Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 150 — page 20: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

_—_ VE 2 eer s mater — » ie tea 2 a 2 RS oe oe a oe re H 20 ' Olaf looked incredulous. 1 ‘*] will not make the bet. True, your present it mode of life is one I hate; but you have been i my friend and I do not want tosee you taken. i} Don’t try it.” i ‘*On the contrary, Colonel Don Olayvo,” an- | swered Ramirez sharply, “I will show you that I hold as much t as any man in i Mexico and that if you hated—as you call it— | \my present mode of life you hate what is the ‘| | profession of half the gentlemen of Mexico,” Lo « Well, well, let us turn the conversation,” i was the good-humored reply. ‘ Your notions i are not the same as mine, Have you any ob- : jection to my going to Chepultepec and return- } ing to show people it can be done?” 't ‘None whatever,” was the cordial answer, “‘and how prospers your love affair, my friend?’ i Olaf told him as they rode along to the grim : castle on the ga of Chepultepec, and the ex- general observed: i “‘All the more reason we should go to the i} city to-morrow to see you. You do not know i} pes, 3 people yet, Olayo. That old fox Ximenes ae cheat you out of your eyes, He will never let you see your Carmelita again if he can help | it, ou are a heretic. But leave it to me, I know how to manage these fellows. Meet | me on the plaza at ten to-morrow morning and | we will pay acall to Don Lerdo de Ximenes. You shall have your Carmelita and our friend tH Carlos his Pepita or my name is not Jose & Th oth od in and finall hea : en they rode on again an ally like old friends, when the Dane and his British comrade returned te the city. CHAPTER XXIX. DON LERDO’S LETTER. ARs Don LERDO DE XIMENES sat in a hammock on ! one of the balconies of his patio, and he looked worried and anxious though he was trying to calm his nerves by the infallible and consoling recipe of a Mexican husk cigarette. Father Geromino had just left him, after giving him a long lecture, and the Don did not ow what todo. He was naturally a good-natured man, but he was dreadfully afraid of his father confessor, and the latter had just told him it was his duty at any hazard to keep his wards from seeing any heretics, more especially since they were admittedly in love with two of the accursed tribe, Don Lerdo was a rich, easy-going old gentle- man, who owned a coffee hacienda on the road to Vera Cruz, and had but one object in life— " to be allowed to live in peace and quietness as 7. they do in other countries not so given to revo- | jutions. He had seen the Americans enter Mexico in Santa Anna’s time, and was one of those not ’ few Mexicans who regretted ever after that the country bad not then been annexed by ‘* Los a: ‘Yanquis.” veep ‘*Por when they were here,” soliloquized Don Lerdo, ‘‘ one could ride to Chepultepec and any- where else in safety, and ever since it bas been acarnival of robbers.” : Which was all very true, and a good many . other people insMexico think it, if they dare not all say it. “And what in the world amI todo with these two girls?” went on Don Lerdo mourn- aren, 0 **My cousin Carlos and his friend Garcia are both dead and these girls would be dead too had not these heretics saved them. And now bag are both bent on one hg | the Rubios, and father Geromino says that if 1 consent to it I shall run the risk of ten or twelve thousand ears of purgatory. I wish they had carried ah off when they had them, and not given them in charge of the abbess at Chiapas. It was, of course, strictly honorable, but it is ex- ceedingly inconvenient to me to have to decide ponte of this sort. And then, too, no one | marry them here, for they have no dowry. What fools my cousin and Don Ramon were to put their money into gold and get killed.” The good Don gave a jump here and dropped his cigarette. A thundering knock had just come at the outer door of the house and it echoed through the patio like an answer to his thoughts. Houses in the city of Mexico are all built round an inner court called the patio, for it is \rainst the law to have windows overlooking a ’ ighbor, and one must have air and light somehow, ~¥ Don Lerdo’s patio was surrounded by tall col- i onades with several stories of balcony having lished brass railin The front on the street d windows and balconies, and the old gentle- man hurried to one of these to see who was at the door. He beheld a Doppled horse standing and lashing away the flies with his tail, while a Mexican gentleman with a rple manga draped over his velvet and silver, stood at the door. The hopples of the herse were little sil- ver chains round the fetlocks of his fore-legs in the usual fashion, ‘ ; ... oe : «ey a ‘ya - a _ pr anasys -. és a ~ Ss —— ows 2s SS _ El Rubio Br ~~ — ‘Thank goodness it is not the heretics,” mut- tered the old gentleman and then he saw the door open, heard a few words with his ser- vant, saw the gentleman give a note to the man and then turn away, unhopple his horse, mount and ride off, Don Lerdo returned. to the patio and his cig- arette, when be was approached by his major- domo, who handed him the letter. The old Mexican took it, and as he read his face grew as Pet as ashes, so pale that the man noticed it and asked: ‘‘Ts the senor ill? Shall I fetch anything?” ‘*No, no, Tonio, it is notbing. Go and get my horse ready at once. I am called away on business.” The man departed, mystified, and Don Lerdo with shakin ybeas reopened the note be had crushed, and read in it the cause of his sudden exhibition of fear. It was written in a bold hand, and ran in the following fashion: , “© T the Sencr Don Lerdo de Ximenes. ‘“*My Very Dear Srm:—A friend of mine, Don Olavo de Sovensone, lately saved the life and honor of one of your relatives, Donna Carmelita de Ximenes, who loves him, and whom he wishes to marry. I learn from other sources that you are unwilling to permit this match to take place, because Don Olavo does not belong to the ranks of the faithful. You will do well, senor, to remember that, in these times, no man’s property is safe from the rare of war, and that the patriots of our party hold al the roads between here and Vera Cruz, on which lies your own hacienda. Don Olavo is a friend of mine, and I will answer for his good standing in the faith we both have the honor to profess. He is now lodging at the Posada de San nidad, and you will do well to call on him at once, ‘and My your legal and full consent to his marriage with the lady who has become your ward by Mexican law. If you fail to do this, you will re- ceive nO more returns from your estates this year, where the coffee crop is just growing ripe, but you will have instead a Visit from “Your humble servant ‘** At the disposition of your worship, * Jose RAMIREZ, “* General of Cavalry, in the service of the Chiapas Republic.” Don Lefdo nearly cried when he read this let- ter, and groaned to himself: “Yes, what he says is true. The coffee is nearly ripe and they could sweep it in a single night. Father Geromino is a good man, but I must take care of my own while I have it. Purgatory is a bad thing, but poverty is worse while one is alive. These patriots are all the same, and they say this Raminez is a devil as bad as the guerrilla Cortina,” He was hunting about for his spurs and hat while he was talking, and when he had found them sent up word that he ‘‘ wished to see the senoritas at once, at once!” Presently down came Carmelita and Pepita, with eyes red with crying. They had both been lectured by Father Gero- mino on the enormity of wishing to marry ‘‘ereticos” but were evidently quite uncon- vineed of sin though they knew that they could not get married without the consent of this their nearest relative and guardian. ‘Don Lerdo amazed and confounded them with the brusque salutation: ‘How soon think you can you getready to be married, both of you, to those Rubios?”’ Carmelita turned crimson and Pepita blue at the question. Carmelita faltered: ‘Cousin, are you crazy?” Pepita piggled nervously and made no an- swer at all. Don Lerdo stamped his foot testily. ** You fools, as long as I said no, you were a me all the time, begging and praying. Now say yes, you are dumb. . How soon can you get ready, Task? In an hour?’ ‘‘Inan hour! The idea!” Both were indignant ina moment. The fact was that Don Lerdo was an old bachelor and did not understand women. ‘* Very well, then; when? To-morrow?—next day?—next week? I have changed my mind, and Father Geromino can go to the devil, After all, I am master in my own house.” The girls had recovered their color, and it was with a faint smile mantling her lips that Car- melita asked: ‘‘ Are you in earnest? Do you give your free consent to our marriage?” ‘* Yes, yes, [ tell you. ready? Tell me quickly.” Carmelita threw her arms round him and hugged him coaxingly. ‘And can we have all we need for dressing?” ‘Yes, yes, anything.” The old bachelor had vague ideas on the sub- ject, or he would not have been so liberal. Carmelita pursed up her lips as if in a fit of deep consideration ere she said: _ ‘Very well, then, I think that—if—we h very much—we can be ready in—one week from to-morrow.” The 6ld man nodded absently. | ‘It isa bargain. Go and get ready as soon as you can. am about to call on your iovers. They are, I find, honorable cavaliers and ewcel- lent Catholics,” He left the patio and they saw him mount his When can you get ss _ vO, of the Swordsmen. ee Oe eee ee eae chance. mand of all his cavalry, and he is bound to suc- ceed.” horse and ride off down the street toward the plaza. Carmelita turned to Pepita: “Do you know I can hardly believe it? I wonder what has changed him so 4 pr, They would not have wondered so much had they beard the tone in which this rich and re- spectable Mexican was addressed by a man whom he knew to te a robber, in broad day- light and in the plaza of Mexico city. Don Jose Ramirez, his purple manga thrown gracefully over one shoulder, stood chatting with two other Rubios as the old man a proached, and the Mexican heard him say as he came up: ‘‘There is ourman. You see, in this country it is necessary to be on the right side of the soldier of fortune, no matter wkat you call him at other times.” He took Don Lerdo aside, and asked in a low, menacing tone: ‘* Well, have you consented, or do you want visit from our people?” ‘*T consent most heartily. Which are the two honorable cavaliers?’ answered the old CT rill introduce you,” was'the polite pl will introduce you,” was e@ reply, to his two with and the brigand turned t world introduc- the assurance of a man of ing them formally. CHAPTER XXX. CONCLUSION. A STIFF norther was blowing over the waves of the Gulf of Mexico, and blowing the yellow fever out of Vera Cruz. It was the first norther of the season and turned the town from an oven into an ice-house. But as we said before, it drove out the yellow fever and therefore was welcome, though it killed all those who were already sick. Out in the bay off the mole lay a steamer pitching at ber anchor, and on the deck was a phi of men talking to each other and eying the “You cannot go back, Ramirez, in this norther. You’d better come with us,” said Olaf Svenson, kindly. ‘ No boat could live in that sea and the steamer won’t wait tillit’s over. It will last three days, and till it’s over you area prisoner.” Ramirez looked back longingly. **T don’t like to go,” he muttered. - se“ Eve Ly thing is ri ry for a change and I shall miss my rtega has offered me the chief com- ‘‘Or be shot,” observed Charley Brown in a dry tone. ‘ You forget that.” ‘Well, shot or victorious it will all be over,” said Ramirez, with ahalf sigh. ‘‘ I do not like to leave bim in his peril.” ‘You'll have to this time,” said Olaf. ‘See, they are getting up the anchor now.” In fact the funnel of the steamer was sending forth clouds of black smoke and the sailors were winding up the windlass, The wind was increasing every moment, and it was clearly impossible for any boat to reach the shore, for the waves were dashing showers of spray over the top of the mole. Ramirez had come on board to see his friends and their brides off ‘to the United States, and while they were drinking parting healths in the cabin, the vessel began to pitch and they felt a cold gust come dewn the cabin hatchway. When they went down below half an hour before, it had been suffocatingly het without a cloud in the beaven. They came up to find a dark cloud full of bail and snow, bearing down on them with a furious wind before it, and when the cloud passed the thermometer had sunk from ninety-eight to forty with a a blowing thirty miles an hour. Such, are the pleasant contrasts of Mexican climate in the autumn and winter, and such the conditions under which Don Jose Rami patriot general and brigand chief, was carri off tothe United States whether be would or no, The three Rubios arrived in New Orleans to- gether and there separated to their future lives, whither we can ouly follow them for a little space to tell what became of them. Doctor Charley Brown having put his savin of Honduras into diamonds and gold, bad eit a snug little sum on which to found a practice for himself. He settled in the city of New Orleans and earned a great reputation in the treatment of yellow fever on which he wrote a book in years long after. His wife, the pretty and coquettish Pepita of old, was as devoted as Spanish-American wives generally are, which is saying a good deal, and ceased to flirt from the day in which she was married. | Jose Ramirez also remained in the United States, where he served in the civil war and . fomnd what a difference there is between fight- ing in Mexico and in countries where Anglo- Saxons are the combatants. He had his fill of it, lost a leg, and finally retired into the tobaeco and cotton business in Texas, where he still loves to tell stories of his old guerrilla days, His friend Orte always on the point of succeeding, nevertheless ed, just abons the IJOO <€om cS (E COr | | —