, 1902-03-31

wa caught II toooCu W Lht Di4i
do not return, but the "corrida" mus
surely be finished because, aside floa
the fact that the Usual time has pass
ed, the tempest must, of course, hae,
put an end to it. What indefinable bit
~terness is painted on the face of Jose.
wife! The rain has ceased for a nc
ment, and the street is filled with a
thousand confused rumors. The shop
keeper of the corner has returned, talk
ing in a loud voice with a group OF
friends; and the carriage does not ap-
pear.
Night! And Jose does not come!
The n%ewsboys are calling out the extra
paper that gives the account of the
afternoons sport and of the adven-
lures of the matador.
Soledad hears nothing. She hastens
out into the street, without needing
the children that have Just come in
from their play. in order to be in time
to help their father take of his COS
tune OF "banderillerc.f In a few min
utes she Ia in the Prado and then in
the old Aragon hi%gh-road, which is
dark. lonely and full of mud and that
acrid and penetrating odor that always
remains after a rain storm. Some of
the lamps have been blown out by the
violence Of the wind and among the
little whirlwinds Of muddy leaves that
are blown against soledad's lace man
tilla. is a bit of yellow paper, a rem
nant Of the programme Of the "corri-
d." which took place in a nearby am
phitheater. The branches of the
trees in the Retro are agitated by con-
unual gusts Of wind and seem like
gaunt specters. A few black clouds
drift across the horizon, half illumi-
mated by the mist hidden moon. When
yet not far from the Plaza, she sees
in the distance a sad cortege. Several
r carrying on their
shoulders a mattress covered with a
dark cloak. Two or three curious
wayfarers r talking with the men.
Poor Fatigas" one Of them was
saying.
soledad gives q choking cry and
can see nothing more.
The papers Of the evening speak of
the "corrida" dedicating more than
half a column to the fall given to the
matador by one Of the bulls; farther
down it says with pitiless laconism:
When the trumpet gave the signal
for the banderilla the afternoon was
threatening. The rain, the thunder
and the lightning gave a most singular
aspect to the combat. The banderillero
"Fatigas" slipped in the mud as he
was planting his last rosette and was
caught and tossed by the bull. 1t was
not possible to remain longer in the
Plaza, SO relying on the be~nevolence
Of our readers. we retired"
Caught and tossed! II the fear of
the storm had not made the reporter,
run away. they might have been able
to add something else. The horn of
the bull struck the unhappy joss In
the left breast. and as the beast tossed
him, 1t pierced his heart.
They have buried jose in the lonely
5acramental. and the matador who
gave his friends such q fright went
next morning to Seville, where he will
lead to-morrow's "corrida."
To-day the house Of Soledad IL az
she left it. The candles Of the altar
have burned out and covered the can
ielabra with smoke and stains; the
crested canary is singing sadly because
there Is no one to give him his seed;
The balconies remain open; the child
rem are being cared for by the neigh
boris on the third floor, and in the
aext house meon Is playing on the
piano the "Alegrias y Penas." and the
soluptuous waltzes Of Walteudfel. and
N the doorway the neighbors ara COM
nenting npon the catastronhA.