The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1888-02-14
FROM THE CRAVE.
From Tie Philadelphia News.


! Travelling through Spain | never failed TO
stop at the picturesque little town of Palo. 1t
was there first became interested in the inn
keepers daughter, Antonio, and her lover,
Pedro who were engaged to be married On
my return VISIT wheu | asked about the pair.
the old innkeeper told me that they would
never marry now. Pedro was dead Hle was
forced to become soldier and then fell in
battle. Since that day Antonio had done
! nothing but cry and moan for her dead lover,
While tho old man was telling me about the
unfortunate lovers his daughter entered 1
had left her bright-eyed girl but l found her
worn and wasted from sorrow.
GLOW do you feel Antonioo' her fnther
asked.
Clara Portiio is dead, papa, and she was
only five years old. l am nineteen and am not
dead yet. Is it not strange"
And your father l said, 'is more than
nineteen and still hopes to live a good while"
But why turning her eyes pathetieally on
me, do some people have so little to endure
| while others hearts break from sorrow? %
''You mustn't talk so, l said. gently. "We
all have our sorrows they are given us by
God for test"
"Senor,' she said, ''if you knew how much
I have endeavored to overcome my grief and
Danish the melancholy which overwhelns me.
fathers sake, should dearly love to live; but
it cannot be. Even the doctors say my heart
| is weak, but they little know how really weak
| it is. Perhaps even today, senior, the end may
come. / seem to feel it near me"
"Antonia." walled her unhappy father ''do
not say that Ii you die shall die also, for l
! cannot live when you are gone"
do you really think you would die, father
| said the young girl, fixing her bright eyes
upon the old man as he stood weeping before
| leave a heaven
AYE; should, Antonio! Ihaeed should
"Then, can you wonder at my dying, since
| Pedro too is deld?"
| The young girl buried her face in her hands
| and wept aloud. Her father turned and
| quilted the room suddenly, whereupon Anto-
| MIA, making great effort over herself, hastily
brushed her tears away and followed down.
| Lawyer Herrera entered the house soon
| after, and over our coffee l told him the story
| of Antonio and her lover. To my surprise. my
| companion seemed very much startled and
| taken aback at hearing of the young mans
death. He called for the landlord to come in.
is it true, ,, he asked that Pedro Alcazara.
the priests nephew. is dead? l called around
to the house, but the Clergyman was from
| home"
'It is too true, senior. He died in the Carlist
! war, nearly eighteen months ago"
Poor lad--poor ladl' repeated the lawyer
several times. "And | was bringing him such
| good news. His uncle--a brother OF his
| mother's-has just died, leaving him very
handsome fortune And he is really deaa -
ave, isesist replied The Old man; 5al y
| SGD Siv it was when lRessisd for feas that my
I rooiS IHtonia will soon follow him,
The ventero rose and left the room to hide
! the tears he was unable to restrain. About
/ half an hour later, as the young men and boys
were dancing on the green TO the merry sound
| of the guitar Lawyer Herrera and myself both
sat at the open window looking out upon that
scene OF mirth and gacty. Antonio sat apart
! from the rest with a piece of needlework i'll her
/ hands which WatpPpN
But new parsonage, unnoticed by all except
! the lawyer and myself, now appeared upon the
green 1t was young soldier, tall and hand
| some, though his uniform was shabby ana
covered with dust and his face was pale and
thin. He stood little behind one of the oak
! trees, gazing earnestly upon the dancers as if
trying to recognize some one he was seeking.
1t struck me that ] had seen his face before,
| but | could not remember whore or when.
| However. the vcntero happening to enter the
| room Just then, asked him who tho soldier
might be, at the same time pointing to where
he stood concealed from the dancers behind
the tree. The old man looked, and then sud
! denly screamed aloud:
Good heavens! 1t is Pedro Alcazara come
back to lifc'
The young man, bearing himself called, and
seeing that he had been recognized, came few
! steps forward and looked around him. The
dancing and music ceased, and Antonio, who
! had heard her father cry rose from her seat,
and rushing forward flung herself with wild
scream OF Joy INTO her lover arms.
"Thank heaven! My daughter will now
| live, for Pedro has come back" said the ven
tero, hurryng out to the green where the
| peasants with the most lively manifestations
Of joy, stood around the youthful pair.
| "Stand back fricnds!' cried Pedro "AntO-
MIA has tainted"
My companion and went out, for we feared
this might be something worse than a mere
shock, remembering what the doctor had said
about a sudden shock. Pedro had placed the
| pip 40 md bgI una
upon his knee. Her father knclt by her side
and rubbed her wasted hands between his own
Tho first glance at that pale cold face showed
| US instantly that Antonio was dead wrecked,
as it were in sight Of shorc; dead, now that
| her lover had returned to bring her all tie love
| and Joy her heart had SO long craved for. The
old man saw our looks of pity and dismay.
'She is very ill, is she not, senor?" he asked
| me.
"Alas, yes" 1 answered "yery i'll in
deed"
Pedro seemed to understand the fearful
| meaning of my words. He bent down and
| looked earnestly into the still awllly pale face
Of the girl he loved, laid his hand upon her
heart, and then shrieked wildly:
Great heavens, She is dead!'
WHAT cried the yentero. "What do
| you say, Pcdro?'
And he, III his turn, laid lis hand npon his
daughters heart. There was an awful silence
/ for a few seconds and then the poor old man
rose slowly from his knees, and coming across
/ to me asked me callnlY-tOO calmly, Tor that
| unnatural calmness startled me-if thought
| it true that his daughter was dead.
eyes" / answered 81 fear 80"
"And will she never more see the blue Sky,
nor the bright sun. nor the green trees
| "NO," / answered.
! "Aud shall / never more hear her sweet
voice, never more take her in my arms, never
! more kiss her loving lips?'
$50, never ] answered.
"TheD," said the YeuterO, turning round and
! gazing with look Of fearful hatred upon the
I young soldier, "Pedro Alcazara, you are the
murderer OF my unhappy daughter"
The young man started 20 his feet asioaish-
ment and horror depicted upon his handsome
1 face.
What do you mean, Done Jose" he cried ;
+ i the murderer Of Antouia?'
The old man did not answer, but picking up
] from the ground the gun which the soldier had
let fall, he swung it in the air, and before amy
one had time to interp5se, dashed tie butt end
I heavily upon the uncovered head Of the M
| happy Pedro. The young man fell 10 the
! ground beside the corpse Of his betrothed.
/ Without a sob, without moan, he died. lie
had gone to join his lost bride in heaven, and
I his murderer stood smiling grimly over the
bodies Of the two lac had loved.
A policeman, who happened To have been