The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-08-04
GratitudeVersus
Revenge
By ETHEL HOLMES

uemen 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 on 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 small
cane he carried in his hand. laying
| open the 1esh-
II will be even with you for that
blow some day, senor," said the boy,
as he went away. "You have spilled
blood from my cheek. win spill some
thing more than wine on your shirt"
Sonora Cosio saw the accident, and
the blow that followed 1t. 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 he felt for the man who
had struck him was only eQualed by
his alteration for the woman who had
sympathized 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
oduoatsav. ToY,oowrowu xyo,, rr0 20 cohnol
and will pay your tuition. You may
repay me by work done before and
after school hours"
"Ah, sonora madrel How can re-
pay so great a benefit by such small
service?"
Twelve years passed. Mexico was
under the government Of a so called
president. He was really, as all Mexi-
can presidents are, dictator, and he
was also a tyrant While tyrannizing
over the people whose government he
had usurped he was 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 retribution
came. A young leader arose. whose
influence had for SEINE time been grow
. ing with the people, and one day the
, president learned that an army Of rev.
olutionists was marching on the capt.
, tai. The tyrant fed, as he had intend
, ed, but the revolutionists got on 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 1t diff.
, ficult to maintain the Judgment he had
effected. While the ex-president was ly.
, ing In Jail the new incumbent was de
[ featmg forces of the late governments
, adherents 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.
81 do not. but have been told who
|
/ you are"
. "Ohl Then you remember scene
q that occurred dozen years ago when
: occupied the humble position of me
/. NAL in the household of Senior Cosio
2 Do you see this scar on my cheek
4 Perhaps you have forgotten that be
n cause ! accidentally spilled wine OF
q your snow white shirt front you Laid
d open my cheek, leaving your mark al
q we'll"
) II remember" said the other.
a And the words / said to you.
e have repeated them again and agar
n since that day, now long passed, that
i might give them to you on this day o.
r my vengeance. said to you:
4 will be even with you for tina
n blow some day, senior. You have splice
d. blood from my cheek. will spill some
4 thing more than wine on your shirt I"
d II am very rich. win give you all
II possess for my life"
d Were you to give me all the gol,
[e the conquerors took from the Empero
II Montezuma, all that has been takel
I. and yet remains In the soil of Mexico
ID 1t would not buy one drop of you
n blood"
The captive looked into the eye @
/ his captor and saw-death.
d you win be taken from here" cor
tinued the new president, ito you
', prison. At midnight you will be take
IL out and shot win keep nay promis
II TO stain your Immaculate linen wit
your blood. GuardsT'
''Holdg' said the other. 81 have on
hope. When l was brought back I
L. Mexico a woman came to see me. Sh
gave me this paper"
lie He drew forth the paper and handle
it to the dictator. While it was bein
d read the captive watched eagerly til
face of the reader. He saw indication
b. Of conflicting emotions. The conquerC
r, crushed the paper in his fist. but th
70 next moment reopened it and reread
le again. Then he started to tear it, bT
e. refrained. 1t read: