The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-10-11
The Golden
Heart
By BARBARA PHlPPS

oAse~9S~~ |
against the Union armies was very
bitter. There seems to be something
In the social relations that defes 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 We're 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 pot cordially, for
Reyes did not care to antagonize them,
though his sympathies were all for
free Cuba. His daughter, lnez, dark
eyed beauty Of seventeen, saw Molina.
and Notwithstanding she hatetlI him as
an enemy of her country She fell mt
once under the spell of love, a spell
that was mutual, for Molina recipro-
| Gated.
| True, the lady did not at once ac-
| 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 a mere acquaintance to
| an acknowledgment Of what they felt
i 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 It might be. would
not alter her decision.
When Molina's regiment was order
ed to Santiago there was sad parting
between the two, during which Inez
gave way and told her lover that II
Cuba achieved her Independence he
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 gift-a
little gold heart he wore on his watch
chain.
HI Molina fought at Santiago. and when
II the end came he was shipped with hii
regiment to Spain. He asked for leave
II In order to visit Senorita Reyes, but
owing to the terms Of the surrender
II was unable to obtain one. He wal
Il obliged to defer seeing her again TO
final reply to his proposition till h
had gone to Spain. Then, II neces
sary, he would resign his commission
In order to seek her.
II When Lieutenant Molina reaches
II Madrid he found 1t impossible to OF
tain leave to return to America. ii
would have resigned his commission
in order to 60 and claim lnez, but hi
: mother dissuaded him.
"Whatr' she said. "Will you eros
the Atlantic to claim girl you ar
not sure Of? II you resign from tn
army what career have your And 70
\ ! will not find 1t pleasant to live on til
Y income furnished by your wife's II
ther."
Molina was thus persuaded to put o
the matter so near his heart from da
to day, till at last, having thought les
and less of 1t, he drifted away from
altogether. He was thrown in wit
girls at home who desired the attel
lions of young soldier who had bee
through the last struggle to preser,
Cuba for Spain. In a few years |
married one of them, and his Cuba
romance was looked upon thereaft'
as a pleasant dream.
Fifteen years passed. Molina had
the meantime resigned from the arm
and had been elected a member Of II
cortes. Ten years after his maria,
his wife died and left him a widow
without children. Fourteen yea
after the close Of the Spanish Amel
can war he was appointed to a prom
nent place In the Spanish legation
Washington. While there he was o.
night attending a reception Of &
president and was introduced to
lady Of middle age who, though a n
tive Of tropical America, where VOL
en- bloom and fade early. was st
beautiful He did not catch her nan
but saw at once that there was Spa
III ish blood in her veins.
Iii 1--WE have met before. senior" 8
said.
lii "Indeedy' looking at her scrutin
III ingly. when? Where?"
"In Cuba"
81 have not been to Cuba for ffte
II years. While there met a numt
Of ladies'"
lii ITO one Of them you gave token.
I'LL "A token!"
I'LL Eyes"
I'LL Inserting her fingers under the ne
Ill Of her dress. she caught a chain a
III drew forth attached to II a little g.
Ill heart.
Ill For a few moments Reyes looked
Ill It without remembrance concerning
iii Then 1t rushed upon him that he v
the donor.
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