The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1914-12-16
,.sor3s]s1sva<,ea%a@sesse:,>
HONOR OF CARACAS
(Copyright.)
BY II. c. CARR.

YER much. | was once majordomo OF
the great Garcia rancho. They had
more as million steers, and so many
horses no man can count in a whole
year
Where is the Garcia rancho?"
asked.
There is no Garcia rancho" said
Jose sadly. "All gone Garcias ie
all poor men. Old man Garcia die
pauper."
When I asked him why. Jose said,
slowly shaking his head. "Couldn' un'
derstand. Couldn' understand Ameri.
can way. He lose all"
And To explain, he related these
facts:
Pancho Warren flung his empty
purse under the faro table.
II stake my horse" he said excited.
ly-fushed with gambling.
The American faro dealer paused
and considered the excited young half
breed.
where's the horse?" he asked.
Pancho turned very white and sprang
to his feet. You doubt me?" he
cried. The gambler merely sat toy
ing with the cards, so Pancho added
weakly: We'll. the horse he ISIS down
by the front of the hotel"
The gambler peered out Of the front
windows of the old Pico House down
into the turmoil of the plaza, as it
was in the early days of Los Angeles
young grandees with jingling spurs
and bell-trousers. tearing up and down
at full speed drunken Indians sleep
ing in the cutters: cattle roaming
around and the studded doors of the
old mission chapel of the padres look.
ing down upon the scene.
Pancho's horse, with magnificent
silver.mounted saddle. whose tapa'
deras swept the or >und, was standing
in front of the hotel. While Pancho
was pointing him out. the faro dealer
noted where Panchos bet lay and
quietly fixed the deck to harmonic
with the circumstances.
At the next turn Of the cards.
Pancho lost his horse. Stripped clean.
he rose from his chair and cried: Il
give the name Of Miguel Garcia for
one Thousand pesos"
The Spanish side Of Pancho's ma
ture was immensely naughty over the
fact that he had once stood sponsor
at the baptism Of child with the
great Miguel Garcia-which made
them compadres.
The faro dealer looked up at him
and smiled as one might at a naughty
child
What" Pancho almost screamed.
you think hat no influence with
Miguel Garcia"
Half out Of his senses with the gam
bling madness. Pancho rushed from
the room to the Office of the hotel,
where he called for ink and paper <.ld
without more ado wrote out a promis-
sorry note for one thousand pesos, and
unblushingly signed the name Of
Miguel Garcia. Hurrying back to the
game. he flung the paper insolently on
the table in front Of the faro dealer.
Who's Miguel Garcia?" asked the
gambler coolly giancing at the paper.
Pancho almost strangled with an
attempt to saw all the words Of aston
ishment and protest at once.
You don know Miguel Garcia" he
squealed, almost incoherent with ex-
citement. Miguel Garcia he has a
mlllion-he don't know how many cat
ties he has-Madre de Dios!-he can
travel for two weeks on bees own
laud-he-'
He paused, spluttering. Words
failed him.
The gambler prepared to turn the
next card
You put up the dinero or you don't
piay in this game" he said briefly.
But Miguel Garcia"
IT hell with the Garcias,"
BESIDE himself with shame and ex.
eltement, Pancho snatched up the
spurned note and rushed from the
room, downstairs and out into the
street where he swung onto the horse
ne had just wagered and lost. Ar the
corner where Arcadia swings into
Main street. was Cohn, the pioneer
pawnbroker.
rancho gave Cohn the forged note
ana demanded the cash Cobn
shrugged his shoulders.
Well, I donno," he said apoloseti
cally. poee'f
You doubt Miguel Garcia" roared
Pancho. i eu
No-no-no," protested Cohn over
aWeo at the great name. Il couhtn',
Know yet, If l got the cash in the
safe" ~ IL
see how much you have" ordered
rancho. The pawnbroker hurr;o-
over to the safe in the corner and
STOOD up-red and putting.
Eight hundred pesos" 30 saif
deprecatingly.
All right" said Pancho With erea-
naenshcence. You can keen tbs
change" Tux
rancho went back to the game
Nhere he lost the eight hundred nesos
without delay. o
A day or two afterwara uos