Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1888-05-04
STAUNTON, VIRGINIA, MAY 4, 1888.

almost seemed to make the darkness denser,
and more concrete than the shapes that the
honest wayfarer fancied he saw fitting along
the wall Now these might be some of the
gallants that were always wrangling here
abouts for the sweet sake of Luisa, albeit
there had been notable falling off in their
attendance, since 1t was rumored she had
finally hearkened to the voice Of one of their
number. Grand the hair of the honest fell
low bristled at the idea, for all the darkness
it might even be Don Nuno himself, and
his worship, by all accounts, would not hest
tate to spit like a curlew from the marshes
one whom he might meet poaching on his
preserves. So, fearing to be mistaken for
gallant the honest citizen shrunk into him
self, and aattened his portliness against the
convent wall as best might be- And the
vague shapes passed him by in silence upper
ceiving
He repented him of his timidity the next
morning, and reviled himself for fool and
a coward, when the neighborhood thrilled to
the fight of Luisa Haro. Her door stood
ajar, and the poor belongings of her stood
undisturbed in order. All the evidence
pointd to the fact that her fight was volun-
tary and deliberate, and the popular voice
was unanimous in declaring that her comrade
must be Nuno, Marquis of Monies Claros. It
was this pair, no doubt, whom the worthy
goodman had seen stealing away through the
darkness, and his repentance was keen that
he had not followed them, to possess himself
of that knowledge of their movements and
destination that would have made him i'm
portant among his fellows.
From that day her old time neighbors
knew naught of Luisa Haro, save that some
one, whose affairs had taken him to the
suburbs of San Cosme, brought back the
story that he had seen her there, blooming
and with sumptuous accessories, in the bal
cony Of a splendid mansion that was known
to belong to Monies Claros.
+ Il
Six years after the flight of Tulsa from her
homely abode in the narrow callejuela she
sat in the luxurious home where Monies
Claros had placed her, brooding mournfully
over her situation. The moonlight streamed
through the open window and Illuminated
her respondent figure In face and form she
was more beautiful than on the day she fled
with Monies Claros, but still was she not
beautiful enough to keep the tickle fancy of
the Spaniard. His attentions and his inter-
est had gradually diminished, until the un-
happy woman now had but too much reason
to consider herself altogether deserted by
him, for whom she had given up all that is
most dear to women She had lacked no
material comfort, it is true, thus far, but this
was little consolation to a woman whose
thwarted affection was as strong and unal-
tered as when her passionate heart first
poured out its ardent incense before her
lover.
She had not seen Monies Claros for fort
night, and she was resolved to know the
worst without further horror of suspense
I'll ~
FAINT in her arms to an alcove, behind whose
silken curtains lay two older children sleep
ing. She laid the little one beside its broth
ers. She shrouded herself in long, dark,
clinging mantle, left the house, and took her
way to the central streets of the city.
She knew the family mansion of Monies
Claros, and shortly found herself before it.
The windows of the facade were ablaze with
light, and the alarmed watcher saw that the
rooms were full of festive throng. Nuno
was there in the midst of his guests with his
proud, affected mother, and beside them a
young girl, tall and handsome, in bridal raj
ment.
The heart of Luisa sank like lead within
her. She plucked by the sleeve bystander,
gazing like herself through the window.
"Do you know, friend, who is the young lady
beside the Senior Marques?"
"Who should it be-" laughed the man she
questioned, "but his novia-the bride he
welded this morning at 10 of the clock in the
Chapel of the Sagrariof'
No word answered Luisa, but neither made
she cutlery, only presently fell back from the
window, and pushed her way to the open
street through the eager crowd Of onlookers.
; Slowly, mechanically, she held her way,
never Fastening, never pausing, till she
reached the house in San Cosme, and let her.
self in at its great arched entrance, and into
her own chamber An antique Golfer stood
there, an ancient cedar chest with Mauresque
decoration, brought over from Spain by the
family of Monies Claros. In it Nuno had
been wont to deposit, while he yet frequented
the dwelling, such odds and ends as, fancy
ing, he might buy on the way out thither or
matters in his possession at the moment that
he found cumbrous
Still under the spell of that awful, deadly
quiet, Tulsa opened the old chest, and took
from it dagger, curious jeweled weapon,
that Nuno had tossed down long months
since, and forgotten, though its memory had
lived in the fevered brain of the woman.
Still lighted by the palld, CHASTITY NOON
beams, she went to the alcove where her little
ones lay sleeping, and drew aside the curtains.
''Your father has forsaken us, my darling
ones, ana your LlOUueT WOULD IAN preserve
you from the miseries that await you. To
God recommend your innocent spirits"
Then, one by one, slowly, surely, fatally,
she thrust the dagger into the bosom of each
tender little body.
Only when the blood welled darby I'D,
staining the white night raiment, did the
wretched mother seem to realize her dreadful
doing. She gazed a moment at the heart
rending vision and then ran forth into the
streets, uttering those frightful walls that
for 800 years have continued to echo in the
streets of Mexico at varying hours and
seasons-when the soul in penance can no
longer endure its torture, SO the devout say.
AS the wailing woman ran that night her
cries aroused the city, and she was captured
and recognized, when the dagger she still
clutched and her blood stained raiment told
the trapic story and gave the clew to discov-
cry of her victims. There was no penalty
for mans inhumanity to woman in the Mex
leo of those days any more thasl in the pres
emit, and the poor, distracted instrument of
crime paid all the temporal penalty in this
case, while the actual murderer, in fact,
rather gained popularity.
During her Imprisonment and trial Luisa
maintained helpless, hopeless silence She
failed and faded day by day, and when at
unable to walk up the steps Of the scaffold,
and, not from fright, but sheer weakness, she
became senseless in the arms of her bearers.
The execution proceeded, but the decree of
the law was done on corpse, for ere the
halter touched her Luisa Haro was lifeless.
And however justice had miscarried in
, the hands of human authority, the retribu-
ton of heaven proved direct and active; for
on that very May day, when the woman who
had trusted him went to the doom of felor,
Nuno, Marquis of Monies Claros, was buried,
having died ere his honeymoon was over.
And now, centuries after it, it is told that
whenever appears the Wailing Woman the
following morning sees the flowers on the
tomb of Montes-Claros withered, scared, and
and the earth upon it dank and noisome, as
if it were drenched and soaked with blood
Y. II. Adds in The Argonaut.
Peet of Antique Statues.
Did you ever notice what beautiful feet the
Venus de Milo has, how well formed and yet
how large they area All antique statues have
large feet, and by what alteration of taste
H,,o,