Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-05-12
A LEGEND OF MEXICO.

of the cathedral and the palace, far away,
struck the hour, as we traversed lonely,
silent street toward the suburbs Of Mexico.
We had been keeping vigil with wounded
man, a compeuiot OF mine, and had over
stayed our watch, for he was frantic with
deliriurn, and we feared to transfer him to
the care of the inexperienced and rather care
less persons who should succeed Us.
We walked on briskly, for it was long
hours past the time when coaches and tram
cars had ceased plying. We were in San
Cosme, and in front Of the great, massive
structure which the wife OK eZ-Marshai
Bazaine has claimed from the government as
an imperial gift 70 her traitorous husband
The facade OF this edi6ce curves IN Ii such
fashion as to form an offset or alcove on the
street, and before we reached It, l foncied
saw wonan,s figure stealing along in lis
denser shadow, and felt thrill Of compass
sion for her, as one Of the poor children OF
the night She was not TO be seen when we
came near the spot, but a moment later a
piercing cry rang out near us-a long drawn
wall of suffering and horror.
l grasped the arm of my comrade. ''Some
woman is in distress-we must go to her res
cue. We are both armed, thank heavenh
But he threw his arm about me, and forced
me forward at quick pace that was almost
a run: and so unexpected was the move that
l had been pushed along some rods ere
could offer resistance
Come onl come on" ne whispered
hoarsely, as I shook myself free from his
clasp I'VE must hasten; we must go on
quickly
II would not have believed you could de-
sert fellow creature il trouble cried in
Indignation, 'sand beyond all, woman. It
is not like you, Federico" For had seen
his courage tried by venomous serpents in
TERRA caiente and in encounters with high
wayrnen in the Sierras, and 1 had heard of
his GOODNESS and daring in a combat with
Apaehes il northern Chihuahua.
'sHushl hush!" he answered. painting.
s.You know not of what you speak. We
abandon no mortal woman-the voice you
hear is the cry of La Llorona- Look yonder
at the serenoW
We were near one of the points where
Waterman stands ell night in the middle OF
thoroughfare, and, following my compan-
ions gesture, saw the officer, fallen upon
his knees in the circle of light cast by his
lantern; the great uchin hood of his cape
was pulled oyer his head, and every line of
his figure betokened abject fear and horror.
There was something uncanny in the sight,
for the policemen of Mexico are not impress
sionable material. And through the silent,
empty street those dreadful cries were still
ringing wildly, surely sufficient motive for
such display of terror. The sound seemed
to float away, and down by street toward
the equestrian statue of Charles ", growing
fainter and fainter in the distance.
Let US CO." said my companion. eyes, 1
am .naterialista, and I sheer at spiritualisnl
and ghosts and phantoms; bat, nevertheless,
| think there is not mac or woman in Mex
leo who would not tremble at the voice of
Luisa La Llorono."
In the year Of our Lord 1884, Luisa Haro
was called the most beautiful girl in Mexico,
and the most modest. Her father had brought
her from Spain when she was 10 years old,
and, diving four years later, had left her ut
terly without kindred, SO far as was known
to herself or her neighbors. She was clever
needle woman, and maker of artificial flow
ers, and her skill found ready employment
for churchIy uses, notwithstanding the enor-
nous quantity of such work done in the con-
vents. She had her little home nest in .
.onely callejuela, or by street, almost like an
alley, in the shadow of the cioiSter walls OF
one of the guilds that chiefly employed her,
and here she lived, forlornly enough, indeed,
as is the fate of woman who dwells quite
alone; but her days were virtuous and tran
quill Naught mattered it TO her that the gal
lants came stealing at nightfall into that
rincon apartado-that out of the way corner,
and tenanted the midnight darkness OF its
dusty. narrow passage. Her shutters were
closed and barred ere the darkness gathered,
and none of the delicate, scented fingers that
tapped on those clumsy defenses ever sounded
the 'sOpen, Sesamel" TO the girl they shell
tered. Luisa was the despair of all the gay,
dissolute blades of the vice regal court Of
New Spain Her neighbors in the lonely by
street were won't to point her out with a
strange admixture of feelings, uncertain
whether TO respect and recommend her
severe rectitude, or TO disparage her, as one
who is denied the natural passions and pleas
ant frailties of humanity.
But a change came about when the girl
was something over % years old It began
to be whispered by the gossips OF the neigh
borhood that the shutters of Luisa's window
now creaked slightly open, and that her
voice was heard at the crevice in converse
with one who came not tentatively and
doubling, but with the confident, assured
step of man who knows the welcome that
awaits him. And soon it was told about,
originated in one Of tie vague, indefinite
ways in which such things do transpire, that
this complacent wooer was Nuno, Marquis
OF Nontes-Claros. So il was that Luisa as
s,,-ned new irnportance in the eyes Of those
about her, as viii ever happen, under ike
conditions.
One nisht-a night when the dashing rain
scourged the black walls of the cloister, TO
the nlournfUl accompaniment OF the moan
ing owls in the belfry-ons of the parish
good1nen was Fastening home belated through
the narrow callejuela where dwelt Luisa,
when he saw IN the space before him some
thing that made him pause and tremble, for
he was OF the timid bourgeois class that car
ried no staunch Toledo blade nor slender
deadly rapier swung from the belt.
The night was dark, almost 70 paipabiiitv
No ray OF light feu into the calleiuela, save
the dim ray from the little lantern, swinging
be-5re the rude image CT soEe saint IN a
niche near the table. on the wall ct TIE En-
trance of the by street where il opened with
q blunt angle into wider rbOroughfa-e
That ray, falling through the weather stained
pane OF tie lantern, was dim and fitful, and
almost seemed to make the darkness denser,
sad more concrete than the shapes that ths
honest wayfarer faneiei he saw fitting along
tie wall Now these might be some 81 the
s1llants that were always wrangiing here
abor-s for the sweet sake Of LuisS. albeit
there had been notable falling Of IN their
attendance, since i. was rInored she had
finally hearkened TO the voice OF one CT their
number Grand the hair of The honest fal-
,,,x- l,-sS.la5 az ma ;,iaa for all thA darkness