Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1906-08-15
ONE MANS IDOL
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS


[OriginaLl +
Many years ago in Madrid there lived
grandee, Don Roderigo de Sandoval
His house was on a little square, or:
rather court, in the center Of which was
q fountain with cup where any one
might Quench his thirst. Don Roderigo
had married girl very much younger
than himself and set her up on pedes=,
tai as his mother had placed a cruci6x
on her dressing table, to worship. ST.
gnora de Sandoval while she at first
found it pleasant to be thus adored,
especially since alteration brought with
1t every comfort, soon found it tire
some. Her husband devoted but brief
time to her every day, the rest being
given to affairs of state, he being one
Of the kings cabinet The rest Of the
time the young wife spent alone, and it
did not occur to the husband that the
time would hang heavy on her hands
or that she would crave society, espe-
cially Of the opposite sex. Did she not
have servants at her beck and call, the
finest apparel to wear, the most savory
dishes upon her table? What more
could any woman need?
One night when Don Roderigo was re-
turning from the palace where he had
been in conference with the king, just
before entering the court in which he
lived he stopped short and fastened his
eyes on scene before him. !. A young
man stood at the fountain holding the
cup in his hand and looking up at the
balcony projecting from the second
floor of Don Roderigo's house. Jus,
within window opening on to the bal
cony futtered handkerchief, while
the young man was making signs with
the cup. His back was toward De San
doval, so that he could not be irecog-
niZed. ..,.<
The husband watched this pantom1me
in a sort Of stupor. He could not have
been more thunderstruck had he seen
an angel from heaven alight on the
fountain and pour mud upon the wa
ters. That the being he had worshiped
could thus dishonor him filed him with
agony. While he looked he saw a fan
waved frantically from within the win
dow and the man drinking at the foun-
tain dropped the cup and walked rap
idly away. Don Roderigo, awakening
from his stupor, followed, but the
stranger had only a short distance to
goHto turn corner, and by the time
Sandoval reached it the man he sought
was nowhere to be seen.
Don Roderigo went to his house,
kissed his wife (she noticed that his
lips were cold as ice), and went to bed.
He did not accuse her nor ask the
name Of the young man who had been
making signs at her window. From
that time his manner toward her was
changed, though no one except herself
noticed it. She was allowed the same
privileges, enjoyed the same comforts,
but somehow she felt that she lived in
the shadow of death. -
Al few weeks after the episode that
had such marked effect upon Ro-
derigo he was coming home late at
night when he saw a. m ain drinking at
the fountain. Advancing, he knocked
the cup from the strangers hand. The
man turned, hot at the insult, and see
ing one worthy Of his steel drew his
rapier and attacked the insulter. SAN
doval drew and defended himself. cast
ing from time to time an eye on his
wife's window. All was dark there,
and In time he called a halt III the
fight, &apologtzed for the insult, refilled
the cup and offered it to the stranger.
The latter, puzzled, drank and went
away. -. ... :.:= : :. 3 11.#
! After that on numerous occasions
always at: the. dead Of night-;ss.omr1ee
stranger stopping to- quench hts thirst
at the: fountain would report in the
morning that the cup had been knocked
from his: hand and, some times: after 11fttsra 1
tight, the ztnsulters had apolo gize,d ana:
:profrered 9 full cup. The police seemed
.stngu1arly apathetic about the matter.
not even taking pains. to watch It'll The
fountain. Thus It became, the belief
that the person who gave these insults
was hightn5f ia Yor of the government
SsO One All llsa@l entered the sonare
and seeing ! the fountain.
withdrew unde shad wv 81 a. fiieht1
s0f STEPS. 81 a. ma II y IN m, ,y.