Litchfield enquirer. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1829-current, 1880-09-30
WHOLE NO. 1887

captain CrlppS himself whist she spoke
with high disdain of her Jew husband and
hls religious exercises, though she allowed he
had more religion than "Pratestant," But
she was good old creature in the main, and
her house, though rather an unsavory retreat,
was the only safe asylum could think of
where Dolores might be concealed until the
Lisbon steamer could carry her off from st.
Michael's.
Perhaps youth ask why didn't we postpone
the adventure altogether till the very day of
the Lisbon steamers sailing, but this we did
not dare do, for the Valeria was under orders
to sail at moments motive, and, at,any min
ute the orders might come and the Valera
weigh anchor, leaving the poor little nun I'M
rescued on the top of the hill. In my heart of
hearts shouldn't have thought this any great
misfortune, for / was we'll aware that what
we were undertaking was a terrible risk, and
like enough to land US in no end of difficult
ties; but once entered on the undertaking l
was not going to draw back, and the heart
feltgratitude of Martin for my cooperation,
combined with the enthusiasm of old Mother
Zachary when let her by degrees into the
secret, kept up my courage for the adventure.
l couldn't divest Madame Zachary's mind of
the idea that / was really the principal in the
affair and / had 10 undergo considerable
amount of chaff and much Hibernian humor
before managed finally to arrange that Mar
tin and were to bring the young lady on
mule to her house on the night appointed,
where she was to hide the runaway, and pro-
vide disguise for her in which she could be
hustled on board the Lisbon steamer, accom-
panied by her hostess as duenna. Once safe
IN Lisbon, the girl could be placed with friends
of Martins Eve had been hanging off and on
for six months or so, and knew
all the English residents in the Portuguese
capitaD until the marriage could take place,
and Mrs, Martin be sent home to England.
We did not anticipate any further trouble
would be taken about her If she once got
clear of St. Michael's, and Martin, unlike
some other poor fellows that i could mention,
could afford to marry whom he pleased
n Everything was wellin train. The night
arrived, and Miss Dolores was appointed to
make her exit from the convent at half past
8 precisely. Martin and were to be in hid
ing outside, with mules to carry us down the
hill by Circuitous route 10 the Jews quarter
"a deserted part of the town, where Mother
Zachary and her fruit merchant lived B1tat
the, last monet came a terrible hitchl When
Martin and I applied for leave on shore for
the evening, old Cripps told US that he intend
ed dining and sleeping on shore himself, at
the Consuls, and he could not give leave to
both his senior officers to absent themselves
the same evening. We could decide between
ourselves which was to remain, but one, must
do so. We dared not show the
captain how dreadfully we took his sentence
to heart but withdrew with our usual bows
looking unutterable things at each other. Il
'''You must CO." whispered Martin; 'Im
no good at all; I should lose my head and
spoil it ALL You must go, Jim, old fellow,
if you're still game for it, though goodness
knows how sha get through the time till
know you are safe r. .rtr7Q 1ssv q ~
"a, There was nothing for it. but for me to go
as Martin said for he was so excited he would
have "boshed'' the whole thing. So, by-and-
Dys having given the captain, in his fallidress
logs, the precedence by about half an hour,
rowed ashore, just about sunset; and told my
men to be ready to take me off again to the
Valeria at ten that evening. went refund to
The Plaza and hired mule, avowedly for
ride In the country, and a miserable brute
got, for all the ANIMALS were out except this
one, at the consular dinner party. dawdled
about the town for a while then, after the
Angelus had finished singing and the dusk
began to creep down, turned my beasts
head up narrow side street, which led to the
very. walls of Santa Agata.
There was scarcely anyone about for the
natives have an idea that the hour after sun
set is unwholesome in the outer air; so L made
my way up the street unnoticed by anyone,
except that at a turn of the road saw the
sharp eyes of Carmen, the market woman,
ylancing at me. first suspiciously, then know
ngy, as she descended the hill with her
empty baskets piled on her back. Very soon
was safely landed at the appointed spot, q
hck clump of coarse elder bushes which grew
close under small stone window belonging to
,ome outer buildings of the convent kitchen
department. The window was good bit
Above my head, and SO deeply imbedded in >
he thickness of the wall that it was only by
Standing we'll out from the building that l
could see into the aperture, which was secur-
ed on the inside by screen of wire trellis-
work, such as is often used over larder win
lows. .. l...
This was the opening which Carmen was
o have loosened, and sure. enough, after q
short spell of waiting, could plainly hear
'ustling and rummaging inside. Then hand
pulled back the screen, anda minute after
,omething soft and black, of no particular out
line whatever, filled up the window frame,
md came creeping outwards towards the edge
If the wall. "Are you ready?" asked soft
voice, and almost before could reply, some
hing jumped bang into my outstretched arms.
declare to you she was not much bigger than
goods sized kitten. Such little bit of
hing as Martins DoloresI never saw in my
life. For my part, Iolike then, broad and tall
90, observed the Lieutenant in the confiden-
ial rather than the narrative STRAIN but this
Dolores was wonderful beauty, though there
was so little of her. 81 ,Gt -"' ~ '.'e'.-'h ~.
-'She was bit frightened and shy at first,
specially when she discovered by catching
hold of my whiskers, that / was not Martin,
who shaved clean in those days. But very
,oon had got her on the male and explained
matters in my best Spanish, and We were
creeping stealthily down the hill the best of
friends, and Dolores, who was not more than
seventeen, apparently inrchildish high spirits
1t the success of our enterprise ,.,,.,, ,lI'
But though she had done her part 80 easily,
didn't feel at all sure that the adventure was
ended. There were lights moving to and fro
1t the upper windows of the convent and at
my moment her, presence might be missed,
whilst the open window, with its piled stools
md boxes On the inside would declare which
,oad she had taken ;al 80 2aiuy On 'lt Ed
just at this jupcture, the COMPOUNDED mule,
hat up to this had behaved himself pretty
lecently, began to'tack about in a manner
imply fiendish. He was all over the road at
once, and you never knew whether his head
Or his heels would be uppermost. suppose
1 was the. girls clothes that excited him, I'M
less the beast was in league with the priests,
and was doing hislittle best to stop the affair
-CnOS6 spanish mules are arllul enough Ior
anything Added to this, MISS Dolores got
out; and my leg, which hsdlnot
done sormucb work for long while, began to
ache and throb 80 that could scarcely keep
Up with the mules vagaries.
- we hadn't made moro than d quarter Of
,ur journey when 1 saw plainly enougfnby
the sudden appearance. of lights and torches
il, front of the convent, above US, that the lit-D
lie sisters escape was discovered, and that
HE holy ladies were in hot pursuit. ,f'wasn't
70 IfrightBned' of 8he ladies themselves for 7
latter myself / have rather "a knackiof fDauag-
pg thsm,l butt had an unpleasant idea that
hey might have called, in the assistance OF
hardy peasants armed with pitchforks, the
thought ofiwhorn did not relish so1nuch, ''h'd
In Ysin1I dug my dirk inteIthe headquarters
Of the mule; we could not keep the pace and
soon the cries and noise behind us IN the dark.
IL ~