Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1914-10-13

THE HEART OF DON JUAN.
(By Harold Tandrup.)

Ste UftH-l NFF tfUn 1udI >llifu. III
his chamber al m immense table of solid
black oak with a big jug Of wine al his
elbow. lie leans against the table and
stretches his long legs across the floor.
while absorbed In thought he stares al
the tips IF his big boots.
20 that j. how he looks. Don Juan.
the famous. How old is he? Forty
years. perhaps? Yes. he may well be
forty with this raven beard and curly
black locks and sparkling eyes with the
fires Of hell in them. Look how slender
he il. not an ounce Of superfluous flesh
on him.
And Don Juan. originally u product Of
imagination. scizes the thought and he
comes 4 living. breathing creature. lie
Straightcns himself M. strokes his beard
runs his fingers through his heavy hair.
takes a deep draught from the jug and
saws:
Well. YES. | am forty. What about
ity Am ! not Don Juan. nevertheless?
Are not all the women Of the world at
my fect?"
Tie arises and laughs. with his lips
alone. his ewes ignorant of the laugh.
lie throws out his chest and blows him
self like a rooster. lie knows to a point
what an omnipotent fellow he j.. Even
today he shall see a new proof OF his
power. for the beautiful Isabella has
promised 10 meet him here in this very
room.
lie turns IN his heels and walks five
PAGES along the floor. turns again. walks
back, turns once more-then stops and
listens.
HIM, That was very strange.
He raises his head aud listens once
more walks again. stops and listens,
Suddenly he discovers that il il not q
sound he hears. hut a sound he misses.
something that ought 10 bc heard some.
thing has stopped somewhcre-but what
is IL.
He remembers once lying on 4 wagon.
the INCREASED wheels of which Screcchcd.
The monot0nouS grind ~ the wheels
made him fall asleep and followed him
into his dreams. until the wagon sud
denly stopped and what was az first n
torture because it Scrccched. now tor
turci him because il had ceased.
Or he has been listening "a the splash.
ing of the ~rainwater from a gutter
throughout y whole long day until the
rain began {. cease aud the intervals be-.
tween the sounds of the dripping from
the gutter grew longer and longer. pain
fully long.
But what j. il that is missing now :
He stands very quiet. listening. laws his
hand on his chcSt-ShuddcrS and turns
pale with horror,
His heart il no beating.
His heart. His heart, Nv God. il j.
imposSildel lie tears open his coat and
presses his hand against his naked
breast. against his hard ribs. No. his
heart l. not heating.
lie stands thus for a long while. hold.
ing his breath. II might be a short
pause only. and in a few moments his
heart will beat once again.
No, il j. not heating, II has actually
stopped. Something has died in the
wonderful works within him.
And ia a flash ID il revealed 10 him
that il must be "a long time since his
heart was lost. Ii il this very faithful
tick took he has been missing for many
wears. Perhaps he never had a heart?
Yes. oncc-very. very long ago. 1t. was
only when his heart was lost and dis.
APPEARED that he became Don Juan. the
rFiurih'c with y elov in his ewes aud
an icy smile about his lips. this dreadful
Don Juan. who has nothing hut A Shrur
OF the shoulders for the unfortunate wo.
men who give him their love and i'm n.
turn receive merely contemplation Juan
has no need Of a heart,
And still, He crosses his arms and
POWDERS. Once h. did have a heartfelt
uS see. He mumhlcS names of woinc
ana counts on his %fingcrSl
Maria? How Was ID about Maria
Didn't he swear twenty long years ago
didn't he swear by his heart that he
would he faithful to her? Faithful, He
splits on the floor with an outburst Of
contempt. " sounds foolish. but never
thclesS, Didn't he pawn his heart L.
golden haired Maria-and forget all
about il?
lie picks up his hat and goes ont intn
the street. The town IN old and time
loves what l. old. Men do not move
They cling 10 the post on which the Lord
put them. and surely Maria must still H.
living i'm the old house M the gate. Don
Juan T. stubborn. he wants his heart
back now though h. has no need Of il
whatever.
Kut the house has tnmhled down. Only
a heap of ruins is left 10 mark the place
where Maria. the beautiful. lived. Chill
drrn who never even heard her name are
PLAYING amonc the bricks.
Don Juan stops nm old woman who il
passing. She points with her stick 10
the convent, There the noble gentleman
must lock for Maria. n was such 4 lad
story. hers. There was one who was
faiihlcSS a. her. and who gave his heart
into her keeping.
The old holds out her trembling
hand begging for aims. hut Don Juan
pushes II aside and rushcs away with
long strides.