Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1880-10-14
GOVERNOR OF STRAS-.
BURG.

N "Mercy for our little danght
Ier?" err g = q
The yonnglady who addressed
this pitiful appeal for mercy t.
? a superior officer of the Spanish
army OH the evening of the It'll
of June, 1857, at the seaport Of
Barcelona, in a neatly-furnishet
lparlor, was a handsome bru.
! nctte, only twenty-one or twen-
: ty-two years old.
Her grief was genuine and
heartfelt, for tears streamed down
lher beautiful cheeks, and heI
countenance, whose whole cast
was one of classical regularity,
was working convulsively i'll her
sorrow and anguish.
She was the wife Of Don Car
valho Y Perze, Colonel of Span
ish infantry, who stood before
her with a frowning expression.
"You once told me you loved
me, Carvalho," she said, trying
Ito embrace him.
But he repulsed her with an
angry oath.
"Caramba!'' he cried, scorn-
fully; ~ don't want any of your
nonsense. l told you why it
was necessary for me to discard
you, Maria. Through my gall
lantry on the field of battle l
have attained in my thirtieth
year the high rank of a Colonel
in the royal army; but l can
never rise higher in the service
because / am poor, What l
need is a very rich and aristo-
cratic wife. / was fool TO
marry you. The widow Lasta-
dor is worth half a million doub-
looms, and she is the daughter
ola Spanish grandee. She will
take me-" LIS ~ "
"Does she know that | am
your wife?' asked Maria, slowly.
Her heartless husband burst
into laughter 1-a.H'. q aat
"Of course, she does not" be
said. 81 told her you had been
my MISTRESS % '''' -|'" ''' :"
F"Villain! yillain!" criedMaria.
"None of your nonsense nowW
said the Colonel, impenously.
"If you will leave Spain volun-
tarily-"
"Never! nevcr!" she inter
rupted, evidently terribly in ear
nest.
He proceeded coldly:
eff you leave Spain volunta-
rily, | shall handsomely sup
port you abroad. If you refuse,
I shall dishonor you!" '
'"Dishonor me?" '''fl"
eyes, and your daughter Pc
pita." ~
'But how? How?" she de-
manded haughtily. ''
"I have witnesses to swear
that you have been criminally
intimate with them. / shall
complain to the Ecclesiastical
Court of your infdelity, and
you will be forced to stand, as
lin a pillory, for two hours in the
church door, the butt of the
populace's jeers." '''
For moment Maria stood as
liz petrified. Then she uttered a
piercing scream, and fell heavi-
lly to the floor. The Colonel
Hooked at her with a diabolical
smile.
"I thought that my words
would affect you, foolish woman,
Hike thunderbolt."
He drew from his bosom a
small vial whose contents he
poured upon a handkerchief.
This handkerchief he fastened
found the nose and lips of his
heavily-breathing wife.
Next morning we find her a
Sleep in the cabin of small
icoasting vessel, which was evil
IDENTITY Sailing swiftly across the
ltumultuous billows of the Medi-
lterranean. BY her side lay a
lovely little girl, who awoke be-
fore her.
..Mi Madre!" whispered the
sweet creature.
Maria opened her eyes.
"Pepita!" she murmured kiss
ling her little daughter tenderly.
Then she started up, and, ut
tering a cry of horror,exclaimed
"Where am ~" -.''-
The door of the cabin opened.
A sinister-looking mAnappeared
on the threshold.
"Senora," he said to Maria,
81 am under orders to land you
at Genoa. The wind is favora-
BILE. We shall sight the coast
of Italy tomorrow"
.ssWho ordered you to carry
me off in this infamous man
ncr?" cried Maria Indignantly.
81 shall not tell you any thing,
Sonora, he replied, "but hand
you at Genoa the sum of 1000
doubloons in gold"
), The lady made no reply. The