Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1914-09-08

hCur OF dawn.
Another hour, and the sleepy SEN
try would come and lead him out
side to the blank wall that rose up
from the parade ground.
There he would stand and a file of
rurales would take their places ten
feet in front of him. And all would be
over.
The good priest would attend to the
spiritual things-so he had been taught
to believe-and he had no fear of
death
Strangely, the insurrecto thought, a
great, burning desire now possessed
him to be fair to the little senorita
who loved him.
The little senorita lived not far be-
yond the eastern hills, over which the
first rays of the sun would come steal.
ing presently.
Why had not the great longing come
to him until he faced the end of
things? He had wronged her, but he
knew that she would be watching for
the sunrise.
The senoritas troubled face, which
he had kissed when he rode away for
the the last time, had haunted him
through the nights unbroken silences.
He rolled a cigarette and blew the
smoke through the narrow, iron-barred
lookout, but the little senoritas trou-
bled face would not leave him
The breaking day was growing
brighter-not long now until the sun,
rise. He could see the jagged rocks
and the sparse growth on the hillsides
that had appeared so barren a while
ago.
Then 1t occurred to Pedro that per-
laps it might not be too late. Per-
haps, dying, he might make good
he fair promises in which she had
believed, and which would give to her
md to her unborn child his name.
1t would be little enough to leave as
a legacy.
It was only just. Yes, he would do
that If he might The insurrecto re-
solved that when the good priest came
to mend the spiritual things, he would
make his confession and enlist the
priests good Offices to secure the con
sent of the commander of the rurales
to stay the execution until couriers
might be despatched over the hills to
the little, pale, troubled senor;ta
watching for the sunrise.
They would bring her to become his
bride and widow. Yet this would help
her, because she was to live and suf-
fer. At the most it would be but a
short hour longer. Surely, thought |
Pedro, the commander would agree.
Resolved on his course, the insur- |
-ecto found himself anxiOusly watch |
ing for the coming Of the good priest. |
Presently he saw him approaching, |
riding astride his little pony down the |
highway from the village be- |
yond the eastern hills where the little |
5enorita lived.
Why his haste? Surely it was not |
with relish that the good priest came
IN such a mission. Still he hurried.
As he drew nearer he appeared to |
be excited Certainly he was not in
4 pious mood.
The condemned insurrecto, looking |
out through the narrow opening in |
he prison wall, watched without UNI
Outstanding the great Joy he saw in |
he smiling face of the priest.
When the prison door swung open
or the priest to enter Pedro under
food
MY son." he heard, Il bring you
'ood tidings. There are TO be no mere
Executions! You are free, my son."
The insurrecto stared blankly, un-
'omprehendingly, silently, for a Blo-
nenL
The first ray Of the morning sun
1iercing the gray dawn and stealing
Trough the lookout at which he had
'een standing called him to himself
He saw his prison door swung aJar,
)ut he made no motion toward the
reedom, the coveted life it offered.
He remembered that there was
he had resolved to say 10
he good priest. 1t faltered on his
FPS.
Receiving the priests blessing, ,he
nsurrecto walked out into the sun
hine and breathed again the fresh
pen air of the hills. It was exhllar-
ting after his confinement in the
Justly ill-smelling prison.
It was life! He had not known be-
ore how precious life was.
A roadway led from the prison. Pc
no walked along it TO a point half q
aague away. Here II forked.
One highway led over the eastern !
Ills to the village where lived the
ttle senorita watching the rising OK
he sun.
The other led 20 unknown places
'eyond the western mountains, where
here might be sti1 more fiightings
ihere there were many dark-eyed Sc
oritas.
And he was free.