Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-07-27


was no answer ffom the little house where
he had been SO happy with Dolores. He
struck light with his finder box and lit
the dark lantern he carried.
There was another bill on the back door,
and now with the lantern In his hand he
read 1t from top to bottom.
This house belonging to the wefl-known
rebel ci outlay and murderer Ramon Ran Car
benefit OF the government Of the Queen
Regent with all its contents" And here
followed list, among which his heart
stood still to recognize the great chair he
had bought at Lerida for Dolores to rest
In when she was delicate, the bed they
twain mad slept in, the very work table at
which she had sewn the household linen
and sat gossiping with Concha over their
embroidery"
But there was no doubt about the mat
Yer. dolores was gone, and the eye OF Ell
Sarria Eel! upon a notice rudely printed with
pen ana inserted In corner OF the lit
tie square trap door by which 1t was pos
sibie to survey visitor without opening
the door:
Amy who have letters, packages or
other communications for persons lately
residing in this house are honorably re-
quested to give themselves the trouble of
carrying them to the Mill of Sarria. where
they Will receive the sincere thanks and
gratitude of the undersigned.
LUIS FERNANDEZ"
ramon saw it all. He knew now why
ms friend had arranged for his death at
the mouth of the secret hiding place. He
understood why there was no talk about
Dolores at the inn. She was under the
protection of the most powerful man In
the VlHage, save the alcalde alone. Not
that Ramon doubted little Dolores. He
would not make that mistake a second
time.
But they would work upon her, he knew
well how, tell her that he was dead, that
Luis Fernandez had been his only friend.
he recollected with hot feeling of shame
and anger certain speeches Of his own in
which he had spoken to her of the traitor
as his "twin-brother," the friend of his
heart, and even on one occasion he had
commended Dolores to the good offices of
Luis when he was to be for some weeks
absent from Sarria upon business.
. he turned the lamp once more on the lit
tie announcement upon the blue paper. A
SPIDER had spun its web across it. Many
Mes had left their wings there. So. though
Undated, Ramon judged that it was by no
means recent in date.
An, yes, Senior Luis" he thought grimly,
here is one who has a message to leave
at the Mill House of Sarria''
But before setting out Ramon Garcia went
into the little fagot house, and, sitting
he had cut himself, he drew the charges
OF his pistols and recharged them with
quite extraordinary care.
Then he blew out his lantern and stepped
.orth into the night.
At the Venta the three adventures
supped by themselves. Their Gallegan re-
tainer did not put in an appearance. to the
sorrow of M. Etienne who wished to en-
ploy him to find out the abiding place of
the fa1thless but individually charming Dona
CCncha.
However the Gallegan did not return all
night. He had in fact gone to deliver
message at the house of his some time
friend, Don Luis Fernandez.
The mill house of Maria was in particu-
larly sharp contrast to the abode he had
a ri
especially since his uncle died. he, Ramon,
never more than Well-to-do. But here We're
magazines and granarfes barns and drying
lofts, besides, In the pleasant angle where
the windows looked down on the river
there was dwelling house with green win
dow shutters and WnitS curtains, the like
OF which We're not to be seen even within
the magnificent court yard Of Senior de
Flores, the rich Alcalde of Sarria
He crept nearer to the house. He heard
noise of voices within. A carriage drove
up rapidly to the front What could bring
carriage to the house of Luis Fernandez?
A wild idea sprang into Ramon's brain.
He had been SO long in solitude that he
drew conclusions, rapidly. So he followed
the train of thought upon which he had
fallen, as the flame runs along a train Of
gunpowder laid on the floor.
They had been long persuading her-all
these months he had been on the mountain
and now they had married her to his false
friend, to Luis Fernandez. 1t was the eve
Of the wedding feast and the guests were
arriving His knife had deceived him a
second time. He had not struck true.
eyesight did not deceive him, was Luis Fer
nandez walking to and fro within his own
house, arm in arm with a friend. They
had lied to Dolores and told her he was
dead, even as the Miqueltes would certain
ly do to claim the reward. There upon the
balcony was a stranger dressed In black;
he and Francesca came to an open window
leaEed out and talked confidentially to-
thor ha ct oil
and he flung the peel almost upon the head
of Ell Sarria. Ramon, lingering his pistol
butt, wondered If he should shoot now or
wait The two men went in again and
solved the difficulty for that time More
over, the outlaw did not yet know for GER
tain that his wife was within the mill
house.
He would reconnoitre and find out So
he hid his gun carefully in dry place I'M
der a stone and stole up to the no, Sc
through the garden, finding his way by in
stinct, for the lighted windows were now
on the other side.
1t was Doctors carriage all the way
from La Bisbal that stood there It was
not a wedding, then: some one was ILL., very
Ill, or the sangrado would not have come
SO far, nor at such an expense to Don
Luis. who in all things was a CAREFUL man.
And then a great. keen pain raj through
his soul. He heard his Dolores call his
name! High, keen, clear as it were out of
an eternity Of pain 1t came to him. Ram
on, Ramon-help me, Ramonr'
He stood moment clutching at his
breast The cry was not repeated. But,
all the same, there could be no mistake
It was her voice or that Of an angel from
Heaven. She had summoned him, and
alive or dead, he would find her He drew
his knife, and, with a spring. was in the
road Along the wall he sped toward the
door in the dwelling place; 1t stood open
and the wide hall stretched before him
empty, vague and dark
Raymond listened, his upper lip lifted
and his white teeth showing a little He
held his knife, yet clean and razor-sharp
in his hand. There was a babel of confused
sounds above; he could distinguish the
voice Of Lois Fernandez. But the voice of
his Dolores he did not hear again. No
matter he had heard it once, and he would
go-yes, into the midst Of his foes. She
was innocent; she loved him; she had called
his name Neither God nor devil should
stop him now. He was already on the
staircase; he was bare Of foot having
stripped in the riverbed, and left his brown
cordovans beside his gun. But before his
bare soul touched the hollow of the second
the one sound in the universe which could
have stopped him reached his ear-and that
foot was never set down.
Ell Sarria heard the first cry Of a new
born child.
CHAPTER XIII. .
Don Tomas Digs q Grave.
Sorr3o Was outside now TJic l>p3fo