The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1917-02-01
CratitudeV
Revenge
By ETHEL HOLMES

spilled red WINE on the coat ana SHIT
front of 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.
blow some day, senior" said the boy,
as he went away. You have spilled
blood from my cheek, 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 n wounded cheek.
he burst into tears. she put her arms
about him and soothed him as II she
were his mother
The hatred he felt for tire 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
education. Tomorrow you go to school,
and | will pay your tuition. You may
repay me by work done before and
after school hours"
"Ah, sonora madrel How can l re-
pay so great benefit by such small
service?'
Twelve years passed Mexico was
| under the government Of so called
president. He was really, as all Mexi-
can presidents are. a dictator, and he
was also 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 q
| 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 some 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
fight, and the new dictator found 1t diff
ficult to maintain the Judgment he had
effected. While the ex-president was ly-
ing I'm Jail the new incumbent was de-
feating 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.
~ do not. but have been told who
you are"
"Oh! Then you remember a scene
that occurred dozen years ago when
occupied the humble position Of a me
NAL In the household Of Senior Cosio.
Do you see this scar on my cheekf
Perhaps you have forgotten that be-
cause l accidentally spilled wine on
your snow white shirt front you laid
open my cheek, leaving your mark as
we'll"
~ remember" said the other.
"And the words | said to you.
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. / said to you:
Il will be even with you for that
blow some day, seEor. You have spilled
blood from my cheek. will spill some
thing more than wine on your shirt"
81 am very rich. will give you all I
possess for my life"
Were you to give me all the gold
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, ito your
prison. At midnight you will be taken
out and shot. | will keep my promise
TO stain your immaculate linen with
your blood Guardsr'
Hold" said the other. ~ have one
hope. When | was brought back to
Mexico woman came TO see me. She
gave me this paper"
He drew forth the paper and handed
It to the dictator. While II was being
read the captive watched eagerly the
face of the reader. He saw indications
OF conflicting emotions. The conqueror
crushed the paper In his fist. but the
next moment reopened 1t and reread Il
again. Then he started to tear it. but
RETAINED. II read:
Pedro-I beg you 10 spare Senior Con.
xales. Give me his life. INEz COSlO
The contest between these few writ
ten words and long cherished re
yenge, "a revenge that was the basic
rause OF the revolution. at last enGed "a
the triumph OF the former. Gratitude
for Kindness defeated revenge for an