The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-05-07
THE CONFESSION
OF A CRIME.

s5E2S men, children were tumbng about the
place outside; they rolled hoop, jumped rope,
played ball. aud amused themselves at hide and
seek, sham battles, and other games doubtless as
profitable and certainly more healthiul than
chess ombie, roulette and seven and-haIf, IN
which their elders pass their time.
II / did not fear coming too close TO sacred
subjects, would go SO far as TO say that, even
with regard TO men assembled in Parliament CT
on the Exchange, The comparison would apply
equally as well.
lie sun st flooded the place. The children
jumped about in The sand Ike swarm of flies
on marble table. The nurSeIy-maids, the
faithful size pheTdesSes OF every herd, with their
white-frilled caps, low-hangng bralds OF hair
red hands and healthfully flushed cheeks, which
enyled them, grouped themselves on a bench IN
The shade, and with visible great delight freed
lheir burdened souls from the details of home
gossip, without l0OsiDg sight for one moment-to
tbeir honor be it said-of their restless charges.
Occasionally one of their number would rise
from her seat to go TO the help OF one OF The un-
lucky little ones who had fallen on Its face and
| rolled about in the sand, rending the air with
| loud cries. Or a naughty child WAS called away.
| summoned before The tribunal OF maids and
! servants, admonshed gently or censuled Sc
| verey for his or her fault, according 10 the sys
| TEN or The temperament OF the special nurse In
| charge.
| had seated myself on one OF the iron benches
in the place to.walch the coming. of the people,
| III an absent-innded mood to look at the play of
| the children. Near my seat, at one side, were
| two girls about IL or Il years OF age, whose
| prohles-nOthing more visible from my place
| were most charmingy clear and regular. Both
| had fair hair and seemed TO me dressed with un-
usual taste aud elegance. This last Is not at ali
| uncommon in Madrid. where the mammas who
| lave abjured cOquetry for themselves perpetuate
| Ii In their daughters and make common cause
with them IN damaging Onslaughts on the pun seS
Of the papas.
My at enfion was arrested by the serious air Of
these two girls and the marked indifference in
their attitude toward the children playing about
them. AT first thought their gravity was as
sumed, with view of making the other children
ashamed of their bosterOus play; and this struck
NE as very comical. But closer attention con-
WINGED me that something very serious was oc
| haf rlnf had oil
TO do quietly changed my seat for one as close
10 them as possible, hoping 10 lean something
OF what was occupying their minds
One OF them was very pale ana sat with down.
cast eyes, while tile other from time to time cast
an uneasy glance at her. As drew near they
both became silent, but presently the hrst broke
the stiffness, softly and with melancholy III her
! voice:
III had known that, should not have gone
"Why nOt?" cried the other. "You must have
met some day"
Her companion made no reply, and there was
long pause. At last the second said, as she
laid her hand on her friends shoulder:
" DO you know what have just thought OF,
AsuH n diI e.
THAT you must confess everything to her.
| Lola Is good girl, II she is sometimes quick
tempered. Don't you remember how we struck
and scratched each Other aud how pushed her
away because | wanted TO be the mamma? 1t
AYES. but this is something quite different"
" know IL Is diherenti but you must tell her
all the same"
"Ah, for PHYS sake don't ask 1t OF me, Tulsa.
she would surely never look at me again, aud
would tell her parents at once"
And would II not be still worse, IL others told
her? There are many malicious girls. Elyira
knows II, too. God knows who told her,"
THIS news must have made deep Impression
on The mind oil AsunclOn, for she sat with com
pressed lips and listened In agitation while her
friend, IN positive il not an entirely coherent
manner, set forth her reasons.
The place was becoming througed with peo-
| Pile; the sun was setting ana now glorhed only
| one OF The angels in ithe salon. The atmosphere
| remained pure and bright, aud revealed In ad-
| mirable clearness the obesk of the "D0s de
| Mayo" and the roof of the Museum OF Artillery
aud San JeIOulmo.
The children mad retreated at the approach of
their enemies, the elders, 10 more remote cor
ner, and were there continuing their games.
little golden haired boy In sailor suit, with
much audaclty, remained standing before our
TWO girls, watching Them with great cOmposure
| and not liking their seriousness, begon to make
| faces at them. Lulsa, nnding herself inter
| rupted in this manner started Up and began
| pulling his hair. The boy ran away bowling.
After few minutes, as was getting ready to
| leave my seat TO walk about little, heard
| flush, hush, think there is Lola coming"
Asunclon Strengthened up and leaned quickly
! forward
Eyes, yes, it is she," Lusa continued, "she is
| coming with Pepita, COncha and Eugena. 1t is
the fist Sunday she has been here since her
| brothers death. Don't look so, girl don't be
afraid; you Will see, will make everything all
| right"
Asunclon had indeed grown pale and remained
rooted aud motionless In her place, like statue
and could now see group OF girls about The
| same age as these two. The one in the middle,
| dressed in mourning, was a brunette, with large
deep, black eyes, VINO well might have been The
| cause of AsuHcon's anxiety. Tulsa rose to greet
| the girls, exchanging kisses with them with
| feTvor which carried the report even to my ears.
| Asuuclon did not move.
AS the group drew near they received cordial
| greetings from all sides, of which Lola, in her
mourning dress, certainly received her fun share.
| After the first friendly salugeS were exchanged
| i noticed tDaI LulSa made Signs to AsuuctOn.
which the latter euefgetically refused TO obey
| But Luisa was determined, Notwithstanding her
friends opposition, to carry out her plan, and,
drawing near 10 Lola, she said;
"Asuucion has something TO say to you; sit
down by her."
Lola came with a melancholy air and asked
tendery, while she stroked her face;
What nave you to say to me, CoEchita ?"
not answer. But the other sat down and ur-
gently begged her 10 say what made her sad.
"Ah, Lola,'' she began with a trembling al
most inaudibe voice, III l tell you you will
never love me again"
Lola denied this with a deprecatIng gesture
mo. no, you will not love me-gtve me a kiss /;
afterward, when you know all--yOu VIII never
give me one again"
| Lolita seemed surprised; but she gave her two
"To- morrow it will be month since your
brother Pepito died, Lola; know that you had
| commissions when you his coffin. They
wouldn't let me 20 to your house, because they
said IL would make an Impression so deep on me
but cried all ddy-Lusa Will tell you SOL
cried, because PepIto aud were engaged-dldn'
you know it?"
1--WE bad been for two months, Lola. lie wrote
me letter and gave II to me; when | was going
to mud you one day he came quite suddenly out
OF room and put 1t into my hand-and ran
away. He said that, ever since he had first seen
me, he wanted 10 be engaged to me, IL would
say yes, ana that, when he had finished his study
OF law-wlIch was what he Intended TO choose
| for profession-we would be married.
was TOO ashamed TO answer him, but as Pace
NuneZ had written at the same time TO Tulsa and
| asked her to be engaged to him. / him ma
day In Paseo message from her: Paco, l am to
say Eyes" to you from Luisa' And another time
Tulsa said 10 PepitO: 'Pepito, am to say yes
to you from Asuncion.' And SO we were en-.
| gagged. Sundays, when we used to dance at your
house, he chose NE ofteuer than The other girls,
but lie was ashamed to talk With me. l felt un-
comfortable about II, and asked him once when
we were dancing and lie was SO sad and quiet,
ii bored him. lie said: No one bores me
least of all YOU l blushed, and he did too
Every afternoon he watched for me when school
was out; he walked up and down till came out
then he walked behind me Till got home"
Here Asuncion stopped, and Lola, who had
listened TO her with a sad curiosity, waited
minute for her TO go on. Then she asked:
" But why did you say that 1 would not kiss
you again and such things when you had told me
On the contrary, now ! really love you for tht
first tlme-dOn't you see?'
sionatey.
"Wait, walt don't kiss me. or what did your
brother die? Did not tile doctor say that III
died sy Of getting wet@"
| tNO"t Aolu nc gut Wei w my laull-yeS, Dy lily
fault. One afternoon II was pouring, and hi
waited for me at the school, L saw HIM through
the window standing In doorway-the doorway
| opposite, you know-and he had no umbrella.
As we came out, was well protected because
the servant had brought one umbrella for me
and another for herself. Pepito followed u,
without an umbrella. Ii poured In torrents and
/, Instead OF onerlng him mine and going under
the servants let him get wet all the way home,
But 1t wasn't because 1 didn't care Lola, dc
not believe it, for Gods sake-it only happened
| because was ashamed"
As she said this, her feelings overcame her
her voice choked. and she broke into sobs
| Lolito gaZed at her long time with an angry
| look white face aud bent brOws; at last she rose
and went TO her friends who were standing at a
| little distance.
i observed how she related the story to then
with vehement gestures, growing quite stormy
last aud how the tears came Into her ewes With
out in the least softeniDg the gloomy and bitter
expression OF her face.
Asuncion had remained sitting with bent head