Morris tribune., 1905-12-16

a passive instrument in the carryln.
out of her fathers views, especially il
things matrimonial, in which, indeed
love found little room for entrance
But Donna Mercedes loved Captain
A1varado, and she cared nothing fol
Don Felipe. Not that Don Felipe wa:
disagreeable to her or to any one; he
was Spanish gentleman in every
sense of the word handsome, distin
did not could not, love him. To com
plicate matters still further De Tobal
was Captain Alvarado's cherished com
panion and most intimate friend.
The progress of the love affair be
tween Alvarado and Donna Mercedes
had been subjective rather than OBJ
jective. They had enjoyed some un,
usual opportunities for meeting on ac-
count of the station the former filled
in the viceroy's household and the
place he held in his heart, yet the OPP
portunities for extended freedom Of in
tercourse between young men and wo-
men of the gentler class in those days,
and especially among Spaniards OF
high rank, were extremely limited. The
old count took care to see that his
daughter was carefully watched and
shielded, not because he suspected her
Of anything, for he did not, but be-
cause it was habit of his people and
led, the many employments which
were thrust upon him, his military du-
ties, had kept the days of the young
soldier very full, and under the most
favorable circumstances he would have
had little time for lovemaking.
But, though they had enjoyed brief
opportunity for personal intercourse,
the very impossibilities of free com
munication, the difficulties of meeting,
had but added fuel and fire to their
affection Love had famed into these
two hearts with all the intensity of
their tropic blood and tropic land Al
varado's passion could feed for days
and grow large upon the remembrance
of the fragrance of her hand when he
kissed it last in formal salutation.
Mercedes soul could Unfold itself in
the recollection of the too ardent pres
sure of his lips, the burning yet re-
spectful/ glance he had shot at her, by
others unperceived, when he said fare
we'll The situation was complicated
In every possible way for Alvarado.
Had he been man Of family, like his
friend, De Tobar, he would have gone
boldly to the viceroy and asked for
the hand of his daughter, in which case
he thought he would have met with no
REFUSAL; but, being ignorant Of his
birth, having not even legal right to
the name he bore, he knew that the
proud old hidalgo would rather see his
daughter dead than welded to him.
OF all the ancient splendors Of the
Spanish people there was left them
but one thing Of which they could be
proud-their ancient name. De Lara,
who belonged to one of the noblest and /
most distinguished families Of the Ibe-
rian peninsula, would never consent to
degrade his line by ailying his only
daughter to a nobody, however worthy
In other respects the sutton might
prove to be-
Again, had Mercedes father been
any other than the lifelong patron and
friend to whom he literally owed ev-
erything that he possessed, such was
the impetuosity OF Alvarado's dispOsi-
ton that at every hazard he would
have taken the girl by stealth or force
from her fathers protection. made her
his wife and sought an asylum in Eng
land or France or wherever he could.
So desperate was his state of mind. SO
overwhelming his love, that he would
have shrunk from nothing to win her.
Yet just because the viceroy had been
a father to him, just because he had
loved him, had been unexampled in his
kindness and consideration to him,
just because he reposed such absolute
ly unlimited confidence in him, the |
young man felt bound in honor by fet
tiers that he could not break.
And there was his friendship for De |
Tobar. There were many young gal |
lants about the vice regal court who, |
jealous Of Alvarado's favor and en-
vious of his merits, had not scrupled |
In the face of his unknown origin to
sheer, to mock or to slight-so far as
1t was safe. to do either of these
things to so brave and able a soldier.
Amid these gilded youths De Tobar,
with noble magnanimity and affection,
had proved himself Alvarado's stanch
friend. A romantic attachment had
sprung up between the two young men,
Ind the first confdant Of De Tobars
owe affairs had been Alyarado him
self To betray his friend was almost
as bad as to betray his patron. It 4
was not to be thought of.
Yet how could he. a man in whose
blood though it may have been ig-
noble for aught he knew ran all the |,
passions of his race with the fervor
ind fire of the best, man who loved,
Is he did, the ground upon which the
Senorita de Lara walked, stand by
.amely and see her given to another,
40 matter who he might be?
Spain under the last poor, crazed,
oewitched, degenerate descendant of