The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1875-03-17

wards the ground at the back OF tn
/ house.
"Here was a chance to escape, bu
unwilling to leave my guide in dan
ger without some effort to save him
! lit match and glanced arounC
me, and to the right discovered {
door, which l judged led into a room
commanding q view of the stable
yard.
THE latch raised easily and ! en-
tered, and lighting another match
what was my horror to discov
er the forms of three men lyinl
upon the floor but believing then
asleep / was about to withdraw wher
a voice said quickly:
",'Great Heavens. you here p
Instantly | turned the blaze up
on the speaker, and with amazemen
discovered one of the young officers
had met in the inn, bound hanC
and foot, while by his side lay TIVE
others, the one | was to meet the
next morning in deadly combat, ant
be that was to have been my second
"But no need had | 10 dread that
morrow's meeting, for both my
enemy and the one that was to have
acted as my friend was dead"
dead ?"
"Yes, Juanita, they had boen
cruelty put to death by the very
band that was soon to seek my life
for, like my guide and myself, the
other party had become lost in the
storm and had happened upon the
same house.
"This was quickly told me by the
young officer, whose life tie bandits
had spared to torture from him on
the morrow a confession as toI when
a ichly-lsdened eommissary train
was to cross the mountains.
Instantly | severed the bonds ol
the young officer, and raising to hi:
feet he took the pistol | offered him
and together we were consulting as
to our future movements to save the
poor guide, when, from the stable.
yard, came loud cry for mereh, a
few shots, and q groan of agony, and
poor Pepe, we knew, had been cruel
lv murdered.
"Let US away from here. or ouI
fate will be ouch as his; see, there
are q dozen of them cried the
Spaaiard.
And leading the way, l dashed
through the window opening upon
shed, just as q cry arose among the
bandits to seek me.
"0ut upon the roof, off upon the
ground, we hastily scrambled, and al
iull speed rushed on in the darkness,
mile after mile, until my poor COM
panion was broken down and could
90 no further; but then daylight
broke, and | discovered a small cot
near by, and arousing the inmates,
we asked for shelter, which was
cheerfulIy given. although death
there met our gaze; for upon a snow
white bed lay young and beautiful
woman, who had been thrown frog
her horse the evening before and
killed.
Zone glance, and my companion
recognized her. She was the wife ot
the young Officer with whom / was tC
engage in duel.
"Her story had been told to tie
inmates Of the cottage, ere she died,
which was that her husband had
gone TO fight a duel. and she was
Fastening after him to prevent it
accompanied only by guide, when
her horse had fallen and crushed her
beneath his weight.
"Juanita, never did | suffer as then
and to atone for my having been the
cause Of all this misery, / had the
body Of the beautiful woman borne
back to her home, end from there
buried in state. Lssids. the grave oi
her beloved husband. for the follow
ing day the young officer had taken
with him a number Of soldiers and
gone to the house Of the bandits,
and though be had found the place
deserted, except, by the dead, be had
brought back with him the bodies o.
his friends and my unfortuneata
guide.
"And, Juanits, 20 atone yet the
more for my ain, took to my bear
the baby child-a little girl of one
year-of the dead parents, and bring
ing her to America reared her as
my ward"
"And am she that was that lii
tie orphan girl ?" asked Juanita in g
low whisper.
"Yes, Juanits and each year yoI
have grown to womanhood, the ten
drills Of my heart have clung NOR
closely around you, until, now, ~
future without your must As dresrl
blank; but yet ] ear 1t must be so
lor GOV that you know the story o
your life, feel that You will"
Love you ten-fold more, my dear
noble guardian, and never, neve
leave youl" And with the passion
ate vehemence Of her nature, Jaaniti
sprsng forward and chung closely
around the neci Of the man who haC
so well endeavored to atone for th'
past.
"You will be my wife. then
Juanita ?" asked Clarence Kane, afte
a pause.
YES. Never have | known othe,
| love than that felt for you; ant
mingled with it, has been that
would hold for mother, father
brother, all
my poor, poor parents, sieeplu!
| in far-awsy Spain, | know, / zee
that you would not blame you
daughter, sSd / pray that iron
Haayes you look down in kindnes
and give US your blessing, as noP
God will bless US too"
"Amer !" said the stern and fe'
vent voice Of Clarence Kane.
And one short month nfterwarG;
all Baltimore, heard with surPris
that the handsome guardian an
I beautiful ward had been quietly mai
ried, and sped away to spend theI
honeymoon in the romantic valley
of Spain.
hseeu pesffisn OF Eggs