Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-02-24


their best attire, with smiling, powdered
faces and roses In their hair. Free
quently Romeo brings his guitar. and
his wooing Is no whispered confidence,
but a love.lorn serenade which every
body may hear. II Is the fashion APP
proved Of parents and guardians since
time out Of mind. and for the lover
to neglect 1t would be TO forever for
felt his swoetheart's favor. The young
lady who can boast the most iron
eaters" Ia the belle Of the locality; but
fatal trays sometimes occur as the re-
suit Of her coQuetry. when the arriving
Renee finds his place pre-empted by
another. You hear blood-curdling
tales Of the swift. murderous use OF the
long Albucete knives, which everybody
carries. when welded BY jealousy.
Don Pedro the Cruel" set the example
In Seville, and his ardent countrymen
have not been slow TO follow It, The
poorest servant
WEARS A KNIFE
In his sash. and many a gentle dame
secretes a dagger In her stocking, or as
a hair.pin in her shining tresses-and
knows well how to use It when her tenn
per is aroused. The true Albucete
knife is about eighteen inches long,
with broad blade and a powerful
spring-clasp. II Is held open by a
curious little wheel between the blade
and handle. and in native hands is used
with equal deSterlty to slice a melon,
or sharpen a pencil or sever a jugular
vein. The handle Is OF tortoise, or
ivory, often richly carved and inlaid
with Jew els with a cruclix. or an i'm
age OF the Virgin, or the Savior upon
II; but the Christian emblem does not
prevent II from being bathed IN human
blood.
Speaking Of Don Pedro. nIcknamed
The Cruel, his influence seems TO per-
wade Seville, much as that Of Philip
III does the Escorial When he was
a small child. his mother fed with him
to its Alcazar. the most beautiful Moor.
ish building In Spain, which was his IA.
yorite palace when he came 10 be king
and the scene OF his wickedest deeds.
Here he lived with the beautiful Cas-
lillian girl, Maria de Padella, while his
lawful queen, the poor French
princess Blanche de Bourbon.
after being prosecuted and imprisoned
for years. was finally put TO death at
Urdlna-Sidonia. In this Alcazar, Pedro
received the Red King OF Grenada, with
promise OF safe conduct. and then
murdered him for his Jewels, one OF
which. the fair ruby, great like a rack
ct ball" today adorns the crown OF
England. Here. too, he had his brother,
Don Fradrique, assassinated. after In
viting him TO be his guest during
tournament. Maria de Padllla knew his
coming fate but did not dare TO tell
him. though from the beautiful ajlmez
window over the gate she watched for
his arrival and tried to warn him by
her tears. Six years later this murder
was avenged by Henry OF Trastamare.
who
STABBED PEDRO
70 the heart; but Maria was already
dead and buried with the queens In the
royal chapel; for after her death Pedro
acknowledged her as his morganatlc
wife and the so-called marriage" re-
celved the sanction OF the Spanish
church. On an upper floor OF the Alca-
Ear Is Don Pedro's bed chamber, and
outside the door still hang a row Of
grinning skulls-the heads OF people
who Incurred his dlsplessure. II was
ldNorite niue JOKE OF MS tnat ne ndu
his enemies placed where he could
watch them. Another pastime OF this
strange monarch was to 60 out. cloaked
and disguised, at night, TO serenade his
various lovers beneath the window bars.
after the fashion OF Seville; and woe
betlde the previous lover OF any maid
who struck his fancy. He is said 70
have stabbed to the heart a score OF
rivals. Don Pedro and his victims have
long been dust, but the lovely gardens
Of the Alcazar, which he caused to be
planted, still keep his unloyely memory
green, as well as the grinnlng skulls
and gruesome traditions All along It's
paths are magical fountains planned by
him. which when a key Is turned, sud-
denly spring up and shower the walks
and blossoms and make fairy rainbows
in the sunshine You may pick oranges
today from the trees that Pedro planted
and flowers that are far-off descendants
Of the same that the cruel king used to
gather for his beautiful Maria-and
which sometimes he sent In mookery TO
Tore del Oro-the Golden Tower
where his cast-on sweethearts were I'm
prlsoned. FANNIE r. WARD.