The Opelousas courier., 1898-12-24
LOVES SACRIFICE.
A Cuban Romance.

Tat-tat-tat sounded in q drear
monotone from the drums, and SLOW
ly, in single file, the miserable prison
ers came into view. Ragged, dirt.
unkempt, footsore, painting from tn
blazing August sky, they We're trul
a pitiable sight, though they held u
their heads d%etiantly, and smiled DE-
risively at the insulting epithets anl
grimaces which the lower classe
heaped upon them, especially in til
vicinity of any officers residence
The better classes of the Havanes
showed their sympathy in striking con
trast to the jeers and jibes of tn
baser sort-the men, by their sullan
Indignant looks; the women, by fire
quent sobs and tears and smothere(
ordinations.
The time was 1851, directly afta:
the capture of Crittenden, Lopez!
brave lieutenant, in his ill-starred ex
petition to Cuba. He and his Spartan
remnant were these forlorn prisoners
When they reached the Gale de Ii
Lamparilla, n of the narrow street:
Of the city, the guards suddenly halt
ed the column and reverently bare(
their heads. A fWneral procession
was approaching from the opposite
direction, and the line was pushed
close towards the houses jutting OF
the narrow footway, scarcely worth
the name of a sidewalk.
A youth among the foremost pris.
oners, who, evidently, had not the
fortitude Of his older companions,
judging by his bowed head and deep
detection, now looked up with a wan
smile Of recognition as a pair of
dark eyes trimming with tears gazed
through a latticed window at the pitt
full sight.
"Amalia," he whispered.
"Robercito! Is it indeed you? Oh,
how terrible! I did not dream you
were with them"
Dearest cousin, save me-" he re-
piled, in Spanish as fluent as her own.
I'VE are all condemned to be shot in
two days, perhaps sooner. l am too
young to die"
would that l could, nino querido,
but, alas! I am powerless as a lamb
among wolves"
"Amalia, don't say that! You have
friends among the Spaniards. For the
love Of my mother"
Forward, march," rang on the air.
and the weary column passed on to
the dungeons Of MORO castle.
That night the Senorita Amalia dc
Valdez was a dream of loneliness as
she reclined listlessly among the cush-
Ions on a lounge in her handsome sa-
lon. Tall, exquisitely formed, with
jetty tresses framing a softly rounded
face, with midnight eyes" so large,
SO liquid, SO lustrous that her admir-
ers exhausted the aff1uence of their
honeyed tongues in praising them;
with a mouth whose twin carnations
perfect in repose, were still more en-
chanting when her smile disclosed the
dazzling teeth within-it was no won
der that she was considered to be the
beauty Of beauties in the capital
famed for the grace and loveliness of
Its wonau.
The young Captain Antonio de
Ramon, who presently entered, was
80 enraptured with her appearance
that only the presence Of the ineyi-
duenna restrained him from
throwing himself at her feet in real
ity, as well as in the formal saluta-
ton with which Spanish gentlemen
greet all ladies.
"Beso a V 10 pies, senorita."
She responded in the same fashion,
kissing his Lands Cfguratively)
Instead of his feet. But sns looked
pre-occupied, sad, respondent. He
seated himself near her, while the
duenna, her gentle Tia Maria, retired
to a distant corner.
Tell me, my SOUL" said he, "why
are you so melancholy"
A sigh was the only answer.
"Ah, yes! | know your tender heart
aches for the poor prisoners you have
today. Poor fellows! Theirs
a terrible fate. But tell me, what
Is 1t you wished to ask me? Can
here be a wish Of yours 1 would not
at the risk of my life, if need
be? have your precious billet safe
here" and he pointed to his heart.
You have but to command and I will
lila mia" said Amalia, turning to
her aunt, II have mislaid my pearl
upstairs. Will you kindly
ook for ftf' t
The duenna vanished as If she had
expected the request. On the instant
Amalia said to him.
"You have often sworn that Won
owe me to distraction; is it not So.
What happiness it was for him to
rear from her lips the diminutiye
Ito" added to his name, which, in
tself, is a cares in words.
MY life, with all my heart and
he exclaimed. But she drew
,ack.
mo, ] give myself only to him who
proves his love-"
What can ] do for you. beloved?"