New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-08-03

DOTTII WPITTN
church of san Miguel resounded with TIE harsh
tones of a cracked bell beating out i'm unrnythmlc
listleSS accents the evening Angclus. Tor theH
were feeble hands, hands brown as their owner !
robe, the sleeves of which falling back revealed
skinny arms with knOiied NclnS-hahuS 'l't'
tugeed at the tangled frayed rope. The hands
OF an old man with shoNcn poll, about Nhci
hung tufts of white hair like 10 silycry THREADS
III the setting sun lighting up the carihcn por'al
with fictitious glory, bathing the pals,cd form
till it stood out as do those holy lriars III the
pictures Of the angel brother old man whose
uptuImed eyes shonc and whose withered lips
eagerly quiyerel in prayer.
Presently there was z lstlcss clattcr of d-s,
cOrdant notes, the rope fell loose from the oId
mans hands. and he tIrncd to girl standIn-
leaning against the portals entrance, gazing doNI
into the dun-colorcd valley crowned by the Hliis
covered with purple-grccn plnoNs lhtiI toPa
swayng in the south wind of summer.
Incz he said softly and trcmulouslv.
She did not turn, making an impatient MOTION
that she heard
Incz7 he repeated patiently, will You turn
your back your old spiritual father
She erkcd herself about the black shawl tha'
covered her head falling back rs she turned, r.
vcaling sucu, handsome face, with black eyes
that glONcd with languid passion. AS Aol
will" Sine might be said 10 eNhale the sol,
Spanish words. her voice intoxicating rs the odors
Have You prayed to God and our Holy
Mother, rs | did ask YOU" questioned the priest
mporinely-implonns that her answer DE III the
all rmatIvc.
Her eyes shifted uncasily under their long
lqshcs one bare foot tappci tMice or tnrcc cr g
Ing our and pointing down the valley, Why
should |? | 20 10 him"
And leave Him" rcioinrd the Old priest,
pointing into the church. where could hc seen
The shabby tabernacle warm in the sun that cN-
tineuishcd the dina taper ali9ht before the t1Ocr-
For a moment the girl answered nothing
then She said. breathing forth her words rapidly
and passionatcy: Il love Manuel. | am his. he
loves me- il would take tie life ont Of me to leave
him. had better die than that"
II were better that you die than that you lose
your soul. said the priest with certain Stern
soCmnily: proceeding IN gcntler tones Ihe/'
| baptized you. baptlzed.' married. buried Your
father and your mother. They died holly, askkin5
the old priest 10 watch over the little lncz. VIII
Il love Manuel" size reiterated stubbornly
what she thought to be unanswcrablc, And
shall | break his heart she demanded, blast
Of triumph in the tone of hCr voice.
The priest smiled in pity. Break his heart
he exclaimed IN contempt; continuing soitly'
And Rosa. did She break his heart
He never loved her broke in the girl in a
no. he never loved her said the priest sadly
You wrong him he has told me all: Manuel
he has lands, and pesos too, and Rosa she wished
10 marry him for these and Manuel would not,
for ne loves me.
There was a charm in the girls conGdins sim
plicitY that the old man WIS not slow 10 feel
but for the girls good would not show he felt.
assuming a severity he was not prone 10 rs hc
said Manuel has land. lie has pesos. You
say. How long before the Senior Dr,ll Will have
them ? Manuel is a gambler: he drinks too much
nguardicntc; he is Pcuitcntc, and who shall
say his hands are free from blood j. HoS1
asleep in the Campo Santo because Of Manuel )
lands" He paused. continuing dreamily, She
died well did Ros: shc died we'll
HE girl p1lcd al the name # senior Drll, but
when the priest accused Manuel of being a
What if Manuel hc Pcnitcnic'' She qucS-
toned arbitrarily; they are good men. thcy do
pcnanc" for their sins
Stop" Il was no longer an old pal,cd man
who addressed her. There was yicor stIil IN the
foUndcred War-h0rSc. HIS eyes flashed hight
nings of scorn, and the pointed forciinccr that
back and forth cat tie air. emphasizing his
words drove NE girl crouohns and shivcrins
against tie wal!
speak no, 10 mo Of Tho Pcnitcntcs.7 be- thun-
dcrcd; &c for years | hav" s"cn tie" men lead
crime increase because of them: and because Of
them, my people who did prosper are become a
race of poems. Simon Dral their MASTER He
l. WIS some tiuc before the girl ycniurcd 20
speak and when she did. il va, - say hcSi-
tatngly: 81 shall save Manuel from the Senior
Drall'
"You shall save him from nothing. II is 7,
your old father, lucz, who tells you 80. speak
no more 20 70 him, II YEN vii. and when you
will 10 come hac; 10 God, take care His justice
bar not tie way.
She stared stupidity At the old man. tho fire
Of Who's youth her tIl-timcd defence ~ tie Pen
itentc, had rcllind'cI: then, from old custom.
scarcely needing what She did. sll" advanced and
bent her heal for his blessing. lie razcd with sud
eyes at the bent, lthc form, and in % voice tlo'
walled forth very agony Of grief, j" cried: on
ak me H. bless you going - "a life ol SIN AMI
crime such blessing would ic a mockcrY. ! 90
o. pray for poor dead soul that II rise asoin 10
life, hut blcs, YOU cannot His emotion choked
him; he could speak no more.
The girl turned from him unmovcd like a
shadow passed out the portal INTO the yellow
4 ill f,11, in,
70 lean AGAINST the portals entrance and watch
her speed away. Iucl nan her feet ela1cln@.
One would say thcy Lad eve, - SEQ, the way
I'm which they skipped thr sharp flint stones CLINT
ing here and there on the path Down the hill
side i'm the full ,lirc Of the sunlight. under the
umbragc of heavy pinou hcrghs. by her, of goats
md kids cIoppiu- inr tparS' hc1lac", INTO fh''
rambling street of hamlet Of widely separated
adobe cabins Then Sic walked with measured
tread often hailed with % greeting from groups
81 cigarette smoking men and women seated
on The Ground their backs resting II, every easy,
graceful poStu~, against the walls of the cabins.
The rambling street m'anIcrcd = narrow path
That led up tie mountain sibc IN" E-l"'Hl, I" a
little group of huts now obscure IN tie l"1NN twi-
lirht that AWAY, prcrcdcS the hIlli1ucY OF %
-McHican nj Mt tautou-lr feeling her way.
now swaying lightly - ana fro before Sprln,ln2
from rock 10 rock Will the agility Of one Of thuS'
little animals Ire E"opl" Of the RIO P"ros c'll
uuccas u cross hetVccu mountain rat ana "a
chipuuuk As She went her way. suddenly the
great white moon. brilliant aS comet, rose IN m
east shot her rays up into the hc'ycuS "cli,nin~
10 sail maicstically through lie clondcss. dark
blue ether that shouc with az lniniiy Of stars
scintatirg like diamonds IN l"r'"rc crown.
Needless OF n bcautr She had perhaps never per
ccivcd she hurried on in the direction of the
group OF cabins
Across from ,hr cabins, four in nu'ahcr. were
great bouldcrs of earth and rock, and here The
trail broadcncd into road Not following the
road. Inrz climbed the rocks, careful sn"t -
attract attention TO herself by dctachino any OF
the stones 10 90 crashing down the slope 1T the
10 .bp1 hpr u1i NJ g.
lion. a rock behind which she crouchcd, where She
could view the one hut in which lights were
burning She drew a sigh of relief and murmured
paSsonatrly "Manucl!'
The hut had a low wooden racry running he
for, IT, It's supports uuhcwn logs to one Of item
nailed board hearing the inscription, undo
cipherabc at night. Simon Dral, General Mcr-
chant" II Simon Drnll WAS General merchant
he kent his goods we'll hidden, for the interior
of the cabin, seen through the open double door
showed nothing but rough unpainlcd counter,