New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-07-09
tongue prisoner. If only he could plead with
4 i. L. e.

her and beg for his life! .,..- .,a. h. ,,.o.
Baso," she quietly SAID; SEM ~ i,,a' III Grmer
hold for the other "if YOU take either oil your
hands away from the vine will shoot you. h,eP
perfectly still You maxi ' throw n' anoIes in the
air and send a Hilet through every one VIII" 'ni'
pistol" :. .t;e aud V.l,sc,
ANeT w ~ have pvcn YOU money, Basiio if you
| had asked mo for it: but 10 come thus WIN a
| knife! You would have killed me- hasiiio anu
have never been unkind 70 You. 49,, L.;
| II he could only remove the dagger from HIS
mouth. Surely ono kind ana Gentle as s ~,
would let him 60 in peace II ne GoaIu p'tdu wi, "n,i
! her but TO let the dagger fall lG"m ms "',i'
| won1d he 70 disarm himself, and he was hardly
ready for that and there was much tnIhhin-
and planning to be done wltNlh very l." "'''-
Vclasco. still with his gazc on the black hole III
the pistol barrel. soon made a dl.c3uraens ulN
covcry: the position in which he had nccl drrSs.rl
| was an insecure and uncomfortable ore. ana NE
unusual strain that il brought upon ms inl"'i.S
! became painful and cNhaustlng 10 slill' ms PU.
ton even in the smallest way would DC 10 ihNi,c
| the excursion of n bullet through ms neat ~
! the moments few the strain upon particular sets
| Of muscles increased his pain with aarmIl! rapIu
itv, and unconsciously be hegan 10 spccuIa" uP"
! the length of time that remained before ms shH"r
| inc would lead him into recklcssnesS ana dcatll
While he thus approaching very agony 81
pain, with the end of all human endurance ho'
| far away. another was suffering IN uiIlereht Mdn
ncr. but hardly less severely;
The beautiful sonora held tho choice of two
lives in the barrel of her pistol bnt that snr
| that astounded. porplcxcd and agonized her
that she had the courage TO he in so extraordinary
n position amazed her beyond estimation Now,
when one reflects that he Is COURAGEOUS, nl'
courage is questionable. And then. she was rca
So tcndcr-hcartcd that she wondered II she couI'
make good her threat TO shoot if the murderer
| should move. That lie believed she would was
| sufficient.
But after the arrival of her hushand,wl1t
| ,apf-f
sist the temptation to rut the fellows. throat
| before her very eyes? That was TOO hofripc'
to think Of But-God the fellow himsnl, haI
| n knife. Bv thus summOnmg her husband was
she not inviting him TO mortal s'ru9I.c wiIh
n desperate man b5ttcr armed than he? II wGulf
have bcer easy to lbcrat" Basilio ana let him
| 20 his way: hut she knew that her huShan !
| would follow and find him Now that the ms
chief of notifying him had been done. II was
best To keep the prisoner with her. NAT sN'
might plead for his life. Therein lay icr hope
that she could avert shedding of h God by "lticr
Of the men. Her suspense, her scli-'n'H'l'hlni.S
her dread Of terrible termination to an iArlHIn'
which hal already assumed the shape OF Il tfag.dN
her fearful responsibility the mcnacing p2rsloll
that she herself. in simple defence OF hrr HI',
| might have 10 kill Hasio. her tr"pda'lon on
| the score Of hcr aim and Tn" reliability ol IN"
pistol-all thos' things and Others were wearing
her ont and at lat ho <c ; ,c" o9a anil vE~hcr
or not her husband would arrv" IN tmc 10
| save her
pains which tortured him. and driven 70 tho
| wall by desire 10 drop the dagger ana plead
for his life, and by fear OF paT'ih3 rom iIN
wranon was urged to despair and firallN 10 d'H-
poraton All the supplicatiOn that human iacc
and eyes conll show pleaded clo1u"ntly for nm
and with this silent Gl"adns cam" S'l i"nc- ,r" "I
| and lees twitchcd and trcmblcl. ard ms Ia9orri
breathing Kissed as it split upon the "d5c OF ,hc
| knife lie was unalIc lone"r 20 control 'h'
mu.clos Of his lips: the keen cdg" Of his weapon
| fonnd a way into the flesh az either sld" "i M,
mouth. and two small streams Of blood Irck,cI
down his chin and fell upon his htcas'' no, loI
a moment did he take his rae from her eyes
and thus these TWO regarded each other IN
silence and stiffness that were terrible" cha,
inevitably would make victim Of ON" or IN"
| other The spectacle Of the mans agony In"
pitiful sight Of his mploring l9ok wrr. more nor,
! Than the feminine flesh OF when 'l"i'n' "''
composed could bear.
The crash came Iiaso was the fr,' 70 nr'aT
down. Whether voluntarily, or nor. he rhl~"
III, hold upon the knife which Wont rl.t'"rin4
through the vine 10 tn" ground. In another IN
slant, his tongue. now frc' BEGAN POURING lor,n
a sunnlcation in the Spanish langna2" with an
eoqucnce which Niolahtc N"d hoN'i '''''
"Oh' sonora" he said who but en- ang"
| conld show mercy tcndorcr than human Ana
| vet n ] hops, for the mercy % In" HOLY NWlln'
there is sweetness and kL"dn",s IN X"nr Id'r
that belong TO an angel o. mercy on. Mother "l
| Cred, surely thy unworthy son has been hro. tlU
into This strait for the trving of ms SOU ana i"r
rs chc>ti.cmcnt ard purilicati"n AZ the hands "l
| INV sweetest and gcntlcst Of earthly daughters
| 60, nr .bou tast Nm, II into her lrart-which j. a
nm MI as her Zee j. hoantiful-to spare IN" from
! most horrible onl. Thou hast whispered M" h"r
| nothcr .ovl that one of thy sons. however na"'
end undcserviue. should not b" s''li unshrlN"n :"
/ Tho iudgment-Srat of ~" most Holy Christ, tiny
! Son. Through the n1N church thou hast en-
''oltcnod hor sonl 10 the duties Of - I Tristan.
| fnr ia her beautiful face sh,ncs the r1di1nc" 81
| Lcoven-ah sonora SEQ m" plcod for mercy l'-
ho'd the a~oacs which h".c' me ani ley my run"r-
! iro. unlock TO door of Your heart Let IN" -
| in peace scnori: and you shall find in IN" slave
al the DAYS Of my fc-,ho humhlcst and moN
devoted # slaves. happy If yon beat me- GoN-
! ing in my slrvcrv if Won starry" me. AMI gNlnI
| rroise 10 Almighty God if you tranpl" III" under
yonr feet. sonora. sonora. rclca>" me-, for 'lnr
is prcsing-I can barely c'clp" II YGu "' ne , 80
hands? Can Nou face the Virgin with mt 'h'
scrora-scn0ra-'
Her head swan and al her Sc"s"- w" H' a'" 10"
| in a sea Of agOnics Still she looked down lnf'
| his eyes as be continued his rcad'rgs. hut tl"
outlines Of his body were wav"rng md un"'r,'I'
and jncxprce-ihe suffering numh"d Der iacuIf'~
. Still she listened va gcly 70 his outpourng 81
, spccch: and il was not until her husband Wltn
two of hs y'Nucros. dahcd mp on horseback ,na'
was aware Of his approach. SEEING him Nlol' n'
| threw hor arms abroad. and the pistol went ny
ing 20 the ground: and then si" sax Gown w.
| Tho floor AND the brilliant sunshine became NIGHT
| ard the skininr gorcs Of the day all rotIngnrNs.
She awoke and found herself living on her
bed, with her husband sitting bc'id" her cares.
was \ littlo time before She could SUMMON her
! faculties to exercise and 10 an understanding o'
| Ter husbands cndcaring words. but. en"ing HIM
safe with her her next thought was Of Nciasco
| where is HaSilio?" sh" asked. starting mp
| and looking foarfully about.
! He is safe. my dear one. Thn: no more
Of Rasio. who would hay" harmed M Niolani".
Re calm, for my sake, sweet wife
oh. / cal't. / can't You must tell me abont
Baso7 And in frightened whisper, she asked
Did YOU Kill him ,"
NO loved one; Basilio is alive
She sank back upo1 her pillow. "God b"
| praised :" she whspcrc'i.
suddenly she started again and looked kccnly
| ccivcd me-" she hurridly said; "but, Robert,
must know the truth. Have NJ fcar-l can bear
it, For Gods sake, my husband, tell me the
| truth"
| Alarmed, he took her in his arms, and said
Be calm, my Nioantc: for as the Almighty Is
| M. ,..itnnss Rasilin L. aliNc. "