A LESSON IN REALISM

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2568, 31 July 1909, Page 2 (Supplement)

A LESSON IN REALISM

(By Clara Morris.)

We were staying at Baldwin’s ranch house at Santa Anita, and sitting over our late and lazy breakfast, when the talk fell upon a melodrama then being presented at the. California Theatre, and the doctor of onr party, just down from ’Frisco, was severely, criticising the actor who played the principal villain because of his bad death scene. “But,” I said, “according to the papers the audience liked the performance ?”

“Ye—es,” replied the doctor, “that is, tho gallery enjoyed, the scene greatly, but there were a good many of ue in the orchestra who were laughing quietly ever that death scene. I dare say it would be accepted as good stage business east-of tho Rockies, but out here, when a man passes in his chips with the aid .of a knife or bullet, he doesn’t, as a rule, clutch and gasp and cavort, and die a little bit on one side of the room, and then waltz over and die a lot more on the other side. Neither does he squirm about the floor ou his stomach for a few chapters.” “Well, doctor, I’ve been dying unnatural deaths from my tendorest years. I’ve been shot often; stabbed oftener, poisoned oftenest of all. I have died of consumption, insanity, and heart disease, still I am a teachable person, with a mind open to conviction, so if you will kindly kill some superfluous young man this afternoon, I will try to profit by the opportunity,- and learn how to die, with your idea of perfect decorum” —and dear God! I remember we all laughed.

The superintendent of the ranch stopped smoking his corncob long enough to ask if we had any plans for the day. Knowing we had had enough of the saddle for a day or two, he proposed a drive towards Los Angeles. You will have a perfect day, and on the way you “may get a peep at our mankiller.

“What is that—do you mean a grizzly?” I asked. * “No,” put in the doctor, “something more apropos to our talk just now. He means a certain Don Ramon, a small rancher hereabouts, and who has killed four men in sixteen months, and has never yet seen the inside of a gaol.” “But why?” I asked. “Because,” answered the superintendent, “there’s always a cloud of false witnesses.” “Bah, your slayer of men must be a wrbtcli. I don’t care to see him. Show, mo an almond orchard. Can’t we see one to-day?” “Certainly”—and as the superintendent went to order the carry-all; tho doctor ventured—“and as Don Ramon lives just this side of the Shoro orchard, you will probably see him in spite of youx-self.” And from the very fullness of folly I made answer: “And perhaps your Don Ramon may stab a No. 5 this afternoon, and so give me my chance to learn to die in the true Californian fashion.” r- :

Thus, with a laugh and a jest we drove down through the ugliness and beauty of the. orange orchard to the white roads winding among the vineyards and grain .fields, past wild lands where the tall mustard plant flaunted its yellow-banner of blossoms, where the sea swells, arqmatic, pungent, floated inland tp be married in hot haste-to a

.* ••>,.. • . ' v . : .• -i •.* :■■ ■ ' ‘ ;' ' • perfect harem---of cloyer and • locust scents, . and -stopped before a long, low. adobe house, in front of which an 'uncertain old watering trough stood, or rather leaned its end against the trunk of a big pepper.-tree.qj A rude .gallery, made beautiful by its clambering vine, ran along the adobe’s'length, and several men lounged' in its' shadow. '

I .nodded a sort-of ;■ general salutation to the group, and glanced them over. Ono came shambling forward to uncheck the horses, a sullen, swarthy fellow, .wearing Mexican trousers, wliiehed to the knee, high-heeled boots, a notted silk sash tied about his narrow hips, while'from beneath a wide sombrero his quick, snaky eyes darted eueh swift side glances- that I shrank back, whispering, “Is this your Don Ramon?” The absolute criminal joy in my companions’ faces told mo I had erred. -1 immediately assumed that wide but mirthful smile peculiar to the cultured person who has blundered, hut before I could produce more than that smile a girl came from the adobe, and pausing in the doorway, spoke to a fat, lazy half-dressed man tilting back in his chair. He turned his swarthy face, and opening his half-closed lids shot at her one swift, cutting glance, from a pair of pale blue eyes, the effect of which was startling——-there was a cold menace in that pale, quick look coining from the leather brownness of a face that promised a smouldering black eye, that I fairly shivered at it.

The girl came down the path, and I drew in the horses to let her pa6s. She was a handsome, senseless thing of the quick blooming, quick fading variety, and she sent a challenging smile towards the men of out party, I blushed at her boldness. A bitter oath left tho lips of the man in the Mexican raiment, and I said to my seat companion: “Ah, the old, old story!” We had started again, and tho doctor leaning forward broke in with: “Well did you notice that fat man tilted baeflt by the door?” “Yes, if you mean the man without most of his clothng, with carpet slippers hanging half off his feet? If you mean him,” I added aggressively, “But I did not see your precious Don Ramon !”

They all laughed,., and the doctor patronisingly remarked: “That was just the gentleman you did see, and that young damsel is his niece.” “Well, he gav© me no suspicion of his evil trade, and the niece is welcome to her famous relative-—who will probably remove any admirer who proves obnoxious to her.”

Surely the gift of prophecy was upon my unconscious laughing lips that day. Tho day turned very warm and I felt grateful when half-way toward San Bernadino we came to the almond trees which made such a blaze of pink and looked so delicately refreshing. On our return, seeking to give our horses a littlo rest, I proposed that wo stop at a little wayside tavern and restaurant and get somo icecream and lemonade, Wo gave our orders, and then 1 noticed that Don Itaraon’s niece and our Moxiean friend were seated very near iis; At the moment that I discovered them a tall young fellow entered the room. He was very well dressed, and very American. As he entered tho room the girl gave: him that quick challenging smile I had already seen that day, and the young fellow answered it in kind and seated himself at the table next to her.

She was clever; she encouraged the newcomer to flirt, without letting the Mexican’s eyes catch her at it. I could not quite decido whether the young American was just a wee bit in liquor, or whether he was a silly, young practical joker—at all events he laughed nearly all tho time. But if tho girl evaded the Mexican’s glances thoro were other eyes near, that were sharper than his. Tho waiter came in and on his way to our table he paused to place a saucer of ice-cream before the laughing young man. He was still rattling the spoons behind us whQn.l saw the young fellow’s face light up with a gleam of mischief. He 4 drew his spoon from the frozen cream, wiped it on a napkin and leaning forward laid the bowl of it against the side of the girl’s neck. She gave a cry at the icy touch, and started to her feet as did tho American. And then a heavy form sprang past me from tho and something flashed as the arm came down with terrific force, and I heard the thump of the knife liandlo striking against bone. A savage wrench of the knife and out from tho boy’s throat spurted a bright stream that arched slightly in the air, and then fell in a hideous, splashing pool of blood upon the white table-cloth.

For half a second the young man wavered, then sank back into his chair, limp, without a sound, the' stab had evidently gone full to the heart. His hands might have weighed tons e,o heavily they seemed to drag down from his shoulders. His head sank wearily back, his eyes gleaming white between halfclosed lids, and his mouth—Oh, God! that stricken smile! And I thought if he would only cry out or groan or moan! / . “Oh, doctor, will no one seize, tho wretch?”An arm went quietly about my waist, and I was lifted backward through the window, .and into the carryall. Then I heard a voice afar off, say: “Hold her, give me the reins, quick I” ‘ Passed all speech, I. still ’ had my senses and hold up. my five fingers, indicating- dumbly the tally—and I had learned my lesson.