Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1916-06-23

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a disadvantage she might warn him.
Pepita made the promise with as in.
nocent a mien as If she fully intended
to keep 1t. Conscience was a matter
that did not concern her. She was a
child OF nature, governed entirely by
her emotions. AS for truth or a lie,
that was simply matter Of require.
ment. How she kept her promise Is
best illustrated by the next episode
In her eventful childhood, though per
haps, despite her few years, she was
already woman.
The teamster disappeared for a time
He was fighting the poison OF taran.
tuia bite. He recovered in time. but
he knew who had put the viper on
him and feared her One thing that
deferred him from making another nt
tempt on Hardman's life was the fact
that Pepita was a witness that he had
tried to murder the man he hated. He
had counted on doing the deed without
the murderer being known. but now
he was aware that the little Mexican
girl was watching him. He did no.
OFTEN see her, but felt sure that her
eyes were constantly on him.
And so they were. One night he was
improvising hand grenade. He was
working In hut where he lived with
ragged curtain over the window
There was tear In It. and through
that tear Pepita was peepihg When
ha had nniehnd biu vvaano, a., 1 a..,...
to destroy certain articles. The crafty
girl surmised that he was intending Ia
kill Hardman with his bomb then
light out. He was evidently afraid OF
his grenade. for before going to bed he
took It outside. scooped out a small
hole in the ground, put 1t In and COZ
cred 1t with earth and leaves
As soon as all was quiet In the cabin
Pepita possessed herself Of the bomb
and carried It away Coming to n win
dow within which was a bright Hight
she examined her find. tobacco box
with explosive contents. She had seen
the teamster place percussion powder
under certain point In the side Of the
box and mark It with cross She
noted the cross, and, returning to the
cabin with the weapon which she knew
was intended for Hardman, she scrap
ed out just enough earth before the
door TO set the box In, leaving its
crossed side uppermost and nearly on
q level with the ground Then she
placed dry leaves over 1t.
The next day report was heard,
and later persons passing the team.
sters cabin found 1t a wreck The oc-
cupant was missing. Surprising that
he had been killed or injured by the
force that ruined his home, search
was made for him, but neither he nor
any part Of him was found.
For time Pepita said nothing 10
any one as to her part in the explo.
sion, but as time passed and the team,
ster did not reappear she revealed the
secret that she had seen him making
a bomb. Then 1t was surmised that Il
had been accidentally exploded, but
that he had not been within striking
distance. How the explosion came
about without bis being its victim WINS
not known to any one except Pepita,
who, remembering where she had
placed the bomb, was enabled to look
more directly than others for the
cause. At the time Of the explosion
there had been violent windstorm.
Pepita, looking for the cause Of the ex.
plosion, cast her eye on the limb Of
a tree that had been broken. The de.
tached fragment she found some dis.
lance from the cabin blackened as II
by an explosion. She felt sure that
this fragment had been blown down
upon the bomb The explosion occur
red in the daytime when the teamster
was away. so that he vas not injured
But II is likely that when lie saw his
cabin blown to atoms he surmised the
cause and concluded that II was time
for him to depart.
Meanwhile Pepita was wandering
about selling fruit apparently as un
as II she were not mixed
up In an affair Of u tragic nature. Ev
cry one else In that region was dis
GUESSING the matter Of the explosion.
but the little Mexican seemed content
to carry her basket about. taking IN n
few coppers at n time for an orange or
4 banana, paying no attention 10 the
talk.
There was one who looked upon
Pepita with very different feelings
from the generality OF persons. that
was Leonard Hardman. He had learn.
ed that she was not child. but n
woman; that she loved him with all
the passion Of II girl Of the south lie
Questioned her about the explosion and
lad learned the facts. Twice he owed
her his life. What was he to do1 Re
,pond to the passion Of u Mexican girl
but little more than n child and fruit
Deddler2
Notwithstanding her ignoble position
he fact that she had been 80 devoted
% him affected him seriously. His life
belonged to her. Without her protec-
ion he would not be living. After
much thought he came TO a conclusion.
"Peplta." he said one day, "how
would you like to go to schoolT
She looked at him inquiringly.
IF you 60 to school you and might
'ome day be more to each other than
We are" he added.
"Yes, senior; will go to school,"
This proposition and its acceptance
we're the keynote TO the future OF these
Two persons. Pepita went TO school,
Ind there came a remarkable change
In her. She ia now Sonora Hartman.
She worships her husband and he wOr-
.hNea h..