New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1872-09-19


sure of the padre, the young man sent HIM
on distant sick call, half an hour before
the expected arrival of Don Antonio.
Scarcely had he assumed the priestly robes
of the Father, and placed himself in the
confessor's half of the confessional, when the
wealthy penitent arrived. Kneeling a few
moments upon the marble floor, he entered
the box.
"Say the coafteor,'" said the false priest,
| in the very tones Of the true one.
s. Mea culpa! mea marina culpa :" replied
the penitent.
$50 on with your confession. I will ad-
wise you when have heard your sins dis
closed"
"Shall make general confession this
year, Father?"
Eyes, if you choose. have forgotten
your last Confession
"Well, to begin: have as yet been
unable to make restitution of that money"
"What moneys"
''Do you forget so soon? Heretofore you
have always borne it uppermost in your mind.
mean the money borrowed and never
paid to old Earl, the banker. God have
mercy on him!"
"How much was it?"
"Forty thousand dollars, interest besides !;
but you agreed to let me off with that"
The false confessor could hardly control
his emotions. With the utmost difficulty, he
continued:
"You must restore that treasure to young
Earl without delay, or l shall denOunce you
| to him as a debtor of his father's-a fact
which l know outside of the confessional.
You must, moreover, give the hand of your
daughter to the young man, now your credi-
tor for such a considerable amount"
'.But, father, you surely forget very
IL fn hn hot
You know l can do no such thing"
Here the sacrilegiOus wretch trembled so
with emotion that he could scarcely restrain
betraying his disguise. His knees trembled,
his heart seemed to stick in his throat, and
his breathing became hard like the painting
ofone in the agonies of terror. He pretended
to be absorbed in prayer, in order to gain
time and compose his excited nerves. An
overwhelming curiosity induced him to con-
tinue his infamous researchesinto the sacred
confidence of the penitent. Had the latter
been a person of the least penetration, he
would have discovered the cheat.
Explain the reason why not?" continued
the false priest.
"Why you know it was 1 that lodged the
false information against the poor banker.
You know denounced him as traitor
against the Imperial Government. 1t was 1
that subOrned the witnesses, in order to save
myself from the clutches of the banker to
whom l owe the money. He or had to be
sacrificed; so chose to compass his ruin in
order to save myself. Besides the fact of
my daughter being pledged to another, loving
and beloved, she shall not be the price of
blood. She cannot marry the son of my I'M
fortunate enemy, for it was that murdered
lillian Earl! Iturbide's mlnions fired the
bullets, but was the real assassin! God
have mercy Oh my soul ~
The attendants of Don Antonio became
impatient over their masters seemingly in
terminable devOtions. Jose, the coachman,
remarked to a companion that his old mas
ter must have a big balance to clear off this
time, if his stay in the church meant any,
thing.
swell, you know what the padre said last
Sunday, that a man could only commit just
so many sins then the devil got him sure"
swell, the devil take my master if l wait
another minute!"
Scarcely had the servants come to this
conclusion when they observed the good
padre advancing along the street in front Of
the church, evidently arriving from a long
walk.
"Why, Father" said Jose, 1--WE thought
you were confessing Don Antonio! :"
''DOn Antonio! Where is he? In the
church ?'
With that the priest and the two servants
entered the church-the former proceeding
to the sacristy for a candle. On reaching
the confessional an awful sight met their as
tonished gaze. Before them on the floor lay
the body of Don Antonio, his head on the
raised platform of the confessional, and the
body ON the marble pavement. He had been
stabbed twice through the heart with small
poniard, which was found lying near the in
20 Tln ,lar l.
heart had pumped pool of slippery blood
upon the now accursed spot. The alarm was
given, but the assassins or murderers were
never discovered, and the circumstance was
variously interpreted by the people, while
the dreadful end of Don Antonio remained
the nine days. wonder of the Mexican CAPT.
tai, so rich in histories of rapine and blood
shed. Young Earl was not for a moment
suspected of the crime. He displayed no
sign of guilt, or the least emotion beyond
what would have been naturally expected
from sutton of the murdered mans daugh-
ter. That the murder had been committed
with his poniard was well known by the
padye, but how or wherefore he could not ex-
foster-son. One day young Earl and the
padre were closeted in the good mans study
for hours. When they, at last came out of
the room, they were both in tears. The last
words ever uttered between them were:
$50, my son, and join the army fighting
for the best interest of our country. Lay
down your life for the Republic, if needs be
it will be small eXpiatiOn for your past life.
Let us never meet again on earth ~
When young Earl left the abode, till now
his home, he took nothing with him but
sword; and his last words to his friend were,
q" Adieu till we meet in Paradise!''
The sudden death of Don Antonio left his
affairs in a deplorable condition and the
lady, Dcna Luscinda, naturally sought the
protection of some lady friend, instead of
remaining alone either at the town house or
the country villa of her father, Frustrated as
she was by the shocking calamity which had
Overtaken her only surviving parent.
Madame Iturbide had long been her intimate
friend, and to the Empress she betook
herself, at that lady's pressing solicitation.
The Empress, hOwever-beset by spies and
informers, that she we'll knew were con-
spring against her husbands throne, in spite |
of their cowardly flattery-was OH the point |
of flying to the country. Dona I.uscinda |
decided to accompany her only friend, power
full enough to protect her. In less than (
month after the tragedy Of Good Friday, the |
Empress and suite, with her family, were |
en- goatc to Philadelphia, where the Iturbide |
family possessed all elegant residence, and
n 4