The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1875-09-18

Is to explain your strange fight, for 1t
4 was that which led me 10 believe you
Iculpable."
i The barber glanced twice or thrice
around him. crushing the border of his
hat with his clutched fingers; he then
replied 10 the magistrate in o. tone OF i'll.
concealed bitterness:
"You have been in too great haste,
perhaps, to assert my innocence, Senior
Alava; for II have not robbed you in
deed, was upon the point of yielding TO
lar more terrible temptation.n
"Unhappy manV cried the alcade, re.
coiling to the farther end of the cham.
Der, while the alguazils again seized the
barber, runhappy manP he repeated,
clasping his hands in astonishment,
'what demon could have inspired you
with q thought OF CRIME, after q long life
Of irreproachable honestyr
"Irreproachable in TRUTH" replied the
barber proudly, sand still" he added, in
a hollow voice, ''iJ is but too true, that |
was near dishonoring it by crime."
lie was pale as death; q violent shud-
der agitated all his limbs, and tears fell
from his dim and lusterless eyes.
"Can 1T be possible, my fatherW sighed
warmest sympathy.
Nunez bent his head, without reply.
ling, and the poor child cast herself
weeping into his arms.
"PedrO," said the aleade in q tone
rather of father than magistrate,
'the guilty thought which you avow,
could not, naturally, have entered the
mind of an honest man, and am per-
suaded that you conceal some secret, the
disclosure of which would excuse you,
perhaps. Confide all to me, then, with
out hesitation and without fear, since
both your liberty and your reputation
are, at this moment. in my hands,"
The barber gazed attentively at the
magistrate, as il to assure himself that
Senor Alava was, in truth, disposed to
clemency, then his anxious glance re-
turned to consult his daughter, whom he
still held clasped in his arms.
"Speak! my father, speakl" said the
latter, after moments hesitation,
'sdeath rather than dishonor."
NuneZ cast another glance upon the
alcade, glance expressive OF the keen
est anguish, and promised, at last, to
disclose all, upon condition that his fam
lily alone should remain with them in the
chamber.
The alcade, seeing no objection to this,
directed the alguazqs to retire into an
adjoining apartment, and the barber,
conquering as best he could, the emo,
tion, mingled Of grief and terror, which
again overpowered him, spoke as fol
| low:
"Listen, my lord, and you shall hear
all the truth. l ought to have told it to
you two hours ago, instead of listening
to the wicked thoughts which now rack
my soul with remorse--f0r l have done
you injustice in imagining that you were
not humane enough to be moved by SO
fearful misfortune. All my family are
here before you, like me, at your feet;
but there is a young man who was soon
to become a member OF IL, a brave young
seaman in the royal navy, the youthful
friend and betrothed of my Juanita, OF
this lovely child, my lord, who baBhes
your hands with her tears, and whose
life OF" death must be decided before
evening""
''Just heavenl and howy" said the al
cade.
"Stephano-this is the name of my fu-
ture son-in-law-belonged to the crew of
the Queen Mother, that corvette which
returned the other day from her first
voyage, and which, at this hour, is
moored in the harbor of Cadiz. There
was on board the Queen Mother a
Christine officer, who had been arrested
upon the coast, at the moment when he
was passing over to the enemy; in one
word, wretch, or perhaps only an un-
fortunate man, for who can say, alas
Well, this officer was to be shot by The
garrison OF Cadiz, ON his arrival here,
and as Stephano was known to be the
truest seaman in the corvette, he was
contided to his custody. Accursed duty!
In the execution OF which the heart of
the best lad in the world led astray the
head of the most faithful servant OIL
2najp Yoa my lord thie aarurcad nfh
Ger succeeded in exciting poor Ste
pianos compassion. By what means l
do not know; he said, doubtless, that
his death would break the hearts Of his
whole family; that he, alsO, had be-
trOthed, whose love was to throw a
charm over his existence, and the lover
of my Juanita, who lives for her alone,
the son-in-laW, who would sacrifice his
life for me, as for q father, has wished,
perhaps, to restore son to his parents,
a spouse to his betrothed. And thus,
one morning, the condemned disap-
peared from the corvette. StephanO, at
once accused of having favored his es-
cape, denied it, feeDly at frst-generous
men do not know how to utter a ialse-
hood. Finally the unhappy youth con-
iessed all to the court martial, and he
has been condemned to death! He is to
be shot by the garrison, this evening, in
the place OF the officer whom he saved.
And my Juanita will not survive her be-
trothed. my lord, for she has told me so,
and thus shall lose two children in
stead of one. This, my lord, is the cause
OF my grief and my despair"
Here the poor man paused amid the |
groans of his family his voice was stifled
with sobs.
81 have heard of this affair, Nunez,"
said the alcade, repressing his emotion,
sand pity you from the bottom OF my |
soul, but l do not see what this can have |
to do with that which has occurred to-
day between you and mer'
81 have not yet finished, my lord," re-
piled the barber, with a. visible effort.
"You can imagine the trouble l have
taken this morning to save the unfortu-
nate Stephano. One alter the other, l |
have implored those who were his judges
and who are about to become his execu-
TONERS; but have found thai justice is
pitilass, and that can easily be conceived
IN these sad times of civil war. / then
turned to my son-in-law's jailer, aud
have been able to soften him by my
tears, as the tears of that officer had soft
ened Stephano; vet, less courageous and