The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1916-08-10
Gratitude Versus
Revenge
By ETHEL HOLMES

One day a party Of ladies and gen.
tlemen were making merry on the
grounds Of the hacienda Of Senior En-
rique Cosio, not far from the City Of
Mexico. One Of the walters who were
passing refreshments, a boy Of fifteen,
spilled red wine Oh the coat and shirt
front Of a guest. The Spanish blood
is easily excited, and the man who
received this unwelcome baptism struck
the boy across the cheek with a small
cane he carried in his hand, laying
open the flesh.
81 will be ven with you for that
blow some day, %senor," said the boy,
as he went away. "You have spilled
blood from my cheek, l will spill some
thing more than wine on your shirt"
Sonora Cosio saw the accident, and
the blow that followed it. The boy
went into the house, and she joined
him there, and when, through wounded
feelings rather than a wounded cheek.
he burst into tears, she put her arms
about him and soothed him as If she
were his mother.
The hatred lie felt for the man who
had struck him was only equaled by
his alteration for the woman who lad
s%ympathized with him.. And she did
more for him than that. The next day
she called for him, and when he came
said to him:
Pedro, you are too spirited for a
servant, you must be something better.
But you can do nothing without an
education. Tomorrow you 60 to school,
and l will pay your tuition. You may
repay me by work done before and
after school hours"
".Ah, sonora madre! How can l re-
pay so great q benefit by such small
service:'
Twelve years passed. Mexico was
under the government Of Il so called
president. He was really, as all Mexi-
can presidents are, Il dictator, and he
WAS also Il tyrant. While tyrannizing
over the neople whose government he
had usurped he vas also robbing them,
and depositing his gains in the United
States, for he knew that his tenure Of
office would be short, and when his
successor deposed him he intended to
make for the coast, where he kept a
yacht always with fires lighted, in
which he proposed to escape.
Sure enough the day OF r%etribution
came. A young leader arose, whose
influence had for some time been grow
ing with the people, and IL day the
president learned that an army of rev
olutionists was marching Oh the capt.
al. The tyrant fled, us he had intend
ed, but the revolutionists got Oh his
track and brought him back.
Those who had occupied the offices
under him and were permitted to
plumber on their Own account put up a
fight, and the new dictator found it diff
licult to maintain the lodgment he had
effected. While the ex-prcsident was ~
ing in Jail the new incumbent was de-
fcating forces of the late governments
auherents here and there till at last all
were subdued. Then the late incum-
bent was summoned by the new. He
stood before his conQueror with bowed
head.
You do not remember me, senor,"
said the victor.
Il do not, but I have been told who
you are"
oh! Then you remember a scene
that occurred Il dozen years ago when l
occupied the humble position Of a me-
NAL in the household OF Senior Cosio.
Do YOU see this scar Oh my cheek:
Perhaps you have forgotten that be-
cause l accidentally spilled Wine Oh
your snow white shirt front you laid
open my cheek, leaving your mark as
we'll"
Il remember" said the other.
And the words l said to you. l
have repeated them again and again
since that day, now long passed, that l
might give them to you on this day Of
my vengeance. 1 said to you:
~ will be even with you for that
blow some day, senor. You have spilled
blood from my cheek. l will spill some
thing more than Wine on your shirt"
II am very rich. 1 will give you all l
possess for my life"
WV SON " give ue I'LL t1C Soll
the conquerors took from the Emperor
Montezuma, all that has been taken
and yet remains in the soil Of Mexico,
1t would not buy one drop Of your
blood"
The captive looked into the eye of
his captor and saw-death.
you will be taken from here" con-
tinued the new president, "to your
prison. At midnight you will be taken
out and shot. I will keep my promise
to stain your immaculate linen with
your blood. Guards!"
Hold" said the other. II have one
hope. When I was brought back to
Mexico a woman came to see me. She
gave me this paper"
He drew forth the paper and handed
1T to the dictator. While it was being
read the captive watched eagerly the
face Of the reader. He say Indications
Of conflicting emotions. The conqueror
crushed the paper in his fist, but the