The Appeal., 1910-06-18
His Rose Of Old CASTLE
BY LITTELIE M'CLUNG

And do you believe in fate and
such things, senor?" she asked.
! Surely do" he affirmed. Cant
we see now that some great con-
trolling force never intended that
Spain should keep her foothold on this
continent?'
She did not answer him, but looked
pensively out over the water. Quick
~, he. changed the subject. Soon he
would have to go north again. and
maybe he would never have another
chance like the present. In a few
quiet words he told Valencienne what
she had come to mean to him. But
she turned away from him, tears in
her eyes. -. .-.s,-:=I >
20, don't, senor!" she cried. 1T is
impossible" ii.
T.: And why impossible. senorita?" he
pleaded: Surely you can tell 'me?'
Because. senor," she said slowly,
/ can never, never marry any man
OF Ang!o-Saxon blood!"
These words and the tone of fnality
IN which they were uttered stunned
Herndon. But he determined to wrest
the girls secret from her. He seized
her hands in firm grasp. .s>r.>..:
! "Senorita, why do you say such a
strange thing?" he demanded. .'.,ss. 4
She shrank from him as If in fear.
But when she spoke again there was
not tremor in her voice. - - -
" "You say, Senor Herndon, you be-
l1eve In fate. Perhaps you do-in q
way. But | am Spaniard; believe
In 1t firmly. It is our nature: it is
born In us. Must tell you a story,
senor?" :: -
YES" he begged. Il want to hear
1t-every word" -.
she began. "the English were over
there on that island shooting cannon
balls at this fort
The commander of the fort was a
brave nobleman who went, away from
CASTLE with the favor of the king. He
left his beautiful wife in France while
he went to win glory for his country
when the English found that they
could not vanquish him, they sent an
officer across the river. The officer
stood In his boat and delivered mes.
sage for the = Spanish commander,
Then he went back to his general.
"The brave Spaniard opened the
packet and out fell letter. It was
from his wife! She had gone to Eng
land and was waiting there for the
English officer who had brought him
the letter. Then what did he do? I
will tell you. He thrust bayonet
into his heart! But before he killed
himself he sent his faithless wife a
letter. He pronounced terrible curse
on her and on any of his descendants
that should ever marry a man Of Eng.
lish blood-till the walls of this fort
split asunder. That might never be,
he knew. -" -"
"Soon after that, senor, his wife
died a terrible death, leaving daugh.
ter. When this girl grew up she
went to Spain and married. But her
husband died and she returned to
England with her child. There she
married an Englishman, but on her
wedding night she dropped lifeless
at his feet:
"Her daughter, Senor Herndon, was
my great-grandmother! For $50 years
this curse has come down through
our family.
Herndon did not reply. He turned
and put his arm about her. AS they
walked along in silence she looked up
fearfully at the massive battlements
that held her life's tragedy-the skel.
eton she had seen with her minds
eye since childhood. All at once, Hern,
! don stopped. He stepped back slight.
! ly, his breath coming fast.
what is it, senor?" the girl asked
tremulously.
! Il don't know" he said resolutely,
''but I am going to find out. Please
stand where you are till come back. :"
"Oh, don't senor." she protested. Il
don't want you to-"
| The next moment he was Chamber.
ing out over the edge of the moat.
"Come over here, .Valencienne." he
called.
Trembling with fear, the girl hur.
ried to him. What is it?" she whis.
pered.
"Look!" he said, pointing to an In.
dented corner of the walls. "You
might never notice it in the day time,
but now you can see it-that streak Of
light, Valencienne!"
Eyes, do see it, senor. Isn't 1t
curious?"
|
Its moonlight" he explained, pure
moonlight coming through the wall
The impossible has happened, dear
The walls of this old fort have split
asunder!"
A wondering, radiant expression IL.
lumined the lovely, dark face of the
girl. Till the walls Of this fort split
asunder," she murmured.
Herndon was sure that it was when
in the spring he took from Florida the
,fairest of it's Castilian daughters.
| Charitable Photographer.
| There is man in this town who