The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-10-02

In the Olu udNS VI odb EAItDiiOt i'lib
before the restless Crineo had clipped !
the name down to "Santone," when all
Texas belonged to Spain, this little
domestic insurrection in the house Of
the commandante, Don Domingo Ra-
mon, arose had its few days of living,
and was crushed forever. II was the
Preside of San Antonio Valero then.
and in it's center was a great open
square, a plaza, inclosed on three sides
by long. low adobes, where lived priests
and soldiers, and on the other side
rose the mission church of San Fer
nando, an octagon i'm stone, with
great gilded cross upon it's dome, which
looked down upon the fiat roof of the
mission jail on one side, and into the
courtyard of the house of the COM
lnaudante on the other. Outside, look
ing from the plaza, Don Ramon's house
seemed but a bare adobe wall, pierced
by no opening, save an arched door
way and two little grated windows on
either side this entrance close under
the roof.
once within this doorway, however,
a few steps would bring the visitor in
to the courtyard, or patio, a little
open square, where grass grew, where
fig trees bore their luscious fruit, where
flowers bloomed and a little fountain
made rainbows in the sunlight.
out upon this patio the doors and
wondows of many rooms opened from
beneath the cool shadow of wide gal
lery, Thus are always the beauties of
Spaniards house, for the pleasure
and the comfort of its own, and not
for the gaping wonder of the street.
Now, back in these far gone years,
,,.l.. . hn nf a
planting, on a particularly fresh and
radiant morning the great gilt cross
atop the Church of San Fernando
looked down and saw Don Ramon
stridlng hastily across the green
square of his own courtyard He was
a brave figure. Upon his head he wore
a scmbrcro, broidered with silver
thread. and encircled with a heavy,
black ostrich plume His dark, we'll
fitting officers coat had its somber
tone relieved by the CLINT of gold lace
and the luster of well polished buttons.
wide leather belt from shoulder to
hip held up his sCahbardless sword, Of
dull blue steel that shone with the
luminous sheen of peafowls feathers;
it's brass hilt was as fine gold to the
eye this day. He wore high boots of
soft leather and as he walked his long
roweled spurs iingled.
The short distance across the court
yard sufficed for changes in expression
upon Don Ramon's face. as the flick
ering sunlight and shadows chasing
each other beneath the breeze-shaken
branches of an aspen. Now pleased
hope, now a dark anxiety. An April
day vcXcd with sudden clouds and
hasty showers. Don Ramon was going
to the apartments of his newly welded
wife, but when he reached the outside
door he stopped, for it was closed
against him. 1t was a solid door OF
oak, and looked forbidding. Lightly
he raped thereon, bending his head
TO listen; once again, more heavily
and then again, with an exclamation
that can have no place in the writing
he thundered upon the impassive woot
with the heavy, convoluted hilt of hi
sword. When he ceased and stood eX
pectant, panel in the door just abov,
his eye slipped back, and from the darl
interior there came a voice, as voc
of judgment from cave of night.
'It is no use to try to enter" it said
my lady will not see you, nor will sh
permit you to enter"
Now, husbands of a more moderl
age and much less impassioned tenn
permanent might force an entrance, bu
not so Don Ramon. A Spanish office
and gentleman must not force his pres
ence into the sanctity of a lady's apart
ments, even though that lady be hi
wife. The shades of half a thousan
punctilious years would rise in resent
ment
So Don Ramon turned away, Will
his heart burned as though a coal u
fire within his breast. Out through tn
open door he went, and paused a mo
ment at the threshold 1t was an hou
when all the little world of San Ar
tonic was wont to gather in the plaza
Down in the center was a patch c
bright colCTs where the women in rec
green, yellow and blue rebosas wcr
drawing water from the we'll and gos
siping; the pixies of a line of soldier
could be seen just beyond where til
garrison was drawn up, waiting il
specton.
When the inspection was finishe
and he had himself seen his unluck
soldiers tied and properly scourge,
Don Ramon's official duties for tn
time being We're over and he had OF
portunity to attend to his own privat
affairs, those affairs that had
rumpled his temper and caused sue
disturbance and pain to his undeI
lings. When kings are veXed We
comes upon royal households.
So Don Ramon took himself and h
troubles to the priests. He passe
under an arched doorway beneath a
image of the Virgin and went dow
a colonnaded row of cells to the fart
est end. where dwelt Padre Ignaci
the padre in charge of the missio
The holy man sat within his room, a
open book in his lap which he WI
reading between drowsy lapses in
doing, for it was a soothing, languo
Gus day that wooed to slumber. II
forty winks were chased away, hoy
ever, by the quick, nervous step of Il
commandante upon The threshold.
Father" said Don Ramon seatiI
himself upon a stool and forgetting
his worry the salutations which we
due, II am in great trouble, and a
sorely distressed"
What is wrong, my son? Have d
Indians risen? Is there news of I
French. of La Harpe or St. Denis?"
None of these a wish it were. T,
trouble is in my own house; a trouble
-----