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THE NEBRASKA ADVERTISES
W. W. SANDERS, Publisher.
NEMAHAi NEBRASKA
IF SHE HAD LIVED.
If she had lived how sweetly sad tho
thought:
Of nil she might have- been; what differ
ent ways
Her steps had led me, what moro happy
days
tier gentle presenco to my llfo had
brought,
If she had lived.
she had lived, perhaps tho golden prlzo
We call success had sooner ncared
my hand,
And, won nt last, tho favor of tho land
Might seem moro worthy to my happier
eyos,
If she had lived.
If she had lived, the earth and air nnd sky
Might seem to hold a deeper right to be,'
The leaves more sadly fall from shrub
and tree,
Tho flowers she loved might sorrow more
to die,
If sho had lived.
If she had lived, perhaps each day wero
given
A fuller promise, as the east unbars
Morn, noon and sunset, twilight, and tho
stars
Might seem moro radiant earth moro like
to Heaven,
If she had lived.
If sho had lived, perhaps tho tldo of years
Had borno mo on more calmly to the sea,
Whoso shoro is Llfc-and Nature's har
. mony
Might sound a sweeter echo In my cars,
If she had lived.
Arthur Cleveland Palmer, In Atlanta
Constitution.
39Sa!W99fl99,39a'999-'M,9
The Blue Mule . f
1 of Quotovic.
$
$ By Harry E. Andrews.
Ve-&5&:6&:&.fr6ft&&&-6-.&&:66-.&
WHEN Ricardo bought the mule of
the stranger who passed on,
there was nothing to distinguish hiin
from the innumerable mules of oblivion
except a streak of thin blue hair form
ing a tropical zone around his body
Just behind his uhoulders. Whether
this was nature's frolic or the freak of
some former owner's humor, Ricardo
did not inquire. That wns immaterial,
inasmuch as the mule hud four legs free
from eccentricities and, as the prudent
Ricardo had taken pains to demon
strate, could pull well at the arrastrar
pole. Ricardo wns delighted with his ac
quisition, lie could see in it the dawn
of a new prospeilty, a rainbow of de
lightful promise. "Mi favorito!" he ex
claimed, patting the beast fondly, as he
tethered and fed him on that first night
of his proud proprietorship; "ah, mi
favorito!" The mule placidly chewed
the straw which Ricardo offered, but
did not respond to his endearment with
eo much as a wink.
It was a brilliant moonlit night, a
fitting time and occasion for an ex
change of sentiment, but there was a
blank expression on the mule's face
that disturbed the impressionable
Ricardo. He disappeared, returned
with n tallow candle, and held it before
his companion's eyes as if more intently
to study his physiognomy. Not a shad
ow of change passed over the beast's
countenance; not u blink nor a sign of
curiosity was aroused by the sputtering
flip. When his new and charming own
er lifted his head, the blue mule gazed
calmly into the firmament as though
the candle were a part of it, and then
plunged his nose again into the straw
brought from the Valley of Sonoyta, 50
miles away, where things grow.
"Ay, el estrangero!" snid Ricardo, re
flectively "swindler!" Ricardo could
express his thoughts in two languages,
but that was all he said. It was evident
that his mind had reverted unpleasant
ly to him who had passed on.
Next morning Ricardo tied the mule
to the arrastrara-pole, fastened the
budge over his eyes, and set him at work
as though nothing had happened. He
spoke genially to his beast, hit him In
offensively with the rawhide as a mere
matter of form, and the blue mule
plodded cheerily upon his endless jour
ney. Imugine a circular pavement of
lnrge flat stones, with a double rim
made of two rows of smuller stones set
on edge; in the center an upright re
volving shaft from which a pole radiates
horizontally to the outside of the circle;
bound to the pole midway a heavy block
of granite, and hitched to the pole's
outer end the blue mule. A burro comes
down from the mountains with 250
pounds of ore on his heroic little back,
nnd gets his first drink of water for
three days. Ricardo dumps the ar into
the puddle of water and quicksilver in
the arrastrar, and it is ground into a
paste as the mulo drags that heavy
block of granite over It in the little cir
cle. Walking around and nround, the
beast would become dizzy were he not
blindfolded one readily sees that nnd
congratulates the hoodwinked mules on
the happy nnd honorable way in which
they have been befooled into thinking
they are getting ahead.
A swarthy, corpulent man with
straight black hair and a feeble fuzz
of beard, contrasting humorously with
his great bulk, passed by and grunted
at Ricardo. The mule driver saluted
gravely. He saw nothing iueongruous
In the .alcalde's beard, nor could he re
gard with aught out seriousness tho
grcnt man of the town and district, sole
representative of law and authority,
owner of the mills, and virtunl proprie
tor of the town and its inhabitants.
Woe be to the peon who should incur the
ill-will of the alcalde or of the alcalde's
hairlcBR dog trotting by his side!
Another traveler came down the
windy path. Although Ricardo had
been attending faithfully to his work,
a thrill had come to his consciousness
at the moment she came through the
opening that never opened or shut, the
one door of the alcalde's house. He
looked up as if a gracious cloud hod
passed before the sun in that cloudless,
pitiless sky, saw the girl, and smiled.
"Mucho color," he said, us she drew
near. Topics of conversation are much
the same in all lands and among all
classes and conditions.
"Yes," she said, plensnntly, "It is
very hot."
"Where are you going, senoritn?"
"To the father's store for some
chiles."
"You arc going to have something
nice for supper?"
"Yes, some tnmulcs."
"Ah, I wish " But he did not com
plete the sentence. It was cut oft! by a
snort from the blue mule, now pulling
und kicking as if in a resentful state of
ir.ind. "Steady!" he shouted to the
mule, snapped his azote, then turned to
the girl again.
She had started oil. "Why don't you
come, then?" she asked, provokingly,
turning half nround.
"Wait a moment, Tcresn!" pleaded
the mule driver. "Will you dance with
me to-night?"
'Til see!" she laughed, as If to prove
that the sex has the same tuntallzing
instincts in all latitudes.
Ricardo heard o mutter of derison
from the arrastrar next below his, as
the girl went on down the path. He
turned simply. Another voice nccostcd
her inquiringly. She answered gnyly,
as was her wont, but did not linger.
"Hombre brutnl!" mumbled Ricardo.
"It was that Ramon who stoned the
mule." But he was too busy with
thoughts of the dance he hnd bespoken
to give Ramon more attention.
Ricardo thrived, nnd the blue mule
va3 his most helpful ally. Often did he
call down blessings on the head of the
stranger whom he had denounced ns a
cheat; and sumptuously did the mule
fare, as sumptuousness goes with
mules and in Quitovic. Of all the mules
that labored in that quaint desert
town, Azul was the most trustworthy,
the most intelligent. Why should he
have a driver, when he would so hon
estly drag the pole for the whole of
his six-hours' shift, night or day, with
out a word from his master? That
rare visitor to the arrastrar town, the
Spirit of Enterprise, touched Ricardo.
He contracted with the alcalde to take
charge of a second mill near by, and
with the aid of the loyal Azul he oper
ated two arrastrars at once and earned
double pay. He wns the rising young
man of the village.
"Azul, mi favorito," he exclaimed,
night after night, ns he embraced the
blue mule, gave him his straw with
the little measure of corn that cost so
dear, and encircled him with his hair
lariat to preserve him from rattlers.
"And they don't know not one of them
knows."
I am sure Ricardo had other and suit
able expressions of attachment und ad
miration for Senorita Teresa, In whose
sight he had found increasing favor as
the months went by nnd whose all im
portant futher did not frown upon his
suit, Ricardo felt at peace with his little
world; but is it not snd that prosperity
and peace ever generate the poison that
rankled in the heart of Ramon?
One day the jealous one betook him
self to the court of the alcalde, in the
store of baked mud, among the beans
and peppers and miners' kits. He had
come with n complaint, he said, his
own und others. There was something
new and something wrong in Quitovic.
"To-morrow I will listen to you," snid
the alcalde, for to-morrow wns always
the alcalde's busy day.
There were mony to-morrows, butRa
mon persisted till the great man paused
to hear him,
"It Is n client," said Ramon. "One
rami is doing the work of two."
"It may be so," replied the alcade, de
liberately, f
"There will be mischief."
"We shall see."
"Creame, your worship I It will
waste the ore and lose the gold."
The alcalde's eyes gleamed. "Do you
know that?" he asked.
"I am sure, your worship."
"I will see, to-morrow," and the
great man wnved off the little one.
Ricardo nnd Azul worked faithfully,
as to-morrows approached and receded,
unconscious of the disaster that had
taken shape in Ramon's mind. The lat
ter held his pence and flung no more
taunts at the mule, sanguine that he had
laid the train for the catastrophe, and
had only to apply the match.
"How happy I ami" murmured the
happy Ricardo to Teresa, as they sat
on a rock near the arrastrars, next day.
"I have spoken to the padre."
"I have told nobody," she nnswered,
softly.
"No, let It be a secret till all is in
readiness. Then we will have n fiesta!"
"Shall we go to San Antonio?"
"Yes, and you shall have flowers."
"Flowers!"
"Many flowers nnd garlands. They
shall come from Sonoyta."
Ricardo arose and bestirred the mule
to greater activity the other mule.
Azul was ever active, and Ricardo could
return to his sweetheart.
It was late in the nftcrunnn and near
the end of Rnmon's shift. In half nn
hour his alternate would come to re
lieve him. If he was to carry out the
plan which his tempestuous brain hnd
evolved as he lay sleepless and tortured
on his bed of straw through the night,
he, Ramon, must poon net; and now,
when they were nbsorbed in one another,
when Rlcnrdo's eyes saw no more than
those of the bandaged mules, now wns
the time, the very nick of time!
So, behold Ramon creeping to the
arrastrar where Azul was sweating at
his (oil. Behold him stealthily crawl
ing to the further rim of the mill with
nn open knife In his hnnd, while the blue
mule, unconscious of the dnngcr, plod
ded nround nnd nround again to the
spot where he hid, and the two lovers
chattered blithely.
"Diablo!" muttered Ramon, fiercely.
A knife flashed once, twice, nnd the.
deed was done. With nn oath of satis
faction, Ramon crept buck to his work
and tho bine mule, apparently Ignor
ing him, displayed some petulance to
ward a gnnt which had alighted on his
shoulder, then tranquilly pursued the
long road which led to nowhere.
Tor how could Ramon hnvc achieved
his ignoble purpose by the murder of
Azul? That would have been but half
u revenge, while the retribution he hnd
plotted was all-shattering nnd com
plete. He hnd lnid the train for nn ex
plosion, nn earthquake. The two strokes
of his knife had cut the bandngc from
the mule's eyes, that was nil; but was
not that enough? Azul would grow
dizzy and dizzier nnd would fall in his
tracks; the mill would stop, and Ri
cardo, all given to his ehnrmer, would
not notice tho episode. The alcalde
would soon stride by, for had not the
cunning Ramon sent him a false mes
sage to lure him home? He would ob
serve the idle mill and the fallen mule;
he would sec Ricardo neglecting his
duty to dally with Teresa. "Ah," he
would say, "no such lazy, careless fel
low shall be a son of mine! Up, you
loafer! Leave my daughter nnd at
tend to work! No, begone! I will not
have you work for me. Poltroon! Never
come near my nrrastrnrs or east a shad
ow across my pnth again!" Ramon
could see nnd hear it nil, and his little
soul dilated. Meanwhile Azul pursued
his circular pilgrimage as constantly
as the earth revolved in its orbit, and
the loveis prattled as unceasingly as
the spheres sang to each otheriu' the
heavens.
Then Ramon's successor enme to re
lieve him, and ho would be free to wlt-
ANOTIIEU TRAVELER CAME DOWN
THE PATH.
ness the denouement. The blue mule
could not keep on his feet much longer;
he must soon stagger and fall, and by
that time the alcalde would pass. There
could be no failure, all was going well,
and Ramon, making a skillful detour,
hid behind the alcalde's chicken house
to watch, and wnit, and see his triumph.
Yes, there was the alcalde, across the
arroyo. He had received the message
and left his store. Patience! But the
mule! Why did he not pause? Why
did he not stumble? Why did not the
earth swim under his feet? Why did he
not full in a heap in the path? Ramon's
blood boiled ns he saw Azul steadily
pulling the mill around as he hud drawn
it for hours, without a fnlse step, with
out a sign of distress.
And see! The alcalde hud come up.
Ricardo raised his sombrero, and tho
great man nodded to the happy couple.
With his business uffuirs going forwurd
profitably, what niagnnte could ob
ject to polite attentions to his daughter
from the eligible one?
But Ramon swore an oath unto him
self. His heart was ulump of lead, and
bends of perspiration stood on his
brow. How he wished he hnd made an
other use of tho knife! And all the time
Azul wus keeping on his course us
serenely as Jupiter or the far Uranus.
All things seemed unnatural and dis
torted to Ramon's turbulent brain. He
had witnessed impossibilities. Now he
imagined that the blue mulo looked up
at him nnd sneered sardonicully, nnd it
made him furious. Then ho heard Azul
laugh a long, loud, irritating, mad
dening Inugli,
When the mule brayed, Ramon sprang
to his feet, beside himself with rngo nnd
chagrin, nnd started to flee. Ho could
stay in Quitovic no longer. He would
put miles between himself and the scene
J of his humiliation. But u heavy bund
wns laid violenvjy l nd '"
him to tho grounh.
"So you are the thCef nre 5'"?" s,(1
a voice that made lihJ qunkc. "I
thought no better of you, v-i'-ilt-findcr!
murmurador! It Is you who .nas been
eating my pullets!"
Alas for the quivering Ramon, he
could not utter one word of defense or
protest, and little would It avail him if
hu could. The alcalde both inude lawp
for Quitovic and executed them. With
his strong arm, he dragged the wretch
to his feet and led him off to the cala
boose. When Ricardo found the severed band
age, ho divined the- secret of it nil, and
lie laughed softly. Always a man of
gentle moods, ho was too happy now to
harbor a grudge. "Ah, mi favorito,"
ho snid to the mule ns ho caressed him
that night, "ho did not know thntyou
are blind ! lie did not know that it was
nil the sumo to you I" And Azul wore
garlnnds, ns well ns Tcresn, when they
.rode to the little ndobc church nt Snn
Antoue, where Padre Francisco married
and blessed them.
"Your blessing on Azul, too," craved
Rlcnrdo, with a coin In his hand and
tho holy mini's benediction rested on
the blue mulo of Quitovic San Frun
cisco Argonaut.
A SODA WATER FETISH.
African SuvutfcM Ovenoveil by 11 Pop
llottlc.
The power of superstition ns well us
the absurdity of It Is well illustrated In
the following anecdote: Two English
ofllcers recently visited the native town
of Bendi, in West Afrlcu, which Is the
headquarters of n fetish known ns tho
"long juju." The natives hove sur
rounded their rites with such mystery
that these wore the first whites whom
they had permitted to enter the town.
Their reception by the chiefs was at
tended with n peculiar ceremony.
The proceedings opened by the head
man of the town walking round the
ring holding a skull In one hnnd and
wildly gesticulating with the other, at
the sanio time uttering curses upon nil
the white men and their descendants if
any harm befell the townspeople by
reason of their visit.
After this the head friendly chief
who came with the expedition walked
round the circle calling down maledic
tions upon the natives if any harm be
fell tho white men during their visit.
For his fetish instead of a skull ho car
ried in his hnnd nn ordinary bottle of
Hodu water, and at the critical moment,
when ho hnd exhausted his list of curses,
he lenped into the rling nnd opened the
bottle, und the cork went off with a loud
report.
The effect was as ridiculous as It was
instantaneous. The natives with one
accord, chiefs, women nnd children,
straightway fled. The people were
profoundly impressed wltlrwhnt they
called "the white man's God In n bottle."
During the whole journey the letting off
of soda-water corks always had the de
sired effect of Impressing the people
with the power of tho white man's
"juju." Youth's Companion.
A iMlMtnlcon Prophet.
Prophecy is often rendered absurd by
tho events, but it Is not often that one
comes across quite so ludicrous n dis
parity between forecast nnd fact as the
following. Turning over tho old num
bers of Chambers' Journal wo come
across an article (May 20, 1837) on the
project of penny postage, then under
discussion. Says the writer: "We con
sider this one of the most visionary
schemes ever put forth. Mr. Hill, like
most political economists, commits the
blunder of making no allowance foi
tho passions, the feelings, the habit
and the stupidities of mankind. Im
agine everyone hnving to buy stnmpt
beforehand for his letters, or having
to pay a penny with every letter post
ed! Looking at human so
ciety as at present existing, we arc surt
thnt It would never work," How ninny
present-day criticisms of new ideas will
read equally comienlly with this In CC
years' time? Westminster Gazette.
memory Quickened.
Dude (to barber) Bow much do 1
owe you?
Barber The same as you usually pay,
sir.
"I don't tnke the trouble to remem
ber whnt you have charged! How
much is it?"
"Twenty cents."
"0, but you have charged me only IS
cents beforol" Humoristische Bluet
ter. An I3.xiIuiiiittmt.
Dr. Llddoll wns a humorist in an
academic way. "How Jong have you
been a member of the university, mj
lord?" he said to a young 'man who had
omitted to "cap him" when they met
in the street. "A week, sir," tho youth
answered. "I understand," said the
dean; "puppies cannot see till they are
eight days old." London Saturday
Keview.
No Complaint.
"Who's dead?" inquired a man of the
sexton, who wns digging a grave in the
churchyard. "Old Squire Thornback."
"What complaint?" Sexton, without
looking up: "Noeomplnint; everybody
satisfied." Household Words.
In various English counties people
say that if tho ice bears a goose before
Christinas it will not bear a duck after.
In some Midland districts this Is varied
by tho substitution of a mnn for the
goose, und a mouse for the duck.
THE NEW ADJUTANT GENERAL.
Tho FrrnltlLilt Appoint Col. Ilenrr C. Cor
Itln to Kticcned Gnn. Ilrrck.
Washington, Fob. 20. Tho presi
dent to-day appointed Col. Henry 0.
Corbin adjutant general of tho army
COI.. HKNllV C. C0IU1IN.
(Now Adjutant Qenornl of tho Army.)
to succeed Gen. Sainuol Brock, rottrcd
on account of ago. Gon. Brook had
hold oillco only slnco Soptombor 11
last, when ho succeeded Adjt, Gon.
Rugglcs.
CoL Honry C. Corbin is a natlvo of Ohio nnd
entorod tho army as an enlisted man nt tho be
ginning of tho Into war. Ho had n most bril
liant career and onrncd brovots for gnllnnt and
meritorious sorvlco nt Docatur nnd Nashville.
In 1803 ho wns trnnsforrcd to tho rcuulnr sorv
lco ns Rooond lieutenant -of tho Sovontoonth
United Stntcs infantry. Prosldcnt llnyos ap
pointed him to tho start in 1830, mnlcing him a
mnjor und assistant ndjutunt gonornl. Con.
Corbin has booh sorvlco In tho Indian cam
paigns at Pino IlldKo, In Arizona nnd elso
whoro. lloforo promotion ho was assistant to
tho adjutant gonornl nnd boforo coming to
Washington ho wns adjutant genor.il ot tho do
pnrtmont of tho enst at New York.
BAD FIRE AT LOUISVILLE.
Threa llle IIiiIIiIIiik of the National To
bnocn Company Octroyed, ThrowluK 1,
400 People Out of Kmploymont.
Louisvim.k, Ky., Fob. 20; Tho pick
ing, drying and steaming warehouses
of tho National Tobacco company, sit
uated ut Twenty-Fourth and Main
streets, wore totally destroyed by flro
yesterday. Tho Iosh will amount
to 31,000,000, fully covered by insur
ance. In the drying building, which
caught llrst, 200 hands, mostly wom
en and ohildron, wore employed, but
tho mnjorlty of those escapod safely,
only a fow bolng slightly injured, as
did 200 who wore at work in tho steam
ing building. In the four-story waro
I10U80 1,000 mon wero at work, but
thoy nearly all escapod without in
jury. Georgo Tisshondorf, John Peck
ham and William Sample stayed too
long in tho building and had to jump
for their lives. Tho two lattor re
ceived fatal injuries. Over 1,400 peo
plo are thrown out of employment,
DISLOYAL PRIEST.
Peculiar Till It or Futher Weber nt Kings
ton, N. Y., at Funeral.
Roundout, N. Y., Fob. 20. Roman
Catholics in this city generally are in
a state of great indignation over tho
declaration reported to have boon mado
by Father Wober at a funeral. Father
Wobor, it is alleged, said that it was
the duty of every loyal Catholic to take
up arms for Spain against tho United
States in case war was declared against
that country and that every patriotic
Catholic should do all in his power to
aid Spain, a Catholic nation. Continu
ing his remarks, it is said, tho pries'
declared that President MoKlnley and
the members of his cabinet ought to
bo blown up and that tho American
flag was not the ono for loyal Catholics
to fight for under any circumstances.
BONDS NOT FLOATED.
The "South lloll," Arkansas' Ureat Pro
jected ltallroad, Ilu lleen Abandoned.
Little Rocic, Ark , Fob. 20. Arkan
sas' great projected railroad, tho
Springfield, Littlo Rock & Gulf, hotter
known as tho "South Boll road," to
which was voted by tho last legisla
ture 1,000 acres of state lands'for every
mllo of road completed, has gone by
tho board. Information wns mado pub
lic hero that J. A. Illnsey, the presi
dent, had telegraphed tho board of
directors here that tho bonds for rais
ing tho money, 814,000,000, could not
bo floated as ho anticipated and that
work would have to be stopped. About
four miles of roadbed have been com
pleted. MAY BE DEFEATED.
Opponent or the "Force" Hill In Kentucky
Leglnlature Hone to Kill It by Delay.
Fiiankkokt, Ky., Fob. 20. At tho
afternoon Mission of tho house, an at
tempt to abandon tho regular order of
business and forco tho passago of tho
Goebel election or "forco" bill, resulted
In tho loss of two or thrco friends of
the measure. On a test vote, 51. of tho
100 mombers voted against tho measure.
Its enemies do not believe thoy can
prevent its passage many days longer,
but thoy believe it is killed, or can bo
killed, by mere wnsto of time and by
expiration of tho session bofore it can
bo passed over a veto and put into
offect.
The Iliiyes Homo Levied Upon.
Fiiksiont, O., Feb. 20. Tho homo
Btead of tho lato ex-Prosidout R. B.
nayes, known ns Spiogol grovo, was
levied upon by the sheriff to satisfy a
judgment obtained for 55,000 damages
awarded Mrs. Addlo Smith, of this
city. Mrs. Smith was given a judg
ment for injuries received in a ruua
woy caused by a dog owned by th
Hayea estate.