Evening star., 1901-10-26

| viving his ancient functions OF inquisitor
! fn-chfef, or from poison self administered.
was never rightly known. or, indeed. in
Quired into. Men had other things to think
| Of In those days.
On the day which followed the great spo-
| liation. man limped painfully and slowly
| along the ravine beneath the still smolder-
| ing turrets and gables of Montblanch.
| Thirty yards or beneath him he saw a
| congregation Of vultures, the national and
| authorized scavengers OF Spain. So thickly
| did these unholy fowls cluster that the
man. being evidently curious, was COM
| PEELED to throw several stones among them
before he could induce them to move that
he might catch glimpse of their quarry.
Then having made his observation, he
| said: "Ah, brother Luis, you that were SO
| clever and despised poor Tomas, giving him
| ever the rough word and the bitter Jest.
| hath not that same poor Tomas the best
or 1t now? He at least shall not be meat
| many good oraught yet-that Is, when he
| hath sold the freehold Of the mill and dis
posed of any outlying properties that are
| left. Luis liked red wine 1 liked white and
aguardiente. Ha, ha. Luis will never again
taste the flavor of the Val de Penas he
| was so fond of-and the more will be left
| for Tomas"
He stood and meditated awhile. Then
| he struck his pockets lugubriously.
Il wish had a cup Of good aguardiente
now he muttered.
Anon MS race Dr1SnteneQ as ne looked at
the dark object among the vulture folk.
Caramba! l have 1t. 1t will help me
over a difficulty. Brother Luis pockets
| were always well lined. The birds have no
off silver duros. Besides, this is the key
of the strong box hidden in the ravine. All!
l remember that he carried 1t about his
neck These can do no good now to Luis.
or, indeed. for the matter of that, to any
vulture alive. 1t were only kind and fra
ternal to take such things for a keepsake
| ever loved Luis. He was my favorite
brother"
So saying. Don Tomas descended slowly
to the body-for. indeed. he had been
roughly used by the mob before they
brought him to Ell Sarria, that the outlaw
might do with him with his brother.
For they wanted to see the sight. The vul-
lures slowly and reluctantly withdrew on
heavily Tapping pinions.
"Ah." meditated Tomas, as he went
placidly about his gruesome business,
what a fine thing 1t is to be known for
a man quiet and harmless. For Ramon
Garcia said to me, with a wave of his hand.
There is the door. Get through it hastily.
and let me see your face no more Then
to the robber crew he said, Without his
brother, senors. this fellow is serpent
without the fangs. harmless as a blade of
grass among the stones which the goats
nibble as they wag their beards.'
So after a pause, this most respectable
man finished his task and went his way.
jingling full pockets and pleasing himself
ness of a good character and of being in
all things blameless, humble and man of
peace.
blanch, who will guide you over the place
for real, and show you the place before
the great altar where Ramon Garcia. some
times called Ell Sarria, cast himself down.
Then he shows you where the abbot stood
when he stopped the pursuit of the outlaws,
to his own ultimate undoing.
Yes, excellency,'' he says, in a voice like
green frogs croaking in the spring, true it
Is as the sermons preached last Easter day.
For these dim old eyes saw it-also the
chamber of the relics 1 will show you, and
the cloisters with the grave Of the Father
Confessor Anselmo."
Last Of all (but this will cost another real
and Is worth the money! the peasant guide
shows you the place of the holy office. That
black stain against the wall Is where they
burnt the last rack in Spain. One or two
great wooden wheels with scarce a spoke
remaining loom up, imagined rather than
seen, In the dusky shadows above.
Thls way along passage (take care Of
your honorable head, and 1 will show you
the window from which Luis Fernandez was
cast forth like the evil beast he was."
And was anything ever heard thereafter
OF the prior the brethren?" you ask,
looking around on all the wasted splendor
Inc old man shakes his head, but there
is something in his eye which, if you are
wise, causes you to slip him a piece Of sill
yer.
Nothing more" he says; "nothing!"
Then, looking about him cautiously, he
adds: But upon certain evening near to
the time of sundown there came one all
clad In poor garments of leather, worn and
1rayed He wore broad hat, and the
names or many holy places were cut on
MS staH-altogether such a wandering pill
grim the man was as you may see at any
fair in Spain.
'And very humbly the penitent asked
permission of me to view the ruins. So.
knowing him for pilgrim and thinking
that perchance he desired to say a prayer
before the great altar, and also because I
mad no great expectations of gift, 1 let
him go his way unattended, and so forgot
about him. But when I up out Of
my vegetable garden a little after sunset
TO close the great gate, such being the or
pays me yearly stipend a duros it is, and
very little, but 1 depend upon generous
charity OF those who, like your excellency,
come hither)-well, as say. coming out
or my pottage garden 1 remembered Of
TINS pilgrim went in search Of him, and.
10! he stood weeping in the place where the
abbots great chair had been.
Then looked l in his face and all at once
knew him. 1t was Don Baltasar Varela-
of surety, the last abbot of Montblanch
For many years l had known him as well
as l knew my old dame. And through his
tears he also knew that I knew him So
he said presently: Reveal not that came
thither, and will give thee-this-together
with my blessing!' And with one hand he
gave me golden ounce worth 60 pesetas-
and more in these bad times And with
the other as l kneeled down (for I am
good Christian) he bestowed upon me his
episcopal blessing with two fingers, out
stretched, being as you remember a bishop
as well as an abbot!
Then after he had stood awhile and the
sun was quite gone down. Baltasar VareIa
abbot Of Montblanch-the last they say of
S4went out into the darkness, weeping
very bitterly
In another southern province far from
the village Of Sarria there is white house
with sentinels before it. They do not
slouch as they walk nor lean bent-backed
against pillar when nobody is looking
as is the wont Of Spanish sentries else
where. 1t is the house Of the governor of
the once turbulent province of Valencia |
The governor Is one Gen. Blair, Duke OF
Castellon del Mar and hated grandee of
Spain, but he Is known from Murcia even
to Tarragona as don RoIlo." For he has
cleared the southern countries Of Carlists, |
put down the red republicans of Valencia
mn HoNfor vxyl<L