As Told at Martin's

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 448, 17 November 1904, Page 8

As Told at Martin's

J »y Bsatriz B«Ui4« De I.ttaa. j r' . « I THE sight was warm, and the drink* refreshing to oar dusty mouth*. Waiters passed uoiiele*«lj to end fro, bearing' trays laden with tall glasses, the electric fans overhead bussed with a giddy whirr, and there isas a dancer on the stage who was good to look upon. Altogether, Margin's was a much more pleasant place to be than in the sultry atmosphere outside. "That girl," said Brown, slowly, eyeing the dancer through curling clouds of smoke, as she snapped her castanets, and twisted her lithe figure in the rhythmic measures of a Spanish air, "remind* me of a woman I knew in Cuba." u lm it a story, Brown?" questioned Latter. "Well, rather," our friend replied, emphatically. "Like to hear it?" • We assented eagerly, for Brown's atorifls were usually worth listening *>• "As I said before," he began, "it was in Cuba. I was there for the paper, just before the Spanish-American war broke out, and I saw the conflict through. Most of the time, after hostilities were declared, I was all over the island, wherever the fighting was, but at first • I was quartered at Ha-. rana, and it was there that I knew! Antonina. "She had come from Paris and was I dancing at the Tacon theater. The ■ eity was mad over her, affer the fashIqn of the Latin race, and, in fact, she j made even my phlegmatic AngloSaxon blood run quicker than was its ! wont. She was hardly beautiful.,' though I have neTer seen such eyes before, or since. She had a small wicked j face, was slender almost to thinners, J. and not very tall. But to see her j dancel lam sure no one has equaled ! her. Every motion was daring, poet-1 teal, and possessed the very essence ' Of grace. She was absolutely mistress of her art, and of her audiences. T don't know what she was, but; mostly Spanish blood, although some j •aid she had a strain of French-some • said Arabian, and some even hinted a I •' the African, but whatever her [' ality, her magnetism was marvelous. ! "The gallants flew wildly at her fast. She was looked upon with horror by the church, although it was '' •aid—but never mind that. She tan-' talised her lovers, laughed at them, jilted them, yet chained them to her. Among her mo«t constant admirers was Gen. Ruiz, of the Spanish army. He seemed to be more favored than ' the others, but was Insanely jealous, in fact bereft of all reason.

"Political matters were very much strained—feeling between Spaniards and the Cubans had reached its highest pitch. Not a day passed without a duel, or a quarrel, or an arrest. Yet in spite of this, Antonina danced every night to a crowded house, and the pleasure loving city, although honeycombed by plots and intrigues, forgot, for the moment, all save the moment'* enjoyment. . ** "The man most dreaded by the Spanish officials was one Juan Sanchez, an insurgent leader. He was the son of a wealthy planter who had figured prominently in a former outbreak, and had been exiled to Ceuta, Spain's penal colony in Africa. The son. growing to manhood and finding himself an outcast, embraced the.rebel cause and had made himself troublesome. He had gathered his recruits neighboring provinces, and lived in *he mosmtaini, evading every effort ©f the jerernment to capture him. "I do not know how it- came about, but Buix evolved the idea of affectin"hi* captive through Antonina. The general perne-sted a diamond of enormous value, a family jewel, and this he promised to the woman if she would lure the outlaw to her house. Antonina had long coveted the stone, and had tried every one of her wiles to obtain it, so it can be understood that she rtadiiy promised to attempt the ta*k. r "It might be thought that this was a most difficult undertaking, but Ruiz had his spies everywhere, and Antonina her willing slaves. One nisrht when Sanchez was in the citv on a secret mission, he was taken to the theater, by one of his own friends, to Me Antonina dance; was introduced to her after the performance^and,

like '1 the other*, fell under lies ap. ... *To a man df his character no hal: 'way method wa* possible. Sh« dismjsssed the other of her admirer*, and rumor soon spread that Sanches rode in tTery nighL and open]j visited her at her house. ".This ' was what Ruiz was waiting for, and one evening l the place was surrounded and Sanchez taken, prisoner.. He was, of course, sentenced to be' shot. "Antonina. apparently, thought no more of the matter. She appeared a: the theater on the following- evening, an '■• had nerer been more charm ing. The story of her share in th< rebel% capture got about, and she wa.cheered whenever she waa seen by tin loyalists. Kuiz was more infatuateo than ever, and wastworaethanhelples; in her hands. "The day that Sanchez was to be ex

ecuted Antonina demanded of Etiithat he shouLd gain permission for her to see her former lover alone. 1. was not known what excuse she gav< for this seemingly strange request, hut. at any rate, it -was granted her. What took place at the interview wa> never disclosed. Immediately after i ! was ovir Sanchez was marched inU ihe courtyard, placed with his face t, the wall and shot to death. Hcmethis fate with gallant indifference. "Antonina watched him die, from one of the windows, without a sign oV emotion, save a narrowing of the eyelids audi a slight compression of the lips. She danced that night, but canceled her engagement for the followin? week, saying she was going to leave the city for a rest. % "A few days later I happened to be in one of the shabbiest parteof town, and there met a woman whose resemblance to the dancer was so striking that I turned and looked after her an she passed me. She went into a miserable Looking hovel and, as I loitered near, hoping to solve the mystery, she came out again, and walked swiftly by me. This time I waseonvinced.that it was Antonina. Much puzz'ed at her appearance in such a place, I followed* her, but soon she disappeared down a narrow side street, and being unfamiliar with that part o.f the town, I lost track of her. "sext day I was called away from the city, and when I returned I found ihe social world in a state of expeo tation over a grand reception to be given by Gen. Ruiz in honor of some of the. Anferican officers. The cbicf cttracijoh- was the announcement that Antonina had been engaged to dance for the entertainment of the guests. I determined to accept my imitat:on, as the woman possessed a great attraction for me. I was £ resent at the reception. "The salas were crowded with a brilliant assembly. Scores of beautiful -svomen, and the handsome Spanish officers in their showy uniforms, mingitd with the more sober dress of our country, gave a most picturesque effect to the scene. It was, when the dancer arrived.'* She had driven directly from the theater, and.was attired in a most magnificent costume, while on her breast glittered the Ruiz ciamond. As'she came into the ballroom, she was greeted with ornvo< and was showered with flowers. She paused; a moment on the threshold, ami responded with a famt, half mocking smile. Then.slowly raisin." her arms, she stepped forward. Instantly the orchestra struck up wit I the passionate music of El Rol, and the guests drew away from the center of the room, leaving her standing in ;i blaze of color and jewels—alone en the polished floor. "*' "I will not attempt to describe the dar.ee. We watched her with deep: drawn breaths, and dizzy brains, as she -whirled herself from the lazy languor of the beginning to the mad abandon at the end. Vluiz, unable ti contain his emotions, caught up a flower that had dropped from her hair, and, unmindful of observers, ki*>ed it. She saw the action, an:? with a sidelong glance tore the searlet scarf from her waist, and, still dancing, threw it over his neck. Something gleamed in her h-»nd, and son e instir.ct warned me of mischief.

I stepped to Ruiz' side. Antonina stretched out her hand, and held uip lark, and if ever I saw the devil look oul from a woman's eyes, I saw it ?hiuing then between her half closed I ds. " 'Adios, companeros,' she said in clear, rinping tones, 'I go to wait for you in hell.' "With a swift motion she buried the danger, which had been concealed in her hand, in her heart, and as the last strains of the music died away she feli to the floor, the wicked smile frozen on her mouth. "Three weeks later, Gen. Ruiz and every one of his subordinate officer* die*! of the most maliginant kind d smallpox. Antonina had searched until she had found a ease, as we nf!etward discovered—had expns.-d Sanchez' sword belt to (Ld Infective, nu 1 thus carried the infection to Ruiz, gaining a vengeance whi«*h f. \v brains could have evolved. Bhs loved the man whose life she had sold for a jewel." "Why did she take her life?" ques-tion-c! Lester. "That," answered Erown, "was a .■hr.:•;■> of her charaeter whkh I found hard to nnderstmd, th—v.rh I Relieve that she preferred rhv«t!i to the loss of her chr.r:: s, an.l lay.-w that %he surely must have Lad the dread disease herself. 'To me ihe most wonderful thing r.ho'if her was thnf she could love so rni»naely, and never by word or sip-n beir?y herself, F»ven when she snw him ric, and iti: v that she was re •;>--,• :,, ; f { - r ;.:> ■' ath VTbat is comet hi I,* I June :;r\.r sen in any nther w ;•;>. ny- 1 -ave" evidence of n w'.ll ;,..;. .•,,;.;,, h-.: • 'r.ovrd ■. I ! ; : .; :". :'•! rn "ir* nv. o::t