Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1892-02-06

as freely as pardon those he has com
mitted against me"
'He is good, said the dying man when
these words were repeated. "Senorita,
there is but one thing more. My poor
wife and children-if | could think that
you would care for them
Dona Zarifa placed her slender white
hand upon his as one who makes sol
emn covenant.
"Be sure of it." she said 81 will bring
them here. / will see that they do not
want, and tlat your children have the
influences that alone will save them from
such fate as yours. My poor brother,
be satisfied of this. Seel to make you
very certain, will promise on the image
of our Lord"
She took from his breast slender cru
cifx which the priest had laid there after
the last sacraments, and lifted it to her
lips Then she touched it very tenderly
to his. He looked at her with all his
soul in his eyes, and with last effort of
strength took the hand which laid the
crucifix again upon his heart, and kissed
that also.
IL Seelu6u W DeTWtHb, do ITO 5otb III us
own room, somewhat worn out by these
varying scenes, that the last was like the
memory of a sacrament. Could he ever
forget the expression with which that
man had regarded the beautiful and
tender face above him? And could he
ever forget the look with which Zarifa
had lifted the crucifx to her lips to seal
her promise to the dying criminal? "She
is an angelI" said the young man to him
self, with a rush of alteration which made
his heart burn as if with sensible fire,
''but she is as far above me, as far be-
yond my reach, as the very angels of God!
He rose from his seat and began to
pace to and fro, saying to himself that
he must leave Mirafores, that it was
impossible for him to remain longer and
restrain the expression of the feeling
which was passing beyond his control.
81 must go before have forfeited her
friendship" he thought. can insane out
burst may do that any day, and nothing
could be more hopeless or more pre-
sumptuous What am ! in her eyes, or
those of her father, but mere adven-
turer, stranger to whom they have
given hospitality in charity? And even
if they knew me for what | am, and if
the ruin both of fortune and of good
name was not hanging over me, how
could | dream of aspiring to the greatest
heiress in Mexico? What was it some
one said-that her father would look
only among the highest for an alliance
for her? He is right. Yet where can
any one be found who is worthy of her?
Oh, my beautiful princess with the
courage of a warrior and the gentleness
of dove, one man, who has nothing to
offer you but the passionate homage of
his heart, would thank God if he might
only die to serve you!
Presently he sat down again wearily
in his chair. The lassitude that follows
extreme emotion overpowered him. And
then it was that he saw ON the table a
letter which had been placed there dur
ing his absence. He took it up with
some awakening of interest, for it was
addressed in his mothers handwriting.
at is probably an answer to the account
of my accident" he thought as he broke
/ the seal. "And l have not given a
/ thought to her anxiety. What a selfish
being ann"
/ 1t proved to be what he imagined. His
mother had Just received the news of his
| wound, and the first pages of her letter
were almost hystericalin their distracted
anxiety. II knew that something of
this kind would befall you," she wrote.
81 was sure of it when you insisted upon
] hot Ion
country! have not had an hours re-
I spite from anxiety since you left, and
when received your letter ying that
/ you were going into the mountains to
look for mines-and what can you want
with mines?-I said to Sibyl: He will
simply be killed. | am sure of it. So
the news that you have been shot is an
/ awful shock to me, indeed but no sur
/ prise. Under the circumstances | suppose
it will hardly surprise you that am now
making preparations to go to Mexico.
( 1t is a terrible journey to undertake, but
| cannot stay here to think of you
wounded, ill, dying, perhaps, in some
rude Mexican house-for although you
say that you are in comfortable place.
/ fear that you say so only to relieve my
mind-without attendance or care. |
shall start as soon as possible, and travel
night and day until | reach you. will
go first to the City of Mexico, and from
there will set out to find you wherever
you may be- Sibyl will accompany me-
My own daughter could not be more
sympathetic and tender. She comforted
me when | was Frustrated by the shock,
and it was she who suggested the jour
ney to Mexico. Without her l could
never attempt it; but she is so strong, SO
courageous, that she keeps me up, and
she is making all the preparations for
our departure while am writing"
1t is to be feared that when Derwent
laid down this letter he uttered an eJac-
ulation which was not very expressive OF
gratitude toward Miss Lenox. Few
things could have annoyed him more
than such resolution as this ON ms
mothers part, and as if her own pres
ence in Mexico would not be enough OF
an embarrassment to him she must be
I L.. |, HKyh