Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1916-05-16

giveness 80 soon after the tragedy.
The two talked together for some
time; then the man held his hand up
to the window. After some delay the
girl took It, but fancied I could see
her shudder. A few more words be-
tween them and the man went away.
He passed the veranda near where /
sat, and saw an unmistakable look
Of triumph on his face.
Interested In the drama which was
being enacted before me, I determined
to remain where was till the last act
had been played. l, wondered II the
girl, actuated by religious motives, had
felt constrained to forgive the slayer
of her lover. Had It not been for the
triumphant look on the mans face as
he passed me l would not have dream
ed of anything more than this. But /
had discovered that the Mexicans are
q strange people, and one cannot In
any event tell what woman is going
to do. Was 1t possible that this man,
like King Richard I'LL, would win her
whose lover he had slain?
had seen no sign Of burial Of the
first love and did not think it possible
that the girl could take another until
the body had been laid away. What,
then, was my surprise when just before
dark saw the murderer approach the
house where the bereaved girl lived
and stand under her window! Present
" she came out Of the door, Joined
him, and they walked away together.
I confess that, though by this time l
was prepared for almost anything in
Mexico, I could not believe what my
eyes revealed to me. I wished that
might follow the couple and see what
occurred between them, though shrank
from Witnessing q girl throwing her
self into the arms of a man who had
only the night before shot down In cold
blood the man she loved.
I lit a cigar and sat smoking on the
veranda. The twilight faded; the stars
came out. All about me was so peace
full that I could not realize I was In
a country torn with anarchy and
great part Of 1t in the hands Of robber
bands; that within twenty-four hours
I had witnessed an instance Of the
desperate condition Of the country. But
my mind was ever on the couple had
seen 90 out into the darkness. l
thought of the lover Of the evening be-
fore, q smile on his handsome lips re-
turned by one on those OF the girl ne
loved, now lying cold In death In one
Of the houses within the range Of my
vision, while the girl he loved had gone
with his murderer.
It was quite dark, 8 o'clock perhaps,
when, tired Of sitting, I arose to stretch
my legs. I walked down q roadway
on which the two persons ! had been
watching had disappeared. Suddenly
q figure, a woman's figure, fitted by
me. She was moving rapidly, and l
got a glimpse only Of something white.
And yet was impressed with the idea
that It. was the girl who had lost her
lover. If SO, where was the man with
whom she had set out?
Believing that nothing more Of the
drama which was unfolding would be
revealed to me that night, I returned
to the tavern and went to bed.
In the morning everything about me
was still peaceful. The inhabitants OF
the place went about their daily vo-
cations as usual. II there was war In
the neighborhood 1t was too far dis
tant to be heard. Still I refrained
from leaving. the place without more
information as to what interested me.
I determined to remain where I was
until the climax.
In the afternoon occurred simple
funeral Of the murdered man. The
chief mourner was the girl who had
been bereaved. The murderer was not
in evidence at any time during the day.
The poor girl was supported by her
mother and attended by a few friends.
I went into the tavern and asked the
landlord what had become Of the sol.
der.
HE was found this morning, not far
from here, stabbed to the heart" was
the reply.
"Who killed himY I asked.
The landlord shrugged his shoulders
and said that this was not known.
The climax to my drama had been
played. Whether any one knew who
had killed the soldier do not know to
this day. One thing know. I saw
him 20 out into the darkness with the
girl whose life he had blighted, and
saw her come back without him.
The curtain had fallen; the audience
-myself-had seen the play. There
was nothing more for me but to move
on. The death Of man shot down In
the interval between two dances had
not rufled the tranquility Of the ham,
let, nor had the finding Of the body OF
his murderer twenty-four hours later
any noticeable effect. What were these
two lives in a land where bloodshed Is
the order Of the day?
My curiosity as to Mexico had been
satisfied. Instead Of going on down
to the capital I turned about and jour.
neyed back toward home.
Not Afraid Of Cold Steel
daua En0onio when