The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-09-28
The Golden
Heart
By BARBARA PHlPPS

There has never been an invasion of
an enemy's country that the invader
has not made willing captives Of a
number Of the daughters Of the region
invaded. During the war between the
states many Union soldier wooed and
won a southern girl whose antagonism
against the Union armies was very
bitter. There seems to be something
In the social relations that def1es the
horrors Of war.
Lieutenant Joaquin Molina, a young
Spanish officer just out of his teens.
was during the last years of the last
century sent with his command TO
Cuba. Those were the days when
General Weyler was attempting to
crush the Cuban revolution by execu-
ton and imprisonment, and both he
and Spanish soldiers were hated by the
downtrodden Cubans.
Lieutenant Molina was encamped
with his regiment near sugar planta-
ton owned by one Leandro Reyes. The
officers were received at the plantation
with civility. If not cordiality, for
Reyes did not care to antagonize them.
though his sympathies were all for
free Cuba. His daughter, Inez, dark
eyed beauty Of seventeen, saw Molina.
and notwithstanding she hatekhim as
an enemy of her country she: fell at
once under the spell of love, a spell
that was mutual, for Molina recipro-
Gated.
True, the lady did not at once &C.
knowledge that she had given her heart
| to the young Spaniard. Indeed, she was
struggling against her enthrallment.
1t was not long before the two
passed from mere acquaintance to
an acknowledgment of what they felt
for each other. Inez, though she ad-
mitted her passion for the young off,
GER refused to become his betrothed
on the ground that he was engaged In
the work of subjecting her country
men to the yoke Of the king of Spain.
He pleaded for her to at least with
hold her decision till the war had end
ed, but she replied that the end OF
the war. whatever 1t might be. would
not alter her decision.
When Molina's regiment was order
ed to Santiago there was a sad parting
between the two. during which 1nez
gave way and told her lover that II
Cuba achieved her independence hi
might come back and ask her again
Encouraged by this, he took one kiss
which she permitted, and tore himself
: away. He left her a parting gifts
little gold heart he wore on his watcl
chain.
, Molina fought at Santiago, and whel
! the end came he was shipped with hi
regiment to Spain. He asked for leav
in order to visit Senorita Reyes, but
owing to the terms Of the surrender
was unable to obtain one. He wa
obliged to defer seeing her again TO
a final reply to his proposition till b
had gone to Spain. Then, If neces
sary. he would resign his commission
In order to seek her.
II When Lieutenant Molina reache
Madrid he found it impossible to oil
tain leave to return to America. II
would have resigned his commissio
In order to go and claim lnez but hi
mother dissuaded him.
| What! she said. Twill you eros
the Atlantic to claim a girl you al
not sure Of? If you resign from tn
army what career have you? And yo
will not find it pleasant to live ON I'll
income furnished by your wife's Il
ther."
Molina was thus persuaded to put o
the matter so near his heart from da
to day. till at last, having thought LEI
and less of it, he drifted away from
altogether. He was thrown in vii
girls at home who desired the ate
lions of young soldier who had bee
through the last struggle to preser'
Cuba for Spain. In few years
married one OF them, and his Cubs
romance was looked upon thereaft
as q pleasant dream.
Fifteen years passed. Molina had
the meantime resigned from the arm
and had been elected a member of t
cortes. Ten years after his maria
his wife died and left him a widow
without children. Fourteen yea
after the close of the Spanish Anne
can war he was appointed to pror
nent place In the Spanish legation
Washington While there he was o
night attending a reception Of t
president and was introduced to
lady Of middle age who. though I
tive of tropical America, where wo
en- bloem and fade early. was 81
beautiful He did not catch her nan
but saw at once that there was Spa
fish blood in her veins.
1--WE have met before. senior" g
said.
'Indeedv' looking at her scrutin
ingly. when? Where"
'In Cuba"
81 have not been to Cuba for flfte
years. While there I met a numt
of ladies'"
"To one of them you gave token.
"a tokenl"
"Yes"
Inserting her fingers under the ne
of her dress. she caught chain a