Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1872-03-29

ing this world in search Of another,
where, as just punishment for your
crime, a worse fate awaits you in
eternity. Who ire you? Whence
came you? Above all'-here Philip
searched for the tiny crucifix that
hung from the rosary he wore round
his wrist, "are you Catholic"
"Who dares to question it," ex-
claimed the young man, haughtily.
81 am"
care you a gentleman" again
questioned the king.
"By my patron saint, am, sir
as true a gentleman as ever wore a
sword"
"Gentleman or not, you arc a
Christian. Come, follow me, and l
will give You some supper and a
bed for the night. Tomorrow we
Continued King Philip who, ac-
customed as a sovereign to speak
in the second person plural, had
difficulty to adopt the first person
singular in his disguise)-that is, |
will further question you as to what
you can do to earn your livelihood
for the future. There, Gomez, lead
the way"
Holding the rescued youth by the
hand firmly, lest he should escape,
Philip, preceded by Ruy Gomez,
bent his steps towards the palace.
On his way curiosity, one of the
strongest passions of this great
sovereign, got the better of his
charity, and, Notwithstanding the
young man was so weak as to rem
der his answers almost inaudible,
the king obtained from him the
outline of his history. He was, he
said, one Alfonso Sanchez Coelio,
a native Of Portugal, and a portrait
painter by profession. He had been
driven from Spain by order Of the
Marquis Don Louis de Mariavalle,
Governor Of Badajos, for the crime
of falling in love with his excell-
ency's daughter, Dona Estafania, in
whose company he had been much
thrown during considerable time
employed in the execution Of her
picture. He had wandered to the
Netherlands in the hope of obtain
ing work. But although he had
done all in his power to earn his
bread, he had in every case failed,
and for two days had not tasted
food. He was too proud to beg,
and, maddened by want, had sought
to free himself of his miserics by a
violent death.
The king provided Coelio, as he
promised, with a substantial meal
and a good bed, and the next morn
ing he awoke much refreshed, to
find Ruy Gomez by his couch, hold
ing in his hand a handsome suit of
clothes for his service. Vainly did
he question the shrewd Ruy as to
the condition of his unknown ben
cfactor. Ruy informed him that
the gentleman was named Don
Paez; that he was in the service of
his Catholic Majesty, and that pre-
sently, when he had finished his
collation., the Senor Don Paez would
come to him, and talk of his pros
poets for the future.
Accordingly, when Sanchez Coe-
lio had dispatched an excellent
breakfast, the king, still wearing
his disguise, entered.
The first impulse Of the grateful
young man was to raise the hand of
the supposed venerable Don Paez
to his lips and thank him for his
kindness, above all for having pre-
vented his committing so fatal a
crime as suicide. Don Paez listen
ed to him with kindness. "Young
gentleman, we-that is, am con-
vinced that the fearful act which
you contemplated last night was the
result of famine, which had de-
prived you of your reason. As we
have taken some interest in you, and
are dcsirous of providing for your
future, wc-that is, l am willing,
since you say you are a painter of
portraits, that you shonld take a
likeness of myself. But on the one
condition, that it be finished by the
feast day of our daughter Maria.
It wants one month to the holy day
Of Our Lady Mary of Mount Car
mel. We intend this picture as a
present to our-my-daeghter. Can
you paint so rapidly?"
81 can, SIR"
"My servant will pay you two
hundred ducats in advance for the
said picture. He will also escort
you to lodging l have prepared
for you, and to which l will repair
for the sittings for my picture.
am, as you have doubtlessly discov-
cred, employed, about the person of
His Most Catholic Majesty, and our
sovereign often passes through
these apartments: and, as he objects
to the scent of paint, oil aad turpcn-
tine, I think it more becoming that
my portrait be painted without the
,oIooo Ac on, in cnrv;oo about