El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-08-01
By RENE MAIZEROY.

A g. sign of the dying woman who
~ with a supreme effort had sat
up in bed and was now leaning
her back against one of the four poster
columns, Mercedes and the two serv-
ants had withdrawn to the anteroom
where great wax candles were burn
ing around a splendid shrine in the
shape of an urn surmounted by a cost
Fly image of Notre Dame de PLIERS. and
where pious nuns were counting the
beads of their rosaries, their soft voices
mingling with those of the chamber
maids and kitchen girls who were
softly reciting the prayers for the
dying
Don Gregorio closed the door.
Lock 1t! Lock it," mumbled Donna
Pillar.
He obeyed her mechanically and
went back and sat down at the bed
side. Come little Closer, she
whispered. II can hardly breathe and
my lips are already like ice. Closer,
so close that I can feel your face
against mine. You must not miss
single, one Of my words"
me Ola ClOCh III IAAO
hall struck the hour of and the
clocks in the salons and bedrooms
answered with a tingle of bells that
sounded like a hooking laugh.
Slanting rays of sunlight fell through
the heavy yellow silk curtains, flutter-
ing in the light evening breeze. and
Illuminated as the halo OF a martyr
this pitful pale bloodless face. al
ready marked by the hand Of approach
ing death
Some pigeons fluttered down from
the roof and sat on the rail or the
balcony outside cooling softly.
Drive them away" the dying wo-
man whispered, mot even the birds
must hear what have to say to you"
Don Gregorio clapped his hands and
the pigeons flew away. He was very
pale and nervously bit his lips.
Speak, speak" he said. What are
you waiting forf'
She felt her fraiI body trembling
in a violent spasrn of pain. then she
Strengthened herself up and, looking
into her husbands face, she said in
stern voice that made him lower his
eyes in shame and confusion:
st saw you, Gregorio. 1 saw you.
I made believe I was asleep but
watched your every movement through
my partly closed eye1ids I counted
one after the other the drops of digi-
tails you poured into uhe soothing
linden tea Yesterday you doubled.
and 5ust now you trfpled the dose the
doctor prescribed And your hand
never trembled. You were cool and
perfect master of yourself You SEEM
ed to be doing perfectly natural and
simple thing. You brought me the tea
and stirred It with the spoon. Then
you said to me in your hypocritically
tender voice: Drink. Pilarieni drink.
Don't let 1t get cold. this will relieve
your pain and make you get we'll
Then you bent down over me and sup
ported my head with your left hand
while your right pressed the cup of
poison against my lips DO lie? An
swer mel Is all this a hideous night |
mare7"
He stared at her, but did not try TO |
defend himself against her agitation.
Struggling with THE death tattle |
which threatened to overcome her |
voice. She went on:
but I accepted willingly death from |
your hands, and drank the poison that |
will set me free. What do I care to |
live when 1 have lost you completely, |
when you have thrown me off for this |
stranger who is stronger than I and |
who holds you in her power How J
hard my love has struggled against /
death! I have suffered internal ago
MES during these last IL months that |
| have been nothing to you. 1 loved /
you to DEATH Gregorio. I would gladly |
have biven my life for you, accused /
myself of .darkening your life. but 1 |
thought your heart was mine, in spite
If all. I suffered in silence. But this
asst woman-
She emptied the glass Of lemonade
standing on the little table near the
,ed.
'tOh. why didn't I listen to my pre-
sentiments? Why did I keep her In my
ervice? Why didn't see that. she
vas bewitching you and robbing me of
rour love Why didn't I know that
Ter youth and beauty must conquer"
A violent fit Of sobbing shook her
Whole body.
ct tried to calm myself I told N.Y.
elf that she would share the fate of
IL the others, and I loved you so
much that I almost hated her because
he made you suffer. because she re-
listed you"
Somebody knocked at the door and