Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1894-10-26

her abundant evidence of it all: but this
man was not brutal. He treated her as
no Indian woman she had ever heard Of
had been treated 10y man. And when
he urged that she be baptized and be-
come a Christian in order that they
might be married she assented with a
gladness she could never have put into
words. Frey Raphael Quevedo, who had
been Don Fraucesco's tutor, welcomed
the convert with an almost holy Joy and
visited the little home Francesca had
put her into to talk and reason with her.
She was baptized under the name of
Maria.
| like to think of this period in the
lives of these two, because they must
have been very happy. What time he
could spare from his military duties
francesca spent with the girl, and she,
to please him, abandoned her native
dress and so far as possible clad herself
like Spanish woman. Among the cap
tives was her uncle, man who is called
FL Tigre in the story. Francesca bought
him from the government, so that the
have been some gossip among the people
of Carthagena over what was going on,
but of this l could find but little trace.
imagine, too, the captain general may
have spoken to his son sometimes, but it
is certain there was no quarrel between
them prior to the time that Frey Raphael
sought the presence of the count and
with much agitation informed him that
Don Francesca had requested him to
celebrate a marriage between himself
and the Indian girl.
The shock to the feelings of the father
when he heard this story was naturally
very gSat. Don Alphonso Medina came
from one of the proudest families in all
Spain. He had been himself distin-
guished soldier, he had risen high in the
service of the government, and for his
only son and heir he could look for a
marriage among the greatest houses OF
his own country. That Francesca should
dream Of marrying the daughter of even
one of the Spanish families then In
Carthagena would have been sufficiently
monstrous; but an Indian, slave!
He did not believe the story. The Frey
Raphael repeated it over and over again,
declaringin the most positive way that he
had reasoned with Don Francesca until
beyond any question he had found him
to be in earnest. Don Francesca did not
appear to be mad, he said, but seemed
to be perfectly cool. He had even said
he thought he could induce his father tc
consent At this the captain general
forgot his courtesy and stormed and
swore until Frey Raphael fairly ran out
of the room. Then Don Alphonso, in a
maze of perplexity and anger, sent foi
Colonel Honradez, to whom he told the
tale.
Colonel Honradez, after cursing him
self for not having had the girl killed
suggested the best thing was to have this
negligence on his part remedied at once
and offered to see the work done properly
To this the captain general demurred-
not, need scarcely say, on the girls &C
count, for Don Alphonso would gladly
have seen herself and her whole tribe
burned rather than such trouble as this
should have come-but because he knew
something of his sons disposition. Were
such a thing done Francesca would never
forget nor forgive if he really loved the
girl, and at this thought the captain
general once more became almost insane
with anger. At last he asked Colonel
Honradez to call on Don Roberto Patri.
clio, the alcalde, tell him the whole story
and request his presence at the palace
that evening, when the three men would
have a consultation. OF course neither
one would say anything in the meantime,
and sending for Frey Raphael he eau
toned that worthy man to be equally
silent. The story was told to the old
lawyer as he and the soldier sat in that
large cool room on the second story of
the municipal blilding-from which you
look down the street past the Church OF
San Juan de Dios-and Don Roberto drew
his thin lips closer together as he listened.
1t was about o'clock when the al
calde and Colonel Honradez called on
Don Alphonso and found Frey Raphael
with him. The chaplain repeated the
story he had told in the morning, to
which the captain general was able to
listen quietly, for no man ever saw Don
Alphonso lose control of himself twice in
the same day. Colonel Honradez again
suggested his idea of the readiest way to
solve the difficulty. Not only did the
captain general refuse, but the Frey
Raphael argued in the strongest way
against it. He said that, knowing
Don francesca as he knew him, he
was certain he would never make up
with his father if anything of the kind
were done. Francesca was gentle and
kind, and he certainly loved his father
very dearly, but he was man who, when
he once had reason, as lie supposed, to
dislike person, never forgave If he
loved this girl nothing could be done to
her by any consent of his father. The