The Wide World Magazine, Vol. 22, No. 131, February, 1909Various
History
The Wide World Magazine, Vol. 22, No. 131, February, 1909
Various
Adventure stories -- Periodicals; English periodicals; History, Modern -- 20th century -- Periodicals; Voyages and travels -- Periodicals
At night, when no trace had been found of either of them, Señor
Eduardo, greatly perturbed, dispatched a note to the nearest Alcalde
for police protection. This, however, could not arrive until the
second day, and in the meanwhile I also took a trip over to the two
plantations in an effort to locate the belligerents and explain matters.
That night nothing out of the ordinary happened, but I took pains to
fasten my room securely, and obtained a good night’s rest. Next day I
again endeavoured to locate Messrs. Roberto and Enrique, but without
success. The following evening I happened to be strolling up and down
the long front veranda with the Señorita Hortensia, who had now become
somewhat reconciled to the new state of affairs. We had stopped to
look at the reflection of the moon upon a lake a mile or so down the
valley, when, without the slightest warning, a figure rose silently
from the shadow of a bush and hurled an immense knife directly at the
young lady. The father and son, who were sitting upon the steps, saw
the movement, and leapt to their feet with yells of alarm. As in the
other cases, however, Providence seemed to be with us, and the dagger
merely pierced the señorita’s dress, though it missed her body only by
a couple of inches.
Seeing that no harm had occurred, we three men sprang forward and
captured the would-be assassin just as he was in the act of flinging
another of his murderous missiles at the fainting girl. It proved to be
Enrique, and he put up a nasty fight before he was finally landed by
the heels. At this stage Hortensia, having recovered from the shock,
took the lead in the affair and immediately appropriated the prisoner
to herself. When we finally got through explaining things to him, he
came round completely and apologized most generously for all that he
had done. That night there was much rejoicing at Las Flores, and the
announcement was made that Enrique and Hortensia were to be married
very shortly.
Everyone seemed to have temporarily forgotten about the Señorita Leonia
and her troubles, but Enrique suddenly remembered them and volunteered
to go immediately and fetch Roberto. An hour later the two young men
returned together, and another reconciliation took place. Don Eduardo,
all smiles now, settled things for the lovers, and the billing and
cooing was quite affecting. Next night a grand “biallie,” or dance, was
held at the “finca,” and the whole countryside was invited. Soon after
the banns were posted for a double wedding, at which, several weeks
later, the girls’ brother and myself acted as “best men.” There is now
a little Enrique and a little Roberto, to say nothing of a young Pablo,
named in my honour, and of whom I am the proud godfather. Master Pablo
little knows, however, what a time his worthy godparent had of it when
he foolishly tried to adjust the love affairs of the aforesaid Master
Pablo’s parents.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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