San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-05-06

LouIse's voice reached his ear he started as
II he had heard the cannon thunder
One night, as he lay awake, he heard
Louise weeping in the orchard Another
time he heard-yes, distinctly heard-the
sound of kiss.
"Ah, the other young man is leavingp
Luke leaped up. His eyes were starting
out of his head and he was blowing like
northeast wind.
"Now, them" he said, running to the car
penter's house, "cut it down if you will !
give it to you" And thus saying he sank
down into chair.
1t was not too late. And Louise wept for
joy. Yes, she would be Nine. Luke La
horde Luke wept also.
And the pine tree3 1t was laid low
few DAYS afterward, and it was Cazade,
the carpenter, who managed the affair.
Four stout ropes were fastened to the top
of the tree; and two men, with naked
arms and barred Threats, breathing tenn
pestuously, attacked it with dreadful
force, setting at it with their broad iron
axes, keeping time as they struck.
Luke, trembling, stationed himself a
hundred PAGES from the tree, and looking
on at the monstrous murder, he started at
each blow of the AK as if they were strik-
ing into his flesh. The tree still stood
erect, with scarcely a tremor. And the
fragments of wood which flew from its
open sides came forth yellow, came forth
bleeding, while diffusing over the murder
ers their invigorating and resinous odor.
One hour-two hours-three hours, and
the axes ate their way. The tree resisted
still. At the sight great drops of perspira-
ton stood on Luke's brow. Yes, he had
seen his father die, and his grandfather
and an uncle, but never had he suffered
anguish like this.
All of a sudden the tree sent forth its
complaint 1t was an indistinct cry at first
brief and almost inaudible. But gradu-
ally increasing in length and gathering
force it grew mournful, causing one to
shudder with horror.
Oh, the cry of the pinel Luke stopped
up his ears. Bitter was the cry: and at
each stroke its whole bulk throbbed mourn
fully, like dying man gasping for breath.
In the agony of death it sent forth cry.
and was already leaning over.
''Fleel feer' shouted Luke; ''it will
crush us alln'
And he ran-ran instinctively fearing
that the tree in it's fall would stretch forth
its Infatuated branches like elastic claws
and crush in a last embrace all the pyg-
mics who were causing it's death. On he
ran!
Suddenly a long drawn out moan-a
moan in which one seemed to hear the tear
ing away of plant soul. Luke, terrified,
beheld yonder the vanquished pine totter
on its base and making great wind with
its despairing branches fall staggering
with a crash as of shattered bones. T.
swell, thou simple one!" put in the car
penter, with loud laugh, thou seest
plainly that it has not revenged ITSELF"
And Luke discovered with amazement
that the dwelling and its inmates still
existed.
And on the day of the wedding the pine
tree lay PROSTATE, with russell boughs and
motionless trunks-nor yet did any catas
trophe happen. And a year later, when
Luke found himself the father of pretty
rose colored doll of a babe, whose artless
glances seemed to make stars dawn in hi,
heart, the lifeless body of the pine, which
was drying in his father-in-law's timber
yard, no longer interfered.
But three years after-pOwerful sawl
had cut up the old tree into goOdly beams
fragrant with perfume-a strange rumO
suddenly ran forth. 4 Spaniard haC
brought the cholera into the land. Their
were already three victims in the village.
Luke felt his very locks moist with ter
ror Where is it nOw-the protecting
tree? The tree which, with its compass
sionate boughs Of foliage, dispelled th
nOXiOus miasma Of the skiess