The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1898-05-01
HER UNAVAILING SACRIFICE.

Il was very quiet. very tranquil ~
the barracks tha; day, and from the de
serted grounds. where only a solitary
sentry or two paced up and down, none
OF The usual harrack-room talk laughter
or singing could be heard. For every
soldier. bandman. and officer had been
called 10 the officers police quarters.
where "A fellow-soIdier was being tried
for his life by the court-ihartiaL u was
during the revolutionary days. when
mower was vested in the hands Of the
military. They had the right 10 say
whether OF not Private Santiago Moreno
was guilty of manslaughter. and, whether,
whether IN payment thereof, he should
die.
No women were present in the grim,
fortress-like quarters; only the soldiers
who stood I'm silent. stern rows around
the room. On the dais sat the colonel,
the mayor and some lesser officers; front
ing them. straight and erect, with should
ers thrown back. stood the prisoner, san
JiaEo Moreno He was a good-lookinS
fellow. and the star on his uniform lapel
showed thar he had received credit for
valor in the field" Not a flicker of an
eyelid. not a movement, showed what
he felt: there was not even a tremor
when the colonel. after long and grave
discussion. al the last stood up. with the
other officers grouped about him. and
pronounced the sentence Of death-"that
on the morning Of the following day,
Private Santiago Moreno would be es-
corted To The plains or san Geronimo,
and there be put by the ley de fuga II
death'' That was all. The prisoner
drew himself up, and saluted. his face
no more concerned than that of the men
about him and was taken TO his cell.
The soldiers melted away. group by
group some Of them displaying sorrow,
some unconcern. and others anger. For
the staying OF his companion-in-arms by
Private Moreno had been very cold
blooded and more than usually wicked
deed. even in a country where wicked
deeds are common. For with deliberate
intention Moreno had waited for the
other. after parting with his sweetheart
Pancha. and coolly and methodically
bored a dagger straight TO his heart For
Il he had offered no excuse or defense
stating merely that the murdered soldier
had annoyed Panchita: that caballero
cannot allow such q thing as the modest
ing Of his novia.
In his small stone cell-once the room
set apart for those about to suffer in the
auto ia fe Of the Inouisition days-Pri-
Yate Moreno walked about whistling a
gay Mexican DANA. hunting the while
for writing materials. He wanted to
write adios TO his sweetheart, he stated
lightly to the Warder. who was eying
him warily. one hand on his pistol.
Though Moreno might not be armed. he
was a man TO be watched But at the
prisoners wish TO write a note TO Pan
IL rpl2XGG and he
offered TO find pencil and paper. For
Panchita was his own cousin, and every
one loved the gay, pretty girl. with her
artless, innocent ways that had lured
two men on TO death
Poor little Panchita! Five minutes af-
ter the death sentence had been pronounc-
ed, she knew Of IL. and, her door locked.
was lying face downward on the cold
stone floor. moaning and crying TO the
Virgin for help II had all been her fault,
as she knew-through her two men would
40 10 purgatory. and how would she an
sWer for them2
On the shrine before her, decked out in
blue and white, was a tiny, yellowed i'm
age Of the Christ, with blood-stained
body and hands Underneath Him hung
the holy pictured face Of the Virgin, and
TO the two, Panchita, weak and faint from
long fasting and crying, was pouring out
heart and soul. Only that SantiaGo-her
SanIiago-might be saved somehow-ln
some way. Ay buen Dios-Maria madre
de Dios-take her Hfe-her soul for tor
ture in purge tory-only let Santiago es-
capet Too weak to pray aloud. she had
crawled before the shrine, and with burn
ing. tear-covered face was family whis-
pering her petitions.
The girl drew herself up numbly on her
knees, sobs that came from her very
soul shaking her slender body. A sound
IL l. 1s-l.g- ~sg.rv -slr-~ka
ed that Santiaco's mother had come 70
weep and lament with her Own mother
out there in the patio they were lament
ing and wailing with loud cries. How
could they do il like that-wailing and
shriekiug so that the nelghbors could
hear2 How angry Santiago would be If
he could hear them making such noise
over him, She cast one more pitiful
glance at the Virgin, but the sweet. calm
face was SO quiet, so restful 50 little dis
turbed.
What was the use 10 ask her anything?
No. there was no help. She stood up
7Ottering. and moved over to the window.
There was no one IN sight; the moi sun
shine poured down on the yellow sandy
street and the gray adobe walls. Out in
the middle Of the callejon some dogs and
small children rolled and tumbled in the
Dust together in high glee. A burro,
with melancholy face and long, dropping
ears nuEcled alfalfa while his owner
drank pulqUe in the pulque-shop near by.
II was all a. ordinary, 50 every day;
and yet Santiago was 10 be shot tomoT-
row. That Is, unless she could think of
6 plan 10 save him.
There was q sudden clatier and the
children scattered rapidly. with many
duckings and holdings Of their small. fat
bodies. as good Padre Francisco, on his
pacing mare turned the corner and went
rapidly down the street. Behind him
rode moZo on a hacienda horse. Pan
chita thought duly THAI some one at
The pulque hacienda Of san Juan must
be very fit and wanted the padre for
confession. il would be long ride FOR
the good old man, becal~e San Juan was
many miles away He would be absent
from the town Tor over a day
Pulling al The strings Of his soutane.
Padre Francisco rode on his old black
cloak Tapping in the breeze. Il was 50
old and shabby that even Panehita' s
dim eyes could not but remark fl. Poor
Padre Francisco, with no one u look
after his clOthes-he was a good man. and
really deserved a better cloak than that
shabby thing, Perhaps II she asked her
father. he would allow her 10 take the
cloak that had belonged to her uncle. a
priest Of the same order as Padre Fran
cisco. 10 give TO the latter good man. And
the hood that the padre wore, covering
his head and nearly all HIS face-was ever
anything seen like il? One could, Of a
surety, wear IL 10 a masquerade; per-
haps she might borrow il for :he next
''Baiie de Mascaros." Al the thought she
laughed and choked-it would be a good
disguise.
The next moment she was weeping Ter
heart OFT. pressing passionate kisses on
the cold feet OF the ivory Christ lie bad
heard her, after All. and the Virgin Rad
helped-nterceded for her, For now she
knew what 10 do, and Santiago should be