The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-01-24

ttuCus uG Cu appointment and canonicai honors gen. erousiy.
 His common sense left him as his wealth grew. When he had amassed s0.o00 ducats almost overnight, he rented . great establishment and ,ob. tained the Ministers permission to dress his own servants in the ducal livery. He was ready to pretend to be relative of his mighty patron. .-
 He spoke of the greatest grandees as if he were their intimate friend calling them by their first name. He forgot his honest parents so entirely that he did not remember how humble his birth had been for he had drunk deep of the River ALethe which nows through royal courts and has the ex- celient property of making every one are lowly and poofv
 Thus GH Bias never did kindness for his friends who had helped him in his poverty. If they came to him with a petition Scipio was sent out at once to find somebody who would pay . good price for the same favor. Final ly he cut even Fabricio's acquaintance and when a man from his village came to tell him that his father and mother itabie crumbs from his luxurious table would be as gift from Heaven to them, he had the inconvenient caller kicked out of doors.
 He did. however, do one good turn for an old friend, but he did 1t through vanity. Learning that the Governor ship of the great city of Valencia was vacant, he obtained for Don Alfonso and sent 1t to him, conceitedly pictur- ing to himself the amusement of his oid-time employer.
 Plentifuiiy as money came in. Gil Bias found ways to spend still more. He was heavily in debt, but did not permit 1t to concern him, especially as he became involved in an intrigue of the Grown Prince. which made him dream of endiess royal favors in time to come. ~
 Unfortunately he had extended the business of selling appointments SC greatly that he had entered into hot competition with another powerful fa- vorite of the Duke. Don Rodriguez de Calderon. The latter discovered the intrigue and disclosed 1t to the King Next day, as Gil Bias was about to promenade maJesticaliy as usual, he was seized and hurried to a castle, where he was locked up without a word. N It was not until the faithful Scipio bribed his way to him that Gil Bias learned that he had been sentenced to hfe Imprisonment for his part in the princely. escapade. Scipio told him that he had rescued two. bags with douhloons. which was all that was left him. his establishment having been plundered and stripped by police and servants as soon as he was arrested.
 Gil Bias at once wrote to the Duke of Lerma. asking for his intercession. He felt sure of succor. for the Duke had suggested and aided the intrigue for reasons of his own. But the reply that was returned to him by the Min ister was: T find it exceedingly im- pudent that Gil Bias should dare turn to me after committing such a vil- lainy I win aid no scoundrel like him. but leave him to the just anger of the King"
 Gil Bias lay on straw for many weeks. Then he was permitted to pur- chase his liberty. thus learning how bitter is the taste of buying favors af- ter having sold them.
 Poor. disgraced. still fearing the pun ishment of the King, he rode away with Scipio, whom he esteemed the only friend left him. But he was to find another who was faithful. Don Alfonso. whose post in Valencla had added greatly to his wealth, sent for him and presented him with little es- tate on the river Guadalquivir, a site
 
 around Seville, which men called the earthly paNedise,
 Gil Bias. believing that he had been cured of all ambition, accepted the modest gift gratefully, and begged Scipio to share his lot, saying that henceforth' he never would part from the one true friend whom he had found in diversity. ScipiO. who had tasted the earth's sour pleasure like Gil Bias, accepted gladly, and the two mounted their mules and started on their way to their new home.
 They made a circuit to enable Gil Bias to visit his parents His sojourn in prison had given him time to con- slider his ingratitude. There is noth- ng so conducive to repentance as a disastrous ending to an ill-ehosen road. Therefore, he, who had forgotten his people so easily while he was rich. remembered them now that he was poor.
 He arrived in oyiedo to find his old father dying from illness and want and his mother little better. When the old man breathed his last Gil Bias dipped deeply into what was left Of his purse and paid for a funeral such as Oviedo never had seen before.
 His ill-timed generosity cost him dear. It needed only this belated gen. erosity to bring the anger of the vii. lagers to the fighting point. On his return from the grave they attacked him with stones and clubs. crying: "This court favorite of day has money