Year: 1873

sweet smile upon her lips that had
won my admiration long before.


"'Hush senor,' she said, as l was
about to speak. Keep quiet ; /
will not let you talk. You remem-
Der me, and 1 am glad to see you
once more, for saw you as you
led your men in the charge, and
saw you fall /; l was in my window
and recognized you because you
rode my horse that you remember
l gave you some time ago. l be-
lieved you killed, until l saw you
borne by my fathers mansion in a
litter, and l sent my maid to see
where you were taken. I have
sent you good things every day,
well knowing you could not eat
them, but / thought they could be
divided among your comrades.
You have been here for four weeks
but are now convalescent, and will
soon be well again.


"'Father has house in the city
and l have been here since l saw
you last. Now you know all, so
ask no questions, but go to Sleep


This order l obeyed, and
awoke refreshed. The few days
longer that / was confined to my
bed did not seem tedious, for each
day the fair Nina visited me.
When able to walk out, / visited her
home, and formed the acquaintance
of the old Don, her father.


Each day proved that she was
very dear to me, and l read in her
eyes that my love was returned.
At last l mustered up courage, and
told her of my love for her she
confessed that she loved me, but
said she was engaged to an officer
of high rank in the Mexican army (;
that she had never cared for him,
but it was the wish of her father
that she should marry him, and
she had consented. | was some
non-plussed at this news, but told
her would speak to her father on
the subject, and as l said so, he en-
tered the room. / arose and told
him of my love, and asked him for
his daughters hand. He replied
that he had always liked the Amer
leans, and that, though young, l
stood high in the army, and that l
was fine fellow-excuse my self
praise, gentlemen, merely repeat
what the old Don said-and he
would willingly give his consent,
and allow his daughter to break
with her Mexican lover. l thank
ed him, and as it was late, l babe
goodnight to my friends, and re-
turned to my quarters.


"The next evening l started to
see Nina, and, as l often did, ap-
preached the house from the gar
den, for her rooms over-hung a
perfect paradise of flowers. AS /
neared the house, l heard q fear
full scream, that l at once recog-
nized as Nina's voice. / rushed
forward and sprung upon the bal
cony just in time to see her in the
arms of a tall, dark, though mag
nifcent looking Mexican, and be-
held him driving a stiletto into her
bosom. l gave yell of rage, and
rushed into the room, while he,
letting her fall, ran to the open
window, and, leaping upon it drew
a pistol, and saying, Dog of an
American die = fired. The ball
passed through my empty coat
sleeve, and before he could escape
a bullet from my pistol sent him
headlong from the window. /
rushed forward, and glancing out,
saw him lying in heap upon the
ground, and saw that he was dead.
Then / returned to poor Nina, who
had been raised from the floor by
her father, who had also heard her
cry for help. Too late; had
come to save, but not to revenge
her. She was dead. Her father
told me that the man to whom she
had been engaged had arrived, and
upon his informing him that his
daughter had refused to marry
him, but had promised her hand
to an American officer, he had ex-
pressed no regret, but merely said
he wished to see Senorita Nina to
say farewell. What had passed
between them none could ever
know, but it was thought that the
Mexican, maddened with jealous
rage, had killed her to prevent her