The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-05-06
THE CHRONICLES OF DON @.
By K. AND HEsKETH PRITcHARD

in Madrid and at other resorts where
people of her world cOngregated ac-
cording to the season of the year.
As The duquesa's Well-knOwn car
riage, with its sweating horses, drew
up in the patio. servants ran to open
the door and usher the guest into the
house with all the ceremony due to her
rank; but the lady swept away the fin
gers Gf the nearest.
mo, no, mol" she cried in a hoarse,
excited whisper, have you heard moth
ing?-Gen Ubrique2'
THE illustrious general is here" said
the man, who had thrown open the car
riage door.
'What-here? Is he then still alive?
Alas, poor general
The choked words amazed the man.
He stared stupidity at the great lady,
who seemed to be trembling with agita-
ton in the duSky interior of the coach.
Come, come" crOaked the voice, IAN
answer, you rogue, or / Will deal with
you'll mean 1 will request some cabal-
Zero to beat you sOundly in my name.
Come. answer me- is the general still
alive?"
'Illustrissima, he was but now dan
cling in the saloon" srammered the SER
want
Il am in time, Quickly. go and beg
his excellency to speak With me here
Be off, or 1 will make you regret
But the man was gone.
The message was delivered to the gen.
eral as We write, a parsonage whom
Spain delighted to honor. Risen from
lower rank of life, he had already at
tanned eminence- SuaVe, strong, I'M
scrupulous perhaps, but both Courag-
eous and able.
Come, my friend, GOMEZ moaned the
duquesa, get in beside me. 1 dare
not risk descending! Come, will relate
to YOU the whole plot" she added in
1 fVicr ffrT1
my sufferings, lest I should be too late
to save yOu!'
Ubrique hesitated, He hardly knew
what TO think of the information the
dequesa had sprung upon him.
Il have no words to thank you
he began.
But the duquesa stopped him.
Il have no need of words. Come,
general. enter" She laid her slender
hand on his wrist. Looking down at
in the marquise ring on her foretinger.
After all, he must humOr her
He bowed his dark head and got into
the carriage, taking the seat opposite
to his old friend with her 1nconVen1ent
tears and anxieties.
Don Ermelo, plot has been
formed against you" The duquesa
bent forward and laid her hand affec-
tioEately upon his as the carriage
rolled slowly out of the patio and took
I
II could not exist without giving
you"
There was strange. muff1ed sound.
for the duqUesa had flung the cloak
with its insufferable feathers over her
companions head. unseen hands had
drawn his feet from under him, and
he fell into the bottom of the carriage,
half-smOthered. but struggling desper-
ately-
Meantime the coach increased it's
pace.
Far outsi the town on a wood
ed hillside it stopped, and III the dark
ness General Ubrique found himself,
still gagged and bound, carried through
the trees and laid on the ground in
little choza where a lantern burned
dimly.
After the lapse OF little
time, man wrapped closely in a
cloak, in the manner of all Spanish
men after nightfall, came to the door
way and stood looking down at the
PROSTATE figure. Then he stopped and
/ slipped the gag from Ubriques mouth.
What is the meaning of this out
rage?' Ubrique exclaimed.
1T means that there is a small mat
! ter to be settled between US in the
next half hour"
II am Don @, and lest you should
| unwiSely forget the fact, remember
you are my captive. AS long as you
are that, I demand civility, otherwise
/ you will die"
Ubrique pondered.
How long do you propose to keep
me? It is a matter of ransom, of
course? % he said at length
1T may be called so. But the affair
! is little out of the common. For your
life I ask the life of another man. In
the prison of CastellenO lies a certain
/ RObledO, condemned to death. He must
be restored to liberty"
4 met the governor of the prison
this evening. This fellow is a desper-
| ate character. Special precautions
Il know that minutelyr'
He is to die tomorrow morning.
For your sake, ] hope not; because,
whatever the fate of Robledo, that will
| be exactly your fate"
The general smiled slowly
"Ah! and what do you want me to
do?'
Merely to write a letter limiting to
the governor that you have absolute
evidence of Robledos innocence.
Avoid Details
In other words, you wish me TO
procure the release of Robledo in ex-
change for giving me my Iife?"
I Precisely, senOr.''
'Unloose my hands and bring me
pen and paper"
Gen. Ermelo Ubrique wrote rapidly
for a few moments.
"ShaIl I tell you what I have writ
ten, senOr?" he said; and, as Don O.
bowed, he added, my letter is natur-
ally to the governor of the prison
have told him how 1 was brought here
by strateSem; that my death is GER
tain unless the condemned felon Rob
ledO, who L find belongs to Don Q's
own band, is released by way of ex-
change for my life. You follow mec'
But certainly. 1t is to the point;
and the chief laughed in his least at
tractive fashion.
The general glanced sharply up at
him.
Listen further. Such a suggestion
proves this brigand,S incanacitv To IN