The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1894-08-25
DONNA FELISA.
ey EDGAR l. WAKEMAN.
lc,pr,gn ia ~ Baea, I Wateaaa. an Rls Rs'a1oii
'.TaIos o. Ton TraveIereM serIee.

we Hta JUST tNAS u ASS'S
upon the eitadeled heights Of Jesu del
Moule, in Havana" began the Chronic
Traveller, throwing himself lazily upon
ono Of tho oaksn Oettlss beside our
CHEEKY fireplace.
"our aged host and hostess were still
waving Us pleasant 'AdioS from the
pillared portico, half hidden behind
surpassipg wealth Of tropical luxuri'
apce. at the end Of al avenue Of lofty
paimt. Before turniDH into tho noun
tain Gale we seated Ourselves beside q
rostfuI fountain, whose tfemulous de.
scending showers gIilterod like beads oil
gold through the 6adrony Cuban air.
There lay the quaint old city Of Ha'
yana beneath uS, like shining pest
within its froWning batllcments. DO.
yond. the sea, white with piumes OF
surf at The shore, woDdrous green be-
yond. and bed Of glowing purple Do
meath the northern horizon.
aOld and venerable Don Miguel. my
friend sad companion. Ia d cumulative
mood first broke tho silence with, 'Ah,
Rttunko hTe tHp uH"iitteA ASA'4ASSSS -
liiei Who woutd credit our serene and
happy senior and sonora OF FL Parisio,
this lovely paradise villa, with any lie
chapter that had not passed Us sWeetly
rs tho murnuring Of this gentle toun-
"And 60 II came about that, still sit
ting beneath tho lofty palms by the
sonpiul fountain In the tanguOrous Cu'
ban air, this true tale OF Donna FelIsa
Was told"
At tho conclusion OF tho convention
Of 1880 between tho victorious Eepara-
toro, ccmmandGr.iu-chiel OF tho forces
OF Maria Christina aud Moroto, the de-
ieated Carlist commandor.in-chie!,
Which gave distracted Spain few
years Of ieysrIsh pescS. there were 70:
turned TO private lifO great numbers Of
the younger members Of tho Spanish
nobility who had adhered TO tho causo
Of their Qucou, as well rs many OF nris'
tocratic blood who had cast their for.
tunos with tho defeated Carlist leader.
Tho romantic experience OF war had
lily fitted tho former class OF FesumIP-
tion OF drowBy life and lonesome pala-
clos, tho threadbarc experiences in Btu
dents gowns at tho university, or even
for the dull intrignos Of waning court
at Madrid.
OF tho titled CarliRt lieutcnautg there
was scarccly score who wore not ruin
Cd. Some, following their CHIEF, lied to
Franco. Others, In sheer despair. join.
cd the bandilti Of Andaiusia. And
othors, moro desperate soldiers OF Tor
tunc still, swarrnod about tho trOnte-et-
auarente tables OF Monaco, Monte Carlo
and Homburg
One evening in December OF the year
named. tho rooms Of tho grSat casino at
Monte Carlo werecrowded with habitues
OF tho place. Among these was young
Spaniard, Don Enrique, n bravo officer
ID the recent lnobolizOd force OF Quoon
Chtiatiaua, heir 10 vast estates In ARA
non, whose father, the aged duke OF
Icruel, being at deadly enmIty with
tho queen, had practically disowned his
sou Tor engaging in hor service.
Nor was this tho only cause for 81.
lonco and enlargement between the
noble father aud sou. The laiter had
been destined Tor the priesthood. Tho
ambition OF the old duke fondIy fod It.
self In a dream to sometime 500 tho pnr-
ple mantle md scarlet hat Of cardinal
take tho place Of tho black students
cloak, aud the black hat which sas oil too
jauntiIy upon Don Enrique's fair and
glrlish head.
But tho boys nature was warm, poet
10, adventurous. He fed from the irk-
some university. Joining q band Of
stroliing phyBicians, no wandered for
several years through tho provinces,
much Ia Catalonia, greatly beloved by
the poasantry, and especially by tho
Gitani, or Gypsies, who mover forgive
az injury nor forget a generous friend.
Don Enrique had been that friend to
many Of thon; and ono, Francisco,
falsely accused Of n petty crime, had
been saved by him from tho greatest
disgrace which can ever befall Gipsy,
Tint Of imprisonment, as he was being
dragged through the streets to the car
col OF Lerida.
This Gypsy, Francisco, called in good
fellowship "Pancho" among his COM
panions, was stockY. brnwny fellow,
with hugo, shocky head and a neck
nearly % big, on which, above bis open
shirt, the cords and veins lay like ropes
half hidden beneath black and matted
hair. Sleepy and sluggish Of appear
ance, no was keen aud agile and strong
as an OK.
Pancho's home was at Barcelona lie
followed q soafarinR life; was the best
Of sailors; knew all tho secrets OF the
ocean, and rs fisherman possessed
wonderful knowledge oil the craft.
Shortly after the rescue Of Francisco
at Lerida came tho Carlists' victorious
advance beyond the Ebro In 1887. Don
Enrique FASTENED to Madrid TO serve
his queen. From tho position OF sub
altern no had been advanced, on merit,
to the rank OF colonel, but ct the con-
clusion OF hostilities had left tho army,
and, still unEeconciIed to the duke OF
Toruel, In wild and vagarous mood OF
adventurous unrest found himself like
hundreds OF others abandoning true
courage and his few remaining posetas
OF tho gaming tables OF Monte Carlo.
Don Enrique was deathly pnlo, US no
sat there playing with fevcrish hesi-
lance, WANING aud losing, until at last,
with quick, irnpetuona motion, ho laid
coin to tho value OF 200 pesetas upon
tho rod.
He was directly opposite tho croupier.
upon whose dark, almost oriental and
ordinarily impassive fHca tho iaintest
shadow Of interest might now havo
been visiblo.
"Rougo perd OF couleur:" called tho
croupier.
"Jesu.Mfarioi Diack-and ii is all"
So common arc these crisea In the
lives OF reckless mon at Monte Carlo,
That tho eagor players about tho table