Evening star., 1901-09-21

know their destination by instinct, and
gave the tall young monk in the hood nc
trouble whatever. The wheels, however
being of solid wood of a style ancient as
the Roman occupation, creaked with truly
Spanish crescendo to the agony point. Fol
In all countries flowing with oil and wine
no man affords so much as farthing's
worth of grease for his wagon wheels. But
on this occasion the lack was no loss-nay
rather a gain. For even before Rollo's
shout gained assurance and sonorousness
the creaking of the wheels of the cart far
heard, scattered various groups of maraud-
ers about the streets of the town, as If il
had been the wings of the angel of death
himself.
Bring out your dead! Bring out your
deadr'
Certainly it was a solemn and awful cry
heard echolng thI ough the streets of the
town in the chilly hours of the night. Here
and there at the sound lattice opened and
some bereaved one cried down to the monk
to stop.
Then staggering down the staircase
llghted ut may be) by some haggard crone
with a guttering candle, or only stumbling
bl1ndly In the dark with their load, the
bearers would come. In very few cases
these were two men. More freouentlv a
man and woman, and most frequently OF
all two women.
Bring out your dead! Bring out your
deadr 'o
Brother, we cannot shrin voice came
help us for Gods sake and the Holy Vir.
gin s. She Is our mother, and we are two
young maids, children without strength. .
hoilo looked up and saw the child that
called down to him. Another at her Shout
DER held lighted candle with a trembIine
hand.
She is SO little and light, brother" she
;e,a pieaoe1, and went so regularly to confes-
SION. Brother Jeronimo gave her the sa C.
rament but an hour before she parted from
sake" N Ne"' 1iaiy
1t went to Rollo's heart to refuse. but he
couiu not Well leave his oxen. He was a
stranger to them and they to him, and his
WORK, though well begun, was yet to finish
Whiie he stood in doubt his mind sway-
across s s's = way r, ara nd that, a figure darted
the street-a boy dressed in a suit of the
royal !lveries, but with q cloak thrown
ABOUT his shoulders and a sailors red car
upon his head. Nf
"Give me the stick" he said in a muf-
ned voice. Go up and bring down the
woman. If need be I will help you
"tnout paus1ng to consider the meaning
OF OIL tnls curious circumstance. where ali
circumstances were curious, Rollo darted
up the staircase, his military boots cIat-
terins on the stone steps. strangely out OF
harmony with his priestly vocation.
al ne ,l round the little maiden with the can
dle waiting at the door for him She an
peared TO be about eight years old. but
struck him as very small-bodied for her
age. Her sister had remained within. She
was was oluer,perhaps ten or twelve. She ii
was who had pleaded the cause of the
dead. - 'Ae
Indeed, good brother" she began, 1--WE
dld our best. We tried to carry her, and
moved her as far as the chair Then, be-
ing weak, we could get no farther! But do
you help and it will be easyn'
Rollo, growing accustomed to death and
It's sad victims, lifted the shrouded burden
over over his shoulder without a shudder He
was In the mood to take .nings as they
came. The two little girls sank on their
knees on the floor, wailing for their Iosi
mother and imploring his blessing in al
ternate breaths.
Our mother-our dear mother!" they
father!' '
God in heaven bless your Rollo said
aloud In English, and strobe down the
stairs. A knot of struggling gypsies, fur
aMeiy expectant, stood about the door
The cart was still in the middle of the
street with it's attendant boy in the exact
place where Rollo had left It.
Here-lend me a hand,1 he cried in a
voice OF command as he emerged into their
midst with his white-wrapped burden.
But at the mere sight of the n1onk's
habit and the thing he carried on his
shoulder the gypsies dispersed, running in
every direction, as If the very plague spec
red cap. however. crossed the road toward
him and at the same moment the elder oI
the little girls sobblngly opened the lattice
holding the candle In her hand to take a
last look at her mother.
The feeble rays fell directly on the boys
upturned face. At the sight RolIo Stun
bled and almost fell with his burden. ?be
Doy put out his hand to stay him. His fin-
gers almost touched the dead.
Hands offp' thundered Rollo In fierce
anger "Concha Cabezos, how dare Won
come hither?" so'
The boy looked up At the man ana an.