Show CARMENCITA I By VIGGO HE lIE was i dm chaining ruling th the little Car Car- s manelta When the tones of tiC tho the guitar struck up a 0 her dink dark e eyes es sparkled lIke the mag mag- diamond pin In her hair hall She slowly raised the one one- foot bent back the tile body so 80 that her young firm bosom stood too outlined In the tight fitting waist and began to dance in a way WU that made you ou forget everything c but the slender graceful figure ng which followed fol fol- lowed the time e u of or the music as It grew fc wilder and wilder m An And she sho was only seventeen She he had come to New l York from St. St Th Thomas where she had lived with an au aunt for two years an She he knew quite a little Danish which she spoke polte with witha a Loft accent which was charming But she did not like Danes One of the times 1 visited her hor father she ho and I were alone for a few moments After trying In vain aln to get ct un up u a conversation conversa con conversation tion I began to look ni fit sumo some books bookson on the he table when suddenly she said l in a very cool voice olce You are a Dane Vane I nodded Then you ou drink she a added ded sharply sharply- I 1 drink I 1 exclaimed In surprise Yes all the tho Danes Vanes in itt St. St Thomas drink she replied It took me about fifteen minutes to convince con her hel that not all Danes Vanes were drunkards I n 10 s. s But fiut It was only for a short time she was WiS rude to me Later hater she often came come over and sat sut down close to me when wIlen 1 was talking with her father Juan Dioz an and when there was a lull In Inthe Inthe inthe the conversation con she bent forward and said ald In her soft tort voice olce Please phi play a n little little to me l I sat down to the piano no and played while she sat close b by looking f at me wistfully with her big bit brown browneyes eyes Whore here when and how she had III become become be- be jf come enSa engaged ed to 10 Gregorio 1 k never ne could find out Carmen always alwa's 6 evaded my questions and all her father L I. would say was 5 that he had hall known her herf I f from childhood In Cienfuegos There was vas something strange In their relations rela- rela t neither father Cather nor daughter scorned to like him and Carmen was always cr very cold to him but he did didi i not seem to notice It It and it was as evident evl- evl f dent that he possessed some strange I power over them To me mo he was always alf al- al f ways wars polite almost too loo polite but when r he thought ht himself unobserved an expression ex- ex pre of brutality would come into his face which mn made c me ate shudder as asI 1 I 1 thou thought ht that Carmen was to become his wife The wedding was to take place when she was eighteen and the they wore were to live lI at Cienfuegos Gre orlo came ever every and took tonic Carmen for a walk When hen the they returned and Senor Dinamarca as the they called me mo happened to to- tobe be he there the guitar ullar and the castanets were produced produced produced pro pro- and Carmen would dance lance the j e until she was as out of breath and threw herself Into a chair I had now becomes constant visitor in Juan Dioz's home homere We re were at the tho he beginning of July and the wedding was set let for September Carmen grew rew more and more nervous Often Orten when I came caine cameI I could see that she had hod been heen crying but hut when I said something something- about it she laughed laug and said sald Oh el Senor marca has visions Then she be began an anto to tease liar her fiance until I almost pitied him He Ire stood her teasing patiently amen but hut often orten an expression camo came into to h his is face Cace which made me fear Cear Carmen would have ho to suffer for this after atter- wards when Ono I 1 morning Thun Thursday da Jul July 16 16 I h came Camo 10 to my office l I w was n K lol told would woul have o to KO go o to San l for Cor months leaving len the tho following Monday Monda v would M I 1 was Vs r rather S cr annoyed as It at prevent pre me lle from front h being pre present Carmen's n 8 and I decided to Ha say good bye l to her hel th the next after artea noon It Was about five 11 In tl the tho 0 afternoon hn lied had when i e I 1 carne came to the tho house home Juan Diaz not yet coin back from from his I of- of lice flee hut butt the meld maid Informed me tho senorita was WaR III I went hll Into the parlor Pallor Carmen was wai standing at the window 1011 looking Into the street below She turned slowly but hut when slue she saw It was I 1 she ran me with whit a smile r How flow 1 nice of you Ou to come Here poor POOL little lItlie Carmen Is all alone alone- and nobody In to the whole world cares for me any more i Oil Oh I think you ou arc are Vel very unjust I said with a smile You know we wo are all willing to die for Cor you OU nothing but empty talk I dont don't believe e you mean a n. word of or what you ou say sav But senorita you SO say that as If you OU really meant it I replied reproachfully Well Veil 1 I do mean It It she burst out impulsively but checking herself she said with a lau laugh h that did not sound quite natural dont mind what I sa say Of or course 1 I dont don't mean it ft 1 am am a chatterbox You are sick Carmen I 1 said lookIng looking look look- Ing InK at her sharply and you have ha been crying again What Is the matter with Ou I 1 dont dont don't owe anybody nn any explanation I tion she replied haughtily I 1 felt the blood rushing to In my head but I said calmly enough I beg beS' your pardon senorita and picked up a book from Cram th the table Carmen Carmon walked walled restlessly about the room I could see Bee she regretted her hastiness but I did not Intend to give in to her whims like Gregorio She stopped a moment near the window then camo came over to me and said softly Wont you please pin play a little to me mer senor It was Impossible to resist even en If I 1 I had wanted to She huddled down Ina In Ina Ina a big chair and I began to play pIny Suddenly Suddenly Suddenly Sud Sud- denly I remembered why I had come stopped playing and said What may I send you for tor your wedding Send me she exclaimed Yes I have to go to San Francisco on l Monday and I shall be awa away at least three months so I will not beable beable be beable able to bo be present at your our w wedding nor oven o sn say good-bye good to you OU when you ou go to to- Cuba Her Iier lips trembled nervously She looked at me attempted to smile but suddenly stood up and anti went over to the window A thought struck me and I was quite overwhelmed b by it I turned around quickly Carmen was standing at the window her little hands were tI tightly clenched and she was pressing her forehead a against the pane patio while the tile tears were running down her cheeks Carmen Carmen I cried and rushed up to her She let herself hersel fall tall Into a chair burled buried la her r face tace In her hands and sobbed cJ convulsively can My Mv I dearest Idearest little Carmencita I said in Spanish and bent down clown over herShe her She threw her arms around m my neck You must not leave me do you ou hear You must not go 10 away Don t you understand understand understand un un- that It Is you vou you ou you I 1 Ilove Ilove love E and not the oth other I J will twill kill I I myself before beCore I will belong to him Gently loosening her arms I 1 said In Ina a voice which I tried to mal make e calm lou Vou do not know what you ou are SOIng sayIng say say- Ing log Carmen It Is Impossible She he jumped to her feet reel Her c eyes ees es sparkled her hair hall fell down and hung lung In black curls around her face which I 1 had never ne seen een n as beautiful as now What hat Is Impossible she cried stepping up close to me and looking Into Into- my eyes I do not ask you OU to marry me Make Make mo inn your yom mistress but bul do not nol leave leavo me mc here Take rake me with you OU If It you ou must go go lIe hot I arms were around my neck once more and I could feel Ceel her her heart beat bent against ag m my own Carmen Carmen you must not I cannot and will not mike make you OU my mistress mistress mis mis- tress and I do not lo love you OU enough to marr marry you ou She did not move e but kept on lookIn lookIng looking look- look In Ing Into my eyes ees Do you jou OU love another another an an- another other she whispered Yes I replied Where here Is 18 sine sho Is sho she here heio No she site Is In Denmark Are you OU engaged to her No 00 she docs does not nal love lo me There was U a rl sparkle le of or triumph In her eyes and 1 saw the blood rushIn rushIng rushing rush- rush In Ing to her head She Slie pressed presed her lips n n In till my oar ear ar and th whispered passionately pas S Ionn tel For Forget et her Dont Don't you OU see seo 1 I am ready to give I e you ou everything e Ill my future myself my hall body and soul soulI I 1 will give all nil to you ou an and you OU alone You will learn to love la me I know you vou will You allt already ady like mo tie vcr very much Your four eyes h have vc told me me and love lo will come before beCore you 1 0 know It And was as all I 1 coul could 1 re re- re ply ph she almost hissed ell what Is he to tae me me Ho lie Is wicked I J hate him and never never no will I be he his I belong belong- to you vo-u and you OU must not re refuse refuse re- re fuse me mo Take me now for Cor I am all yours and yours alone She kl sed passionately my nay eat ear ear my 01 hair and suddenly sudden burst hurst Into a hysterical hys hys- hysterical cr cry which shook her whole bad body I took her Into my arms and stroking her hea hair halt I sald Carmen for Gods God's sake t tl try to be calm Calm Cahn How Haw can I be calm calm when lifes life's happiness I Is at al stake Just because of that I said there trust mut mu t he some Rome W way tray Wout out of or It She quieted down little by little laid her head on m my shoulder and ran her fingers through h my hair It Is true she ou o OU do love me a little and everything will beall bo be all nil right You dont don't how I J have suffered these last months when I thought of the wed wedding But nut why did you become engaged engage to to- him He once saved mo me from 1118 disgrace race I 1 Iwas Iwas was fourteen Courteen then and since that time we have ha been enga engaged ed but hut there Is something In his character which Is repulsive to me ate Sometimes I am al almost almost al al- most afraid of him And It would not be ll right ht to ruin my whole life liCe for foi his sake sak would It No Nn Carmen dear I J think I have found a wa way I will not make you m mv my mistress and allI I cannot become en engaged a ed I Ita to to- you ou as long long- longas as you yell are ure engaged to I Gregorio You must speak to him He lie I comes here bore at el eight eight in In ht-In in half an nn hour I Go for your oUt usual wa walk and tell him him e ev- ev I He lie Is too much of or a gentleman gentleman gentle gentle- man not to set you vou free Cre God ani only knows said Carmen When hen It Is done we will become engaged and I will go o to San Sm Fran Fran- cisco disco and you OU to Cuba and in a year ear earI I will come an and make you OU my wife if you OU still sUll love lo me me meA meA A A year car Is such a long time she site said like a disappointed child But nut we are both youn young oung and It Is s the beat best fur for both of at us I must go now but I will com come back tomorrow afternoon and hear every every- thing yes do and come como as carl early as you OU can call darling Father does not nol come conic homo these evenings Q until after aeter nine nino and tomorrow there will bo be no Gregorio Gregorio Grego- Grego rio to disturb us She laughed and taking a crimson rose from a a. apse a vase sho she put pUl It Into m my buttonhole and said Put It next to your bed tonight An As Its fragrance lasts night ht and da day so my thou thoughts will be with you Oll until we weine ine meet t again tomorrow Kiss mo trio once more inns mas As I went downstairs I met Grelo Grego- rio who looked at me searchingly but Immediately made some pleasant ro- ro I went outside an and took theL thoL tho the L L As I sat At In tho the car I thought ht whether I had acted right or not Undoubtedly Undoubtedly Un Un- l I had hail As a gentleman I J I could coul not have ha acted otherwise And i still what still what was hUl happening between herand her herand herand i and Grogorio Grog now now I 1 thought of or the fear rear of oC him and I felt sorry s rr I had not sta stayed ell with her and not placed the whole burden on her hel shoulders It was rather the tho act of a coward than of a gentleman I looked at my watch It It was a quarter of at nine now too late to go o backI back I slept ver very ball badly that night Rn and woke up disgusted with myself At Atthe Atthe the the thought of Carmen Interfered in interfered interfered In- In with m my work and 1 hind hall ha hardly Id I'd I done don anything when whon at ut eleven cloven o'clock a n. tele telegram ram came to me I tore toie It and open rend read Ica Carmen disappeared come Immediately Juan I Diaz I Never Novel has tho the wa way to street seemed so lon long to me but at last I 1 Iwas Iwas I was there A crowd of oC people were standing outside Diaz's louse house and I 1 heard a woman troman say nay They rhey have hayo Just found her herI I rushed up tile the stairs and Into the house through tho open door At t. the entrance to tho the parlor pallor I saw the tho situation situation sit sll- at a glance g Stooping over o the divan In n a n. corner were four tour men In police uniform and at al the table a sergeant sergeant ser ser- ergeant er- er geant g was sitting pen In hand while Juan Diaz Dla was in a chair chait his head burled buried in his hands I Ono One of or the men a police surgeon said Death has been Instantaneous i She has been anal ami assault assault- I I e ed and then murdered You may my finish finIsh fin fin- ish th the report ONeil ONell Pushing the tho policeman man aside I wasat was wan wasat at t tho l m couch In a bound looking at Carmen Ht Her r waist wu was torn and there was an Ugly ugh tab stab woun wound In her bosom Just below the tho heart Her little lit lit- tle hands hand were clinched and her face tace was drawn dran as In pain I fell tell down on m my knees and pressed my forehead against her cold arm Murdered and It was all my fault tault Wh Why hadn't I 1 stayed with her Why la had Imd I left hor her like a I scoundrel drel I J might Wright have hll prevented It all aH I was tho real murderer There she was teas lying now cold and dead ead the lie child who tail hUll put till nil hor Ivor faith In me the young oung girl who had given me mo her bet first love the woman who had placed her honor hp her hr future her 1 life lIro In in n my hands and how hots had I 1 acted T i had accepted her 10 love and then left leCt her hel to Greg Gregorio loft lell her life and honor to the man I knew must become her hor bit bit- erest enemy when ho lie was vaa 08 told every every- thing Her face with Its expression lor of palm pain and horror raised the terrible I accusation against me mc the accusation that she he had been betrayed by the man who had promised to protect her that sure filio had loved lo n miserable coward I went over o to Juan Diaz z and placed my hand on his hla shoulder He lie looked up for Cor the first time since I hall hail entered entered entered en en- and never shall I forget get the expression expression ex- ex of sorrow and despair in tho the strong mans man's face What do lIo you want he lie asked almost al almost almost al- al most inaudibly Here she sho lies lIes you you cannot help me she me-she sho loved lo y you and u and she sho was W all that 1 had to love o and live JI for A lump camo came into my throat and m my eyes began to smart Slowly I went wont over to Carmen looked at her |