Arizona republican., 1902-07-06

l but attired in a suit of clothes that well displayed the graceful and sym metrical lines of her form.
 Willie was the first to recover his composure and he stepped forward and | took her hand. gallantly thanking her | as their savior from a death horrible | to contemplate. Willie was fast learn | ing the ways of the courier and gal | lant, and while he was conversing with | her Blinkie was endeavoring to make I himself more presentabe by rubbing l his face with the sleeve of his shirt and brushing aside the stray locks of hair from his face. After attending to | his personal improvement he also stepped forward and gently pushing l his comrade aside he usurped her hand | and poured out his thanks. He was very effusive and for the time being forgot where he was and the danger | that he had just been through. The girl cut short Blnkie's effusions | by asking them if they were hungry Both replied with one voice that they were about starved She called to Ra- mon, who had been standing by an amused spectator of the scene. and gave him an order in Spanish. He
 
 | blanket in one corner of the room which was entirely devoid of furni- | ture. an empty box being the only | thing in sight that could be called into use for a chair or table. Ramon took | from the parcel loaf of bread and q huge piece of roasted meat which he deposited on the box. Blinkie eyed the | Viands greedily and Marcella noticing his gaze fixed rapturouSly on the food 1 said with twinkle of her dark eyes: "YeS, senor I thought you would be about famished and so I have come prepared"
 Without an invitation Blinkie sat down on the floor, and his example was followed by Willie. The latter gallantly cleared the box and requested Marcella to sit down and tell them her story while they appeased their appe- | tites.
 II will tell you my short history in | a few words. for by daylight we must be far from this place
 "1 was born a few miles from Ha- vana eighteen years ago. 1 was the | youngest child of three. Ramon there l is my only living brother, in fact the only relative I have left in the world. My father was wealthy for Cuban. | and at an early age I was placed in a convent in Havana. for my father was l determined to give me a good educa- | tiOn.
 I I was permitted to see my parents | twice year, but when the insurrec- tion broke out my father and eldest | brother left the plantation in charge of Ramon and the hired help and they 1 took service under the standard ot | General Gomez in the struggle to wrest l Cuba from the oppression of the Span iards. For two years I did not see my father or brother. but I heard of them | occasionally from patriots, who said ] that my father had risen in rank until 1 he became a colonelj on the staff of General Gomez. When I was sixteen years of age l had to leave the convent because my father was amongst the prescribed patriots and was prevented 1 by the Spanish spies from sending me money to complete my educa ton. l His plantation had been burned and destroyed by order of General Weyler and my mother lost her life through the cruelty of the butchers She was | seized while the house was burning 1 over her head and ordered to give in i formation as to the wherea bouts of my l father and brothers. for Ramon also had to fly to save his life.
 "She defied them and said they could kill her but she would never give them any informal ton regarding
 her own flesh and blood or any other patriot. Incensed at her refusal and defiant bearing one of the fiends struck her over the head with rifle. She fell lifeless to the floor and the soldiers
 thinking she wat only in swoon dragged her from the burning building
 and dropped her on the ground out | side.
 Her body was found there the next
 day by patriots who later came to Ha-
 vana and told me the story. I had at | that time left school and was stopping
 with a friend of my family, also a
 warm patriot.
 One night about a month after the
 sad death of my mother the good
 friend at whose home I was living.
 came to me and told me that my father
 and oldest brother had entered Ha-
 vana and would see me very shortly
 You can imagine my joy and fear. It
 had been two years since I had seen | them and it was for my sake that they
 had braved the danger of entering Ha-
 Vana under the very eyes of the mer-
 ciless Weyler.
 Il was soon clGsped in my fathers
 arms and wept out my sorrow on his
 shoulder. He had heard of the cruel
 murder of my mother and had ob-
 talned leave of absence to console me 'They had been there but a half hour
 when there was great clattering at
 the front door. The friend in whose house l was rushed in greatly alarmed
 and tremblingly said that the house
 was surrounded by Spanish soldiers
 My father and brother had been rec
 ognized and followed.
 There was no use to attempt to es- . cape and soon the room was filled with the agents of Weyler. My father an6