The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-09-02

end the Spaniards despofled them. The
worshipers of the Heart also were
driven from their cities by hordes of
barbarians who rolled down upon them,
and their faith persisted, or seemed to
perish
but what has this history to do with
the charm around your neck, Ignatio? ~
ne asked.
81 will tell you. When Quetzal sailed
away from his people, so says the le-
gend, he left the stone of which this is
the half, that once he had worn upon
mis- brow, to be a treasure to the kings
who came after him. Also he set this
fate upon it: that while the Heart re-
NAMED unbroken, for so long should
the people be one and whole; but if ii
came about that it was cut or shat
tered, they should be divided with it, to
be no more one people until again the
fra gments were one stone
Now, when these king brethren
quarreled and parted, they sawed the
token asunder, as you see, each OF
them keeping half, this half being
that of him who married the woman
For generations it was worn by his
descendants, and on their deathbeds
passed on by them to another or al
times taken from their bodies after
! they were dead.
There are many stories told abou
1.-THE stone in the old days, and it is Ger
tain that he who had it was the rea
king of the country for the time being
AT length it came into the hands of the
great Guatemoc, last of the Aztec EN-
i perors, who, before the Spaniards huns
him, found means to send it to his son
from whom it has come down to me-"
ITO you? What have you to do with
Guatemoc?'
II am his lineal descendant, senior
the eleventh in the male line
Then you ought to be emperor OF
the Indians if every man had his rights
Ignatio.'
''That is so, senior, but of my own
story [ will tell you presently. Now OF
this stone. Through all the ages it has
never been lost, and it is knoWp
throughout the land, he who wears il
for his life being called Keeper of the
Heart and also, Hope of those who
wait since it may happen in his day
that the two halves will come together
again."
"And what if they do?"
Then, so says the legend, the In
dams will once more be a mighty ma
ton, and drive those who Cypress them
into the sea, as the wind drives dust"
Now he rose from his chair and
walked up and down the room.
DO you believe all this?' he asked
suddenly.
Yes" I answered, cor the greater
part of it. Indeed, if what I hear is
true, the lost half of the talisman that
has been missing for so MANY genera
tions is in Mexico at this moment. and,
so soon as L am well enough, l go to
seek him who bears it, and who has
come from far to find me- That is why
we must part, senor.''
! Where has this man come from ~
he asked eagerly
81 do not know for certain" 1
answered, but L think he has come
from the sacred city of the Indians. the
hidden Golden City which the Span
iards sought for but could not find, but
that still exists among the mountains
AID deserts of the far interior, whittier
1 hope to journey with him.
THAT still exists. Ignatio, you must
be mad. 1t has never existed except
in the Imagination
you say SO, senior, but l think diff
ferently. AT least, knew man whose
grandfather had seen it. He, the grand
father, was a native of San Juan Ba-
tista, in Tabasco and when he was
young he committed some crime and
fled inland to save his life.
"All that befell him I do not know,
but at length he found himself wander
ing by the shores of a great lake some
where in or beyond the country that is
now know as Guatemala, and being
exhausted, laid himself down to die
there and fell asleep.
when he awoke people were stand
ing round him, like the Indians to look
at, but very light in color, and beauti-
fully dressed in white robes, with neck
laces Of emeralds and feather capes.
These people put on board a great