Bridgeton pioneer., 1917-08-23
The Power
OF Love
1t Risked Even
Life.
By RICHARD MARKLEY

tion they put off deciding until after
they get it. 1 was one of these. was
q good classical scholar and one of the
honor men of my class. The closina
days Of my college life were very pleas
ant and very exciting. delivered the
salutatory in Latin, having the salts
faction of being considered a very
learned young man.
went home with the plaudits Of my
admirers ringing in my ears. But there
found a contrasting quiet. The ex.
element had all died out, and 1 found
myself face to face with the problem
Of a career. Many young men who
take honors in college become peda.
gogues. 1 had no such inclination, noI
did care for profession of any kind
preferred a stirring life. I went to
the city, hunted for a business posi-
ton and got one with house doing
q commission business whose clientele
was in South and Central America.
9 stood the humdrum of business life
for about year, when some one was
needed to go to Honduras to collect a
debt owing the firm. / offered to go
My offer was accepted, and within a
few weeks found myself in the coun.
try of the rubber tree.
While collecting the debt 1 was ap.
preached by some men who told me
that they were plotting to seize the
government They persuaded me to
Join them. They were defeated. /,
with others, was captured in arms and
thrown into prison. The same evening
we were told that We would all be
garroted the next morning.
When at daylight an officer entered
the room where We were confined to
take us out to execution he said to me;
II understand that you are an edu
Gated man. Am 1 correct|
II consider myself a good classical
scholar" l replied.
Every we'll" Then, turning to a sub
ordinate, he said:
"Take him to his excellency."
was led to the presidents house
and told to wait till called for. About
8 o'clock I was conducted to the pres
tdent's private Office.
what do you know about the clas
sics?" he asked.
told him that was a college grad
uate and had at commencement deliv.
cred an grafton in Latin.
You're just what l want" he said
'My son wishes to enter an American
college next year and needs a tutor
If you will fit him for the entrance ex.
aminations 1 will pardon you for your
stupid completely with these rascals
who have sought to put themselves in
my place. But understand, your sen.
tence is only suspended. You will
come into my family and be one Of us,
ANY depression from a straight path
and you will suffer under your sen.
tence for treason. Say nothing to any
one Of your connection with traitors"
did not understand what he meant
by "any depression" till 1 arrived al
his house and for the first time saw
that he had daughter at that tender
age when girls are liable to fall in
love with any presentable man they
happen to be thrown in with. Donna
Inez was nineteen and Of course a
Spanish type. 1t was plain that had
been warned against making love to
her.
/ was introduced into the family by
President Sanchez as a college gradu,
ate he had imported from the north ia
tutor his son Pedro sixteen years old.
Sonora Sanchez was probably the only
person In the house that knew l was
under sentence Of death.
] have a theory that we only enjoy
by contrast. Another way Of putting
IL is, Stolen fruit is the sweetest"
The president made a great mistake
In warning me. For young man of
rwenty-three TO be forbidden under
penalty Of death to make love to a
young girl is terrible temptation
Had Senor Sanchez made no such
threat might have lived in the same
house with his daughter and not trans
gressed AS it was, I was tortured
with terrible desire to win her and
with a terrible fear Of the garrote If !
Gid.
Whatever were my feelings, l dared
not show them even to the young lady
herself And here l made the same
mistake with her that her father had
made with me. Observing that 1 had
rnintentionally inspired her with a
sentiment that might lead to love. l
con6ded TO her the secret that love
with us meant death for me-
From that moment a passion that
might otherwise have either never
been born or at least soon have died
out famed up In Donna Inez and alb
sorbed her whole being. Could this
passion be scientifically analyzed ]
think 1t would appear that the pre-.
dominant element in it would turn out
to be desire that l should accept
death In preference to giving her up
There is something paradoxical about
this, but nature is full of paradoxes.
There would surely come d time
tchan Da uvo,,1d ro,,t not o,r~ =, ,oaI-o l.