Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1894-10-03

enough, but perhaps it will be too late )"
And now fer the first tine broke down
and prayed for mercy even of my foe.
"Sparc her," groancd ''Do what you
will with ne, but spare her! Surely you
must have heart, even you, for YOU arc
human. You can never do this thing, and
Cortes would not suffer it. 1"
GAS for Cortcs, he answered, she will
know nothing of it'll it Is done. I have
my warrant that charges mo to use every
means in my power to force the truth from
you Torture has failed; this alono Is left.
And for the rest you must read me i'll.
You know what it is to hate, for you hato
mo. Multiply your hato by 10, and you
may find tho sum of minc for you. You
came to tako vengeance on mo, and soon
or later by you or through you 1t will be
glutted, but till then triumph-ayc, even
when must sink to this butchers work
to do it," and suddenly he turned and left
the place.
Then weakness and suffering overcame
mo, and I swooned away. When awoke,
1t was to find that my bonds had been
loosed, and that lay on some sort of bed,
while woman bent over mo, tending mo
with murmurcd words Of pity and love.
The night had fallen, but there was light
In the chamber, and by 1t saw that tho
woman was none other than Otomie, no
longer starved and wretched, but almost
as lovely as before tho days Of siege and
hunger.
"0tomie, you hereI' gasped through
my wounded lips, for with my senses
came tho memory of De Garcia's threats.
"Yes, beloved, it Is l." sho muttercd.
"They have suffered that I nurse you,
devils though they arc! Oh, that I must
see you thus and yet DO helpless to avenge
you'll" and sho burst into weeping.
"Hush,"I said "hush! Havc wc foodf"
Tin plenty. A woman brought 1t from
Marina"
"Givc mo to cat, Otomio."
Now for awhile she fed me, and tho
deadly sickness passed from me, though
nv Door flesh burned with hundred ago.
mics.
"Llsten, Otomic. Have you seen Do
Garcia?"
"No, husband. Two days since I was
separated from my sister Tccuichpo and
the other ladies, but have been well treat
ed and have seen no Spaniard except the
soldiers who led mo here, telling me that
you werc sick. Alas, knew not from
what causc' and agnin she began to weep.
"Still some havo seen you, and 1t Is re-
ported that you arc my wife"
lit Is likely enough" she answered,
"for it was known throughout tho Aztec
hosts, and such secrets cannot be kept.
But why have they treated you thusf Be
cause you fought against themp'
"Aro We alone?" asked.
''The guard is without, but there Is
none else in the chamber"
"Then bend down your head, and l Will
tell you" and I told her all.
When I had done so, she sprang up with
flashing eyes, and her hand pressed upon
her breast and said:
'.Oh, if I loved you before, now lovc
you moro if that is possible who could
suffer thus horribly and yet be faithful tc
the fallen and your outh! Blessed be the
day when first I looked upon your facc,
O my husband most true Of mon! But
they who could do this-what of them'
Still it is donc with, and will nurse you
back to health Surely it is done with,
or they had not suffered lac to come to
YOU"
"Alas, Otomic, I must tell all-it Is not
done with" and with faltcring voice l
went on with the talc-yes, and since
must I told her for what purpose sho had
been brought here. She listened without
word, though her lips turned pnlc.
Truly" she said when I had done,
"thoso Teulcs far surpass the pahas of our
people, for if the priests torture and sacri-
fec it IS to the gods and not for gold and
secret hate. Now, husband, what is your
counsclS Surely you have some counsel. "
Il have none that dare offer, wife, l
groaned.
"You are timid rs girl who will not
utter the love she burns to tell" Otomic
answered, with proud and bitter laugh.
"Well, will speak 1t for you. 1t is in
your mind that we must die tonight"
1T is" I said. "Dcath now, or shame
and agony tomorrow, and then death Mt
last, that is our choice. Since God will not
protect US, wo must protect ourselves II
wo can find the means.
"Godl There Is no God. At times
have doubted the gods of my people and
turned to yours. Now renounco and re-
ject him. If there wcro q God of mercy
such as you cling to, could no suffer that
such things bcf You arc my god, hus-
band. To you and for you pray, and you
alone Let US have done now with plead
Ing to those who are not, or who, If they
live, arc deaf to our cries and blind to our
misery, and befriend ourselves 4ondcr
lies rope; that window has bars; very soon
we can bo beyond the sun and the cruelty
Of Teules or sound asleep. But there is
timo yet. Let US talk awhile They will
scarcely begin thoir torments before tho
dawn, and Gro dawn We shall be far.
So wo talked rs we'll Us my suffcrings
would allow. Wc talked of how we first
had met; Of how Otomic had been vowed
to mo rs the wife Of Tczcat soul Of tho
world; Of that day when we had lain side
by side upon the stone Of sacrifice; of our
truo marriage thereafter; Of the siege of
Tenoctitlan and the death of our firstborn.
Thus We talked till midnight was two
hours gone; then there camc n silence.
Husband, said Otomio at last in o
hushed and solemn voice, ''you arc worn
with suffering, and am weary. 1t Is
time to do that which must be done. Sad
Is our fate but at least rest is before us. 1
thank you, husband, for your gcntlcncss.
T thank you more for your faithfulness
to my house and people. Shall make
ready for our last Journey"
Make readyl' answered.
Then she rose and soon was busy with
the ropes. At length all was prepared,
and the moment of death was at hand.
"You must aid mo, Qtomic," I said. II
cannot walk by myself"
Sbe came and lifted me with hor strong
ard tender arms till stood upon stool
beneath the window bars. There sho
placed the rope about my throat; then tax
==|z1<lA