The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1934-08-03

"But does one never find Keller,
sonora? Does one not forget?"
"Si, with the years. Calm myself,
Conchita. There will be others"
"But none with such blue eyes, such
gold Of the hair"
perhaps. One never can tell the
future"
"No," said Conchita, there will
never be another. And once was
good for him-held in his arms, lived
on his kisses. Now he does not see
me with his eyes that stare ahead. He
pushes me one side-gently, but still
puts me away"
Him." said the sonora. HE has
seen another, child. Best look at
new manic forget. One does not
build new fire from dead ashes. Say
thy prayers, Concha, and ask the Vir-
gin Mary to send you new man, one
with blue eyes, to make you forget"
"No," said the other, weeping, never
another-with blue eyes,"
Sonya by her window stirred un-
easily.
She felt abashed to listen, yet there
was nothing she could do, since she
would not let them know she under
stood. And then. out Of the silence.
out of the vast diapason Of seemingly
lnaudible sounds that made that
silence, something struck lightly on
her ears.
Horses hoofs, far off and slow,
padding on hard sand, striking now
and again against stone, the later
rattle of chain and spur, the sounds
of riding men.
The women below listened In sudden
stiffness, then got to their feet swiftly.
"Madre-look quickr" the younger
lne said swiftly, therein the stables
lantern light. Ounce! They have
brought him back! Oh, madre!V
BE STILL" said the sonora, "and
come with me. If there is no food
when the master is ready the whip for
our backs. Be quick"
Sonya leaped to her feet, her hands
clutching the old iron bars, her face
pressed close to them. There had
been something in Concha's voice when
she cried "Quince! Oh, madre!" which
explained her tears.
Ouince-a blue-eyed man. Verify,
disaster was raining upon her from
all quarters. But she would not sink,
she would not give up Whatever
seemed to be, there was still behind
it all the sound of Starr Stones voice
saying, "I'd crawl around the world
to change my spots!" Whatever he
had done, whatever he had been, he
was another man now. 1t was in his
eyes, in his heart, in every tone Of his
voice. The past and all it meant Of
sin and shame were done. He would
change his spots If he could: that she
knew beyond all doubling.
The newcomers had passed from
sight and sound, and the Mexican night
hung its starry jewels above the
| browsing trees. And Sonya Savarin
sat by her barred window as the
hours passed, her hands clasped in
her lap, her face pale in the shadows.
What the morrow would bring she
did not know. Uneasy thoughts moiled
| in her mind. She heard again the
Servant Of the Lord talking in Myra' 9
yard, at the dance at the Neidlingers'
"Beelzebub-and the Blue-eyed One
danger where they passed by-a dark
form hung on a cross"
She shivered in the warm night,
Rugged her arms across her breast.
Beware, Innocent One" the mad
| old man had said-and here was his
warning fulfilled. Here was the goal
toward which she had turned her face
irrevocably when she had looked in
Starr Stones eyes and followed him
in spirit. All the good past, all her
work and her services, all the sane and
precious things Of ordinary life, were
gone like so much chaff in the wind
because a man had looked at her with
wild blue eyes and she had turned and
followed.
Now that man rode by out there in
the dusk Of an alien land, prisoner ;
she sat trembling here, prisoner also,
and the morrow held their fate.
The morrow and Ell Captain Diablo.