Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1910-12-16
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THE KINGS SAVIOR:
A STORY OF LISBON


with a new kerchief on her head for
his appearance. After all, there were
others-plenty of others-who would be
only too eager to understudy him.
So on the second Sunday she allow
ed Jogo Papelaria to take her out to
the gardens of the Avenida. She wore
her new kerchief, with its border of
cornfowers, and she fondly hoped to
meet Henerique and openly TO fiout
him; but Henerique wasn't there. A
few days more and still he stayed
away.
Then there followed a night, night
full of the stale odors of the hot day
which had been-a night when 1t was
difficult to fetch a normal breath, and
when even Marias healthy lungs felt
oppressed.
1t was time to close the kiosk: no
more trade would be done. Maria shut
the green wooden doors and turned the
key with difficulty. The oppression
was not quite all in her lungs, nor was
it entirely concerned with the stagnant
burden of the evening. There was a
weight about her heart-a cruel sitting
weight which would not move-a fierce
sore longing-for-she refused to allow
herself to confess that it was for Hene-
rique. 1T is the weather." she said to
herself over and over again; lust the
weather."
She turned to depart, carrying two
empty Pilsener bottles in her arms. A
small boy cannoned into her, running
furiously. His face was smeared with
black. She recognized him as the son
of a neighbor. There was something
about his painting hurry which arrested
her attention. She caught him by the
shoulder
Jose, why such haste? Tell me, is
anything wrong?"
He shook his head with some vio-
lence.
Anything wrong?" he cried; where
are thy ears? Why, all Lisbon knows
that the king has well nigh met his
death-on his way to the palace. Men
Deos! 1t is over and done with now.
AS for me, I am running back to my
grandmother with the tale-let me co."
"A moment, Crianca, for Gods sake
was the king hurt?"
The boys mouth dropped in his eX-
treme amazement.
Thou art the last to hear what most
concerns thee, it seems" he said. No
hair of him was touched-thy Hene-
riuue, who was in the crowd, sprang in
front of the miseravel and received the
revolver charge himself? Now, loose
me-"
He wriggled free of her OBTAINING
hand and was off like an arrow. Maria
stood stone still-the two empty bot
ties clattered on the stone pavement
and shivered to atoms.
Thy Henerique, who was in the
crowd, sprang in front of the miseravel
and received the revolver charge him.
self. He had saved the king at the
expense Ol
Not his life, Mother of God-oh, not
his life!"
She was not aware that she had
shouted this out aloud to the stagnant
air. She began to run feebly a few
steps-her impulse being to hasten she
knew not whittier; and then the terri
fic beating of her heart and a feeling
of faintness held her stationary. What
unthinkable horror might not meet her
eye! They would perhaps be Liter
ally she had not the courage to stir.
Involuntarily her agonized gaze went
toward the cathedral.
The door was open. A fierce yearn-
ing seized her-it eXpanded-it became
an uncomfortable impulse. In extreme
moments action was good, but prayer
was better-had not Father Joao told
her so? She would go in and say a
prayer to st. Anthony, her patron saint
"a passionate prayer that Henerique
the hero might still live-that some
how, whatever had happened he might
be restored to her. She tottered up the
few steps and into the cathedral itself.
Now the cathedral was in process of
repair, for fires are common in Lisbon,
and only a few years before a great
portion of the church had been burned
down. The light inside was very dim
it came chiefly from the perpetual
lamps which hung before the high al
tar. The sacristan was already begin
ming to go his nightly rounds. Maria
staggered toward the shrine of ST. An
thony, which stands on the left of the
main entrance. 1t was very dark there.
But something prevented her from
reaching the steps where she wished to
kneel She stood still, trying to make
out what it was. Dimly she saw the
coffin-like shape of a long deal box
standing upon trestles. For one mo-
ment no chill of foreboding clutched
at Marias heart. Coffins left in the
cathedral overnight are not uncommon.
permission of the authorities been car
ried thither to lie under the shadow of
kind st. Anthony before he or she
rested finally in the peaceful earth.
Maria stood beside the thing, and to
steady herself she rested one hand a
little heavily upon it.
The lid was loose. This was eX-
tremely unusual. A pail should have
covered the coffin-a heavy velvet pail.
All. this was no coffin; it was the
rough ambulance box in which the
sorely wounded of Lisbon are convey
ed to hospital. The whole thing be-
came plain before her at once. Some
one-some poor soul who was in pro-
cess of being taken to the hospital for
treatment-had died on the way, and
pending identification they had borne
him here.
Him. No-Christ of mercy-nOt him!
In a sudden frenzy of supreme hor-
ror Maria took the wooden lid with
both hands and moved it so that she