The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-07-31


he pleaded. let me save you, and with
you myself Jose" replied Carmen
steadily, what you ask is impossible. I
no longer love you, but you love me still,
and for this you wish to kill me. I could
easily tell you a lie, but 1 will not take 1
the trouble. All is over between us. AS
my rom you have the right to kill your
romi. But Carmen must always be free.
Gypsy was she born and gypsy would
she die" You love Escamillo, then,"
burst out Jose Yes" she replied, IT
love him-as 1 did yourself-for mo-
ment-less, perhaps, then 1 loved you"
Jose flung himself at Garments feet, seized
her hand and bathed them in tears. He
recalled the hours of happiness they had
passed together and offered for her sake
to still continue to be a brigand-
any and all things If she would only say
she loved him.
Jose" she replied to his wild en-
treaties ito love you longer is impos-
sible; live with you longer 1 will not"
He was reused to madness and, draw
ing his knife, he cried out: Carmen,
for the. last time will you remain with
me?" No! No! MOI" she cried stamping
her foot. and, drawing from her finger
ring he had given her, she threw 1t
far into the bushes. 1t was Garcia's
knife which Jose held in his hand-he
had taken it from the dead body after
his own had broken in the wound he
gave the One-Eyed. Twice the knife
descended and buried itself in Garments
breast. At the second blow she fell
without even a sigh. Her large black
eyes looked fixedly into his and then
grew dim and closed slowly. For an
hour Jose remained Frustrated beside
her dead body. Then with his knife he
dug a grave for her and, going into
the bushes, found the ring she had
thrown away. This, with a little cross
which he fashioned out of branch he
cut from a tree, he buried with her.
Then he mounted his horse and gall
Hoped to Cordova.
At the first guardhouse he came to
he entered and announced his name to
the astonished officer in charge. He told
him that he had killed Carmen, and
gave himself up. But he would not tell
them where Garments body lay. She
had always said that she wanted to be
buried in a wood when she died Jose
was tried, convicted and sentenced to
be hanged. But he pleaded the privi-
lege of his rank and when they found
out that he really was a hidalgo they
changed his manner of death to the
garrote.
| Before the sentence was executed he
said to a French traveller who had
once befriended him and who now
came to see him in his prison, that he
wished mass said for the repose OF
| his soul, and that the hermit was a
| holy man who would say a mass for
Carmen Even to the last he strove
to excuse her. 1.-THE fault was with the
gypsies," he saids who trained her to|
this kind of life" Taking a small silver
medal from his neck he gave it to|
the Frenchman and said: You will
pass through Vitoria on your return;
would you turn aside to Pampeluna ?"|
The stranger agreed. Then take this|
medal and give it to a good woman att
this address. Say that I am dead, butt
tell not the manner of my DEATH This|
medal was for his mother, who waited
| in vain for her son among the moun-|
tains of Navarro.
| Next weeks one-page classic will be|
| Utopia" by Sir Thomas More.