Norwich bulletin., 1914-03-17

CTS dt luo cdDlI1. "A month UT IWO later it was said that only two of the dozen stood a chance. By chance" they meant marriage It never oc- cured to any of them that @ girl might come among them without falling in love and marrying one of their mum Der.
 It was strange that among Kate's earliest and most persistent admirers was Pedro Diaz, fulI-blooded Mexi- can. He had charge of the company s transportation, and he managed through the father to force an intro auction. He was kindly received by the girl, but no more. He was toler- ated by the father, but there was no welcome for him. Pedro was a swag- gerer. He was an egotist. He thought up his mind to this he was ready to maintain what he called his right by fair means or foul
 The thousand men said that Pedro s rival was Tommy Britt, the keeper of the companys store. He was an Amer ican, young. fair looking, and down on the books to be promoted for his ener- gy, ambition and integrity. Perhaps he admired as all others did, but he had never asked himself if he was in love- He found both father and daugh- ter congenfal company, and that would have been his excuse had any one asked him why he paid two visits a week to the cabin.
 There came a day when Pedro Diaz made up his mind to know his fate. He chose an hour when he knew the girl would be alone, and he dressed in his best and knocked on the cabin door. He believed himself irresistible. and he smiled and smirked and offered his love. There was a moment of as- tonishment, and he found himself re- tected. The girl tempered her re- fusal as much as possible. It was her first offer. but womanly instinct told her to soften the blow, even though the man was obnoxious to her
 What You refuse Pedro Diaz!" !" exclaimed the man in reply. You re- fuse meme. who am worth S5000 and could marry any senorita in my own country! Do you quite understand me?"
 T have no love for you" replied the girl
 But that makes no difference. You shall love me later on. I am Pedro Diaz. It is the first time I ever did a woman the honor of asking her to marry me"
 The girls reply was a firm one, and Pedro flung himself out of the cabin with anger raging in his heart He had been snubbed, humiliated, made a fool of There was a man in the case. of course, and 1t could be none than the storekeeper. Whoever opposed Pedro Diaz in any of his cherished
 
 minutes deciding on the death of Britt.
 That morning the young man had ridden away across the desert a stretch of 20 long. hot miles, to strike the railroad on the other side and order further supplies by telegraph. The back. He would cover the distance in a day, but it would be late in the even ing when he returned.
 T will meet and kill him when he returns" decided Pedro; and when darkness fell he eluded observation as much as possible and rode out on the desert.
 There was no trail across the sands. He who would hold a straight course must depend upon the compass, and he must consult it often. There was fair starlight-light enough to see his rival many rods away. The sky was clear of those scudding clouds which might be taken as warnings that the whirlwinds were being born in the cold air of the gulches, and no noise came from the mountain except the whispers of the pines to the cedars.
 When Pedro had made five miles straight out from the base he pulled his horse and sat and waited, his face to the west and his ears alert for the slightest sound. For an hour he walt ed, and then of a sudden a cold chill struck the back of his neck. He
  on his lips.
 Tt is the sandstorm," he muttered as he leaped to the ground. He had a blanket for himself and one for his horse. The animal lay down at the word and suffered his head to lie wrapped, and just as the first sharp grains began to fly the man snuggled down beside the anmal and untitled his own head and swore.
 He had seen a hundred sandstorms on that desert. They came with a puff and went the same way. In five min utes he would be up and watching again. But when five minutes had passed the gusts were stronger. At the end of ten they began circling and running across the sands like wraiths They also dug deep into the sands and when they met with an obstruc- tion they covered it in. Man and horse were soon in danger of suffoca- tion and had to struggle up to throw off the weight. They were just ir time to be caught by a circling breeze and spun around as if they were straWs, and when the man was flung on his face at last and covered foot deep in an instant; the horse uttered neigh in terror and galloped heavily away.
 Tt will pass-it will pass. and will have my revenge." muttered Pedro, as he stood up with his back to the blast But it did not pass.
 He was flung this way and that carried along or left half -senseless or the sands and not for a full hour did the wind scream out its goodbye te the desert and return to its sleep Then the surface of the desert was smooth again. and the man who came riding from the west could not tell that under's his horses feet lay a