The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-05-06

, Then listen, my lord, to isabella. You
have changed her from friend into a foe.
She will go down the mountains, and
not smile again until she has done the
thing that is in her MIND. But she will
laugh when she sees the lord of the sierra
garotted on the Alameda, even as Roble-
do"
As she turned to go she flung packet
upon the ground at the chiefs feet.
'.Stop!' At sound of the masterful
word the girl halted involuntarly.
what is this?'
'Robledo, even in the prison, did not
forget his lord" she returned furiously.
'He babe me fetch this ana send it by
sure hand to''-she faced him and met
his glance-"ny lord. For his sake
brought it, not" she ended abruptly
so Robledo sent me this?' said Don
Q. thoughtfully Pardon me, Isabelilla' =
He opened the packet and fingered and
smelt the tobacco it contained. 1T is
good. now then. girl, that my lack of
cigarettes has been a very narrowing
trial to me. You will take a message
from me to Robledo?"
Yes, lord.p
You will say that, as Robledo was
so criminal as to waste his time under
your window instead of coming straight
back to me, am determined to leave him
to die"
"Ah," she walled, striking her hands
together in despair
And you win add that as he had
the good sense. even when he was lying
under sentence of death, to remember
the horrible privation I was undergoing
without cigarettes, l have for that rea-
son, and that alone, changed my nten-
ton, and resolved to forgive him, and
take him out of prison on Saturday,
Isabella sprang to Don Q.'s side and
covered his SLENDER, bony hand with
kisses.
THAT will do said the chief. withdraw
ing his fingers from hers. Go; lose no
time, or Robledo will begin to fear that
] intend to punish him according to his
deserts"
Lord, he sent also this" she drew
out another packet ut is a plan of the
prison of Castelleno.9
Il do not suppose it will be necessary
for me to consult it," the chief said,
with a strange smile of remembrance,
but leave 1t here. 1t was wise to send
it,"
And these newspapers" added the
girl, with sly, pleased glance, Rob
ledo did not forget these, either
Then she departed, radiant and full
OF JOY, praying incoherent blessings from
Don @. returned to the Boca de Lobo
and was sitting In his accustomed place
with his lamp beside him and the papers
sent by the thoughtful Robledo hanging
across his knee. Something he read ar
rested his attention. He reperused ii
carefully, then. letting the sheet fall
he sat staring into the fire in his
hunched, bird-like attitude, absently roll
ing cigarettes with deft fragile fingers
Long sleeping memories had evidently
been awakened in his brain, for he sighed
once or twice, as does a man who half
regrets a vanished DECADE.
We have altogether failed in our por-
traiture of the great brigand If the
reader does not by this time understand
the dominant quality of freakish hui
NOR. compounded aof lust of action, in
credible vanity and fantastic courage
which led Don Q. into the chiefest of his
exploits. Although perhaps, he valued
Robledo more than any other of his fol
lowers, he was quite capable of allowing
him to die for a small disobedience, as
he regarded the most trifng deviation
from orders as a studied insults,oss
1.-The fellow realizes rightly enough that
his life is small matter compared with
the vexatious fact of nay lack of ci
garettes.' he had murmured to himself
more than once during the last foui
days.
He looked down at the paragraph
again; his sinister laughter broke out as
he struck his hand upon his knee with
the air of man who had found what
he sought
But Don @. never acted on the spur of
thought If he could spare time for re-
Election. Thus cigarette after cigarette
burnt itself out in a flare between his