The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1894-01-26
TITLE HEROINE.

spring sun was shining bright,
peaks and slopes Of the Andalu
erras and on the white hamlet thai
nestled in the fertile valley be
twas pretty sight--thi little
with its small whitewashed
= shining in the morning sun, sur
ided on every side by the blue noun.
.-aiis and thick, green forest. The coun.
try isvery picturesque and wild in this
mountainous part Of Andalusia, and it is
very thinly populated, but the little vii.
iage Of Saldana nestled there contented-
", as If wishing to be shielded from the
hot winds Of Africa in August or the
cold ones coming from the Pyrenees in
January
Saldana people were in general very
cheerful, polite and sociable to any
stranger who by chance strayed among
their wilds. but now the village wears a
Inournful aspect. The streets are de.
serted, the houses, clean and neat as
little silver cups have their ever hos.
pitable doors closed. Once in awhile a
woman is seen on the estreet going quick.
" On some errand. and returning imme-
diately with all possible speed to her
home.
The reason for this depression was
that the Carlist war was waginp hotly
in Spain, and the day before news had
reached Baldana that Carlist detach-
ment composed Of the fierce northern
Basques, followers Of Don Carlos, was
pproaching the little town.
All the able men Of Saldana had Joined
asmall company Of the royal army and
were concealed about in the mountains,
from whence they expected to surprise
the Carlists, to whom this part of the
country was unknown.
About noon Of the day after the news
was received, Petrona, wife Of Juan
Alvarez, tne carpenter Of the village,
called Gloria, her eldest daughter. a
pretty i5.year-old girl with dark curly
hair and big, black eyes, and putting in
her hands q large basket, said:
go, child, to La Quebrada and carry
something to eat to your poor father and
brother and take care that no reprobate
Carlist sees you.r
Gloria took the basket and briskly
went on her way without misgivings,
for no Carlist had as yet been seen near
Saidana, She had walked about a mile
from her home by path cut into the
rock when the song that came 80 merrily
from her lips stopped suddenly, for on
reaching big rock which marked the
half way between Saldana and La Que
Drada an unseen person cried to her:
"Haltl''
Mechanically Gloria paused on her
way and looked around her. AS If by
magic she saw herself surrounded by
many soldiers on horseback, and this
was not the worst-she recognized by
the uniforms and colors that they were
followers Of Don Carlos the Pretender.
Une Of the men, who seemed to be their
leader, approached her and asked.
Z Where are you goingp
The poor child was 50 frightened that
she burst into tears
The officer dlsmounted. sLet me see
whY y9V have in that basket, Z be said
AZ, That isgood. We have not
had alls DO good for long time
eggs, bres at, fruit. Now, my dear
you were ta ing these provisions to
some royalisM concealed about these
mountains, were You notf Now, tell me
where they are"
Poor Gloria knew that If she told him
the place Of their concealment all the
soldiers would be slain, including her fa-
tter and brother, for the number Of Carl.
lsts was 80 much larger than the royal-
lsts. ln her fright she thought their
number reached many thousands. On
the other hand, II she refused to tell +
where the royalist soldiers were, she was
sure these monsters would killher.
The commanding officer took the bas-
ket ON her arm and gave 1t to one of
idiers, then said In bis strong,
'rtherIl accent:
ere, 6iias'''~t weretaking food
d here / know