Iron County register., 1904-03-03


A few of the women began to falter
Penance and fasting had so weakened
their bodies, their spirit, too, began to
fail. One who had started among the
first, and whose energy in the Morada
had been noted by all others, was soon
seen to flag under the stress of the
heavy climb. Little by little she began
to lose ground. Those who had been
far behind her at the outset now passed
her and left her toiling along. Finally
she was the last one in the procession.
her footprints marked in blood, but she
kept on desperately, knowing that
every bleeding step was bringing her
nearer the cross and the expiation Of
her sin. Once, as the air grew black
about her, she stumbled and fell, and
in accordance with the rules of the Or
der could not be succored, but seeing
with half-blinded eyes the cross that
was not yet reached, she rallied her
failing powers, and with dogged des-
peration started on again. The cross
must be gained, for therein lay her only
hope of eXpiation.
Round and round the hill in ever
varying circles the penitential file
wound. The last fainting Penitente
marked the distance, as nearly as her
failing senses could discern, to two
more turns when the goal would be
reached. She was now several PAGES
behind her neighbor, staggerig and
muttering to herself and unable longer
to ply her scourge. Dark wavf ring
shapes arose out of the chaos around
her, their hideous height towering be-
tween her and the cross. WheT she
threw out her arms in wild appeal
toward the holy summit of the hill, the
shapes faltered and fled back into the
darkness, but when she looked again
the cross, too, wavered and disappeared
in lurid blotches of red.
One more round was thus slowly and
painfully made, and now only the last
and smallest circle of all remained. If
she could summon strength enough to
crawl the rest of the way she might
still reach the cross. Her dark ening
| mind circled about the one thought
keeping time with the tom-toms, "If |
can only reach the cross-if l can only
only"
But the rigors of her fasting, the
scourgings, the remorse that had been
preying on her spirit, overmatched her
powers, Madre di Dois!-she was sink
ing. Almost within reach of the cross
| just in sight of her eXpiation, and left
dying on the outskirts of the last circle
her sufferings all in vain and her cause
| lost!
With moan she dropped, almost al
| the foot of the cross, but with her sir
still upon her. She threw out hel
| arms in last appeal and fell across
the long, black shadow that stretched
its inexorable arms above her while the
procession wound on without her.
Jackson, having given up all hope OF
Nita's return, had, by some ironical
chance of fate, chosen that same night
slipped out of the shack he turned for
a half amused, half regretful, glance
behind him at the braided mat left I'M
| finished on the floor, the rude crucifi1
| toward little creature-comforts devised
| by Nita's deft hands; then slung his
knap-sack and started off.
Guided by the sounds that came il
fjtful gusts across the mesa, Jackson
turned to the direction of the Hill ot
Calvary. The tragedy was over. AL
| but one had reached the cross and re.
ceived absolution for their sins.
On the outskirts of the crowd little
group bent above the form of the fallen
| Penitente. With reverent fingers some
one removed the mask from her face
and the Pickering light of the torches
revealed the agonized, distorted fea'
lures of Nita, fleet-footed, strong
limbed black-eyed Nita, no Longer
beautiful, but torn and bleeding, in the
hope of expiating her sin in order that
she might be worthy to follow the
Gringo over the mountain; her features
emaciated almost past recognition, and
| her countenance not stamped with the
seal of peace death often leaves.
With quick glance Jackson saw that
Nita was dead. With another glance
into the faces before him he saw that
the sooner he was on the other side oi
the mountain the better it would be
| for him. The long months of Danish
ment he had undergone had been irk.
some to him, and he was heartily glad
to be able to get away. He might still
be in time, he hoped, to meet his party
somewhere near the line.
Exulting in the. strength that came
from Nita's long and careful nursing
he threw back his shoulders, filled his
lungs with long, deep draughts of the
cool night air, studied the heavens a
moment, then took his bearings, and
struck forth.
The last infant notes of the tom
toms, playing now triumphant strain
reached him as he descended the far
ther slope of the hill. With the sounds
came also the picture of Nita as he
had first seen her, and Nita now lying
dead and friendless under the black
shadow of the cross. A momont he
stood irresolute. Then with shrue
he shook off whatever thought may
have prompted the action, as he NUT
tered to himself: what did the little
fool want to make such fuss about
it for!"-San Francisco Argonaut.