The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-01-26

came not Al length fmpdt1ence drove
him forth to ascertain the reason Of hel
nonappearance- She was not on the
bridge and had not been there the whole
morning But loafer readily under.
took to conduct the painter to her home
beyond the suburbs, where, he said, she
| lived with her aged father. Walking
forward at smart pace, with his guide
few steps ahead. Murillo soon reached
the flower girls dwelling, and, dismiss
ing his attendant, passed through the
wicket gate and found himself at the
| door OF a low timber built cottage.
He Knocked quite timidly, for though
| a great man, he was a very modest one.
In few seconds the door slowly opened
and displayed Leona Jehind 1t. Muril-
10 stood dumb with awe. gazing rever-
| entially at the figure before him. This
was no model for Magdalena-it was
the Magdalena herself. Pallid cheeks
bereft of their blush tint, dark, deep
| eyes drawing ones gaze inward into the
somber depths of unreasonable sorrow;
mute. colorless lips. whose wondrous
curves eloquently expressed world of
| love cruelty crushed, bespoke a condi-
| ton pitiable beyond description.
| "Oh, senor," the poor girl cried, cover
ing her eyes and breaking down into a
| storm of sobs. Murillo, hat humbly in
| hand, crossed the threshold, and, put
ting his arm delicately about her. led her
| to seat. There she struggled with her
| passion, while he stood back half hid
! den in shadows. Presently an old man
entered and, touching the stranger on
the ARM. took him apart. Here, in slow
| and palsied voice, he told his daughters
! sad story, and it was as much as the
listener could do to prevent his sympa-
thetic tears from rising.
Leave us for a moment, old man."
| said Murillo, and he approached deferen-
ha Chrin on Of "a
great painter stood beside the poor
| flower girl and tried hard to utter some
words of comfort. But the words stuck
In his swelling throat He could only
look down on her with angel eyes and
gently caress the dark masses of hair
that fell over her shoulders.
Leona. almost unconscious of his pres
ence, did not observe him depart as a
few moments later he stole noiselessly
from the house. During a lull of grief,
while musing with chin on hand, her
glance caught the simmer of a gold
coin lying on the table. The kind
hearted genius had emptied his purse
there.
/ III.
1t must have been about ten years
after the death Of Mequinez that the
King Of Spain, while making progress
through his realms. sojourned while
at Seville. Wherever the royal party
went gayety and feasting followed in its
train. And SO it came to pass that
great corrida, or bull fight, was ar
ranged in honor of the sovereign. There
were to be exceptional attractions at
this particular fete. The most renowned
picadores and espadas Of the land were
a. 70
sist of no less than twelve bulls of the
most ferocious breeds. Everything, in
fact, was to be seen that the heart of
the most sportsmanlike Spaniard could
desire
The day arrived. At dawn Seville was
pouring toward the arena, and before
sunrise the great open air theater was
thronged with 10000 people. AT one side
and close down upon the barrier was
the royal box draped with magnificent
dark Indian brocades and daintily deco
rated with light blue steamers. All
eyes were turned in this direction, and
notes of admiration showered down upon
it like storm of hailstones. Presently
the king himself entered at the head of
a.
course rose to it's feet like one man, and,
tossing it's hat on high and waving its
handkerchief aloft, rent the air with
viva ell Rey." Ell Rey graciously re-
sponded and sat down amid reluctantly
dying cheers. The herald then. obtain
ing permission of his Majesty for the
sports to commence, sounded the trum-
pet At this signal door in the barrier
was opened and a procession, consist
ing of the days gladiators, wound in
and around the sanded circle. A quarter
of an hour afterward the fighting was In
full swing, blood flowing plentifully
from men and beasts. The spectators,
nothing touched by the suffering before
them, passionately dealt their Kisses and
plaudits, now to the bull, now to the
toreador according to the tide Of battle.
Shortly before noon, during an inter-
val in the entertainment, while the king,
faithfully initiated by his devoted sub
jects, was taking his refreshment, an
eminent ecclesiastic attached to the
cathedral of Seville entered the royal
box. He led by the hand one Murillo
by name, whom he now presented to his
Majesty. Charles was well pleased to
receive the painter, spoke of their
previous meeting at Madrid, paid him
some pretty compliments and provided
for him a seat on his right hand when
the sports recommended. Now, Murillo,
was by nature opposed to gladiatorial
exhibitions, but an offer to sit by his
Majestys side was in those days equiya-
lent to a command.
The trumpet was once more sounded
The rising of trap door on the side Of
the circus opposite the king released
from his cell a stately bull of the breed
of La Vista Hermosa. A beast Of this
breed is not to be surpassed by any in
Spain, so that it's appearance caused the
spectators to settle themselves to the
sight with more than usual interest and
attention. First the picadores, mounted
on horseback, checked him, grazed him
and generally aggravated him WITH their
blunt-headed lances. But the fun was
not all upon their side, for the brute
put two steeds and their riders hors de
combat In no more than five minutes.
A great beginning this for a bull. and
bravo toro" resOunded on all sides. The
picadores were at length Kissed off for
their want Of success, and now 1T was
the turn of the banderilleros, whose
weapons are two bandetiiias.S or short
slaves with barbed points. The ban
derilla has to be fixed in a particular
spot in the shoulder of the beast, and
the feat. If skillfully accomplished, is
nearly always attended with great peril.
Muri,lo could not help noticing that
man called Ell Vigoroso far exceeded his
comrades in dexterity and courage. He