
her former decision, and she consented.
But he was to have no lovers priv
ileges, not even a kiss, till the revolu-
ton that had been started to depose
Madero had come to a head
Coral was bound to Madero in inter-
est and had nothing to hope from the
other side. He therefore stuck to his
chief and, after the latter's fall, insti
gated by his fiancee, began to plot for
the downfall of the Huerta govern
ment. This plotting was undertaken
in the provinces, Coral keeping away
from the capital. One day he received
letter from Sonora Cusio saying that
she was in the city and If he would
come there she would marry him.
1t was a risky step for him to take,
but love triumphed. He arrived on the
day set for the nuptials and had scarce
| ly entered the city before he was ar
rested by order of the Huerta govern
ment and lodged in jail. Soon after
his arrest he was visited by his bride
elect. She had with her documents
proving conclusively that it was through
him that her husband had been arrest
ed and murdered under the Mexican
law that exonerates any one shooting
prisoner trying to escape-a pretext
under which so many persons were
murdered at the fall of the Madero
government. What further occurred
between them is not known. But the
fact remains that the same evening at
the hour Coral was to have been mar.
ried, while being removed to another
prison, he was shot while trying to
escape"
Sonora Cusio is still a widow. and
there is no prospect Of her again mar
rying The only occasion of her leav
ing her hacienda was when she wal
Ieeking the evidence by which 10
Ivenge her husbands death and tc
meet his murderer