The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1929-03-29
CHAPTER /
The Cafe Miramon and Anita

our tables out To the sidewalk Id
front of the Cafe MiramOn-wblch
faced the graceful. noddins elms OF
the Alameda-and TO build US cor
ner of the old MaisOn DOree- Here
we gathered: Mironsac, lieutenant In
the royal forces of his majesty, Maxi
milan. a GascOD lad OF proved cOur
age, whom we called-because OF the
simple sweetness of his beaTdleSs face
-Cupido; Lieutenant Neville, whose
shoulders were broad. whose black
curly hair lay close against his mas
siye head, whose voice was deep ana
gentle, and whose smiling eyes were
blue and unafraid; Captain Lestranse,
military aide 10 the emperor-heavy
dark, saturuine-a coldly calculating,
mental machine of tremendous abil
ity; ana. lastly. Alfred Francois,
count de Vigny. captain-by grace OF
the favor of Maximilian-in the
French army of occupation in Mexico.
We were pawns-we fourth the
Louis Napoleon BOnaparte, whose
long arm had reached across the
ocean to plant a bit of old France in
the New world. Ii proved to be q
futile, ill-starred gesture after all,
for the third Napoleon should never
have attempted that which the first
Napoleon had tried 90 do and failed
Looking back now through Times
perspective | find many things TO re-
gret, and few for which 10 offer graft
Iude. Habitually we drank too much,
remperamentally we talked too much.
and the Judgment OF maTurer years
tells me that our excuses added moth
Ing to the prestige or to the popu
larity of Macmillan Buf the French
are an arrogant race, and Mexico
seemed weak and helpless al our feet
So we whiled away the later after
Moons. the long twilights and TAFT
the crisp cOOi nights And We either
started or finished with the one sub
1ecf that lay nearest Us, the only
cross current in the placid stream OF
Maximilians reign in the historic
city: but crOsS-curreDt so potent, SO
fraughr with menace, that TO disre
gard II longer would have been
piece CT inexcusable stupidity.
That cruss-currenf we called La
Anita Like Circe of old she bad leo
men 10 their doom. OF our OVID crowG
there we're BesancoD and Leroux, wh0
had called 10 pay their respects, who
had followed the lure OF heauty-f0r
the Erenchman will follow that lure TO:
ever-and had disappeared as com
pIeteiy as though some Aztec air-god
had carried them OF. There was Duruc,
one of Gascony's favored souls, who
had gone 10 worship at the shrine OF
love, and whnse body we had found
having brought back wounded
shoulder from that louse OF mystery
balanced himself OrecariOusly-wifh
one foot on the pavement and the
other on q chair-and voiced. in wine
meIlowed tones. high Iaudation of this
LOrelei
Name of Cd" said he, what
womanI All the 1.-the grace of q
panther is in the gestures of that ex-
quisite body of hers; she is chilled
steel and fire; she is deep glacial lake
and laughing mountain rill; she is
dignity. regal pOise and sweet re-
serve Her eyes are a soft and vel
mysterious, smoky. purplish brown of
desert twilight, and her" He waved
a left arm in suddenly muted impo-
tence
continue, we pray thee p Lestrange
laughed, but IL was a laugh of the
lips only. his eyes remained cold
steadfaSt. "A murderOus thrust from
the Iady's escort, and he comes back
70 Us with peans of praise of the
lady's charm. upon his foolish lips"
Iesfrange's saurian face hardened
"Know you not, that many French
officer has followed the lure of a
lovely senorita only to find a rem
dezvnus with death?"
-'Beifer q grave OF glory" QuOth
Cupidn the dreamer. than ignobIe
life BESIDES she kissed me-"
Did you ask her. Cupido, what has
become of Besancun. and of Leroux
and by what evil chance the body of
Duroc found ifs way into the canal
a body with a swOrd-thrust In the
heart did she tell yOu what happened
to those brave sons of FranceT
..She did not" answered CupidO:
al did not ask her. Besides" he Con-
tinued. and dreamy look fell like
n il riSh
face. IF she kissed them they must
have died happy"
-It's murder" said Lestrange. "mys-
teriOus. premeditaied murder. and his
majesty"
Not So" said Cupido. If any
thing. was the aggressor. True,
did not like his manner. and. doubt
less. no more did he care for mine.
He gave me my choice. however. of
weapons; pistols across the table or
one Of two light rapiers that hung
rrossed-over the manfel."
PISTOLS" gasped Lestrange the IN
Imaginative, across the tablet IFS
sd-hIooded murderl"
pistols" unused Neville. across a
few feet OF shining mahogany A
man of daring-surely." He thought
a moment Then Besancon and lie
roux and Duroc must have chosen the
swords"
The duel was quite to my liking"
said Cupido. -for the curved grip of
a rapier finds a welcome home In my
hand And to fight before Anita
alp
"Whaf Is his name7" I questioned.
-Whai matter mere name7' said
Mironsac u had no ears for the man,
wasted no gIances on him while !