Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1903-03-07
THE PROMISE.
a Legend of the Thirteenth Century.
BY G. y. Becquer.
Tranclstsd BY Gserso c. Howiand.

IldIGl AZ LteI ndliuS, Sne Nept WitIlout
moaning, but the tears ran Silently
down her cheeks, gliding between her
fingers to fall on The ground, towards
which she had bowed her forehead.
Near MarEarita stood Pedro, who
raised his eyes from time to time to
look AZ hor, and, seeing her weep,
dropped them again, in his tuin pro
foundly silent.
And all about was stil and Seemed to
respect their grief. Tne sounds from
the fields were dulled, the breeze OF
the afternoon was sleeping, aid shad-
w began TO enWrap the leafy trees
of the rove.
Thus passed several minutes, during
which the last streak of light which
the dying sun had left on the horizon
faded away; the moon began to CLEAN
family against the violet background
Of the evening sky, and one after an
other the brighter stars appeared.
Pedro at last broke his painful ST.
lcnCe, e~XClaiming in a low whisper and
as if speaking 10 himself, 1t is i'm
possible! impossible" Then,
drawing near TO the disconso!ate girl
and taking ore of her hands he went
on will Scntlcr Gid more a~rfeCUonate
accents: "NarsGtitr, FOR you, love is
all, and you see nothing beyond love.
Yet there is something az worthy o!
consideration aB u love, ana that is
my duty. cur lord, the our Of Com
ara, starts tomorrow from hts castle
to join his troop TO these Of King Fcfd-
inand, who is going to wrest Seville
from the power of the inndel, II |
must got WITH the count. Left an
obscure orphan without name and
without family, l owe TO him all that
I IN. l have served him in tho idleness
of peace. l have slept beneath his roof,
| nave warmed me at his hearth, |
have eaten bread at his table. IL to-
day l desert him tomorrow his men at
arms, when the troop issues from the
castle gate, will ask in wonder at not
beholding me: where is the favorite
squire of the lord OF Gomara?' And
my lord will be VoicelcSs from shame,
and his pages and his testers will say
In mockery: The counts squire is
only a hero of tournaments a fighter
In mock ~cpmbatsI"
At this point Margarita raised her
eyes full of tears and fixed them on
those Of her lover. She moved her lips
as IL TO speak, but ner voice was chok2d
IN a sob.
Pedro, with even gentler and more
persuasive manner, went on, Do not
weep, Margarita; do not weep, for your
tears hurt me. / am going far from
you, but l shall return after winning q
little glory for my OBSCURE name,
Heaven will aid us in the holy under
taking; we shall conque Seville and
the king will give Us Conquerors' lands
on the banks of the Guadalquiver. Then
l shall come back for you II we shall
go together to dwell in that paradise q
the Moors, where they say that ever
the sky is brighter and bluer than II
Castillo. ! will return, | swear it tC
you. / will return to keep the woTt
solemnly plcCgsd the day that l put
this ring in your hands as token Of {
promise
Pedro" Margarita thcn exclaimed
controlling her emotion, and with resO
/ lutte and steady voice, "go, go to main
tain your honor" and with these words
she threw herself for the last time int,
: her lovers arms. Then she added IN
5 lower and trembling voice: G t.
maintain your honor, but return .
return to save me mine"
Pedro kissed Margarita's brow, un
fastened his horse, which was tied t
one of the trees of the grove, and wen
: off on a gallop. Margarita followet
Pedro with her eyes until his shadoy
= blended with the darkness of the night
and when she could no longer see hir
she returned slowly to the place wher
r her brothers were waiting for her.
Put on your holiday dress" said on
Of them to her when she entered, "fo
tomorrow we go to Gomara with all tn
n people of the village to see the cour
. march off to Andalusia."
o 1T saddens me more than it delight
q me to see those march away who pei
: haps will never return" answered MAJ
: garita with n sigh.
c "NeVeTtheless,' insisted the otht
brother, you must come with us, an
T you must come calmly and joyfully
then the gossips will not say that yo
e have a lover in the castle and that you
lover is going to the war"
a ii.
AS soon as the first light Of daw
/. streaked the Shy the shrill trump,
blasts Of the counts soldiers were hear
q through all the plain of Gomara, ar
d the peasants h were coming in nun
: erous groups from the neighbour
o hamlets saw the banner Of their lol
.e given to the breeze from the loftie
i tower of the fortress. The curiol
spectators, some seated on the ed
of the moat. others perched in the to-
Of the trees, some wandering over Il
plain, others browning the summit
the hills, still others lining the hig
way, had waited for more than an no
n not without some Impotence, when Il
trumpet blast sounded again, the chaiI
of the d~rawbridge ratified as it descen
ed slowly over the moat, and the POI
Il cullis rose, while, creaking on The
h hinges, the heavy doors Of the arch
n gateway leading to the court of arr
n opened wide.
$, The crowd ran together along t
lie road to see more closely the brillia
lie armor n the luxurious trappings
ly the retinue of the court of Conan
Or famous in all the region for his splend
IL and his wealth.
I'd The kings messengers led the marc
IN stopping from time to time to proclat
IN in loud tones and to the roll of the Dirt
ly the orders of the king, summoning
lords to the war against the Moors. q
demanding Of cities and villages fl
passage and aid for his armies.
Mt The court heralds followed, gorgeo
az IN their silk robes, their shields inli
On with gold and enamel, and their be
is nets adorned with gay plumes.
ne Next came a score of trunpete
en- preceding the chief squire of the hou
hold, fully armed, mounted on a bla
colt, bearing in his hands the banI
= of his lord; and at the left stirrup
We eXecutioner, clad in black n red.
ne When the shrill clamor of the tru
peting had ceased to wound the
men could perceive, growing in volur
4 heavy measured sound. 1t was
L foot soldiers of the domain, armed w
e. iong pixies, and each N bearing
n target of bulrs hide. After these
" machines of war appeared, tools of IL
and towers OF wood, with their m
and the scaling ladders with IN
Ne squads. and the mulcteers.
Id Then wrapped in clouds OF dust, I
ing from the tramping OF their ste'
q. ana sparkling in their coats Of ste
passe,. the men at arms of the cas-
in great b.atoons, which seemed fr
afar :, s2Ieae OF lanees'