The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1914-02-11

~ 81 ,,-t.,- .,-I n,or
.-->S the arm. =
"Oh, Palo! Is 1t your she. cried.
He took her handss In. his and print
ed, a fervent, kiss upon her lips. Yes,
Mercedes" he answered, II have come
back to see you once again"
| But but she began. .
| mo, ChiQuita. there is little dan
ger. No one. knows. that. l. am here.
Out Of the .conyent window Sister
Sorice looked .listlessly. & - Il. g,
AS she looked the two, parted, and
Mercedes was left standing. alone. She
was the daughter Of q miller, he. the
son Of the governor Of, the province
Of San Diego. Sister 4Sorice !, shook
her head sadly. Three months. before
she had witnessed their first meeting.
When Palo went. to his father. and
confessed his love for Mercedes, he
few into an awful rage. =.
son." he said. sternly. "you will
never go near the millers daughter
again. I shall give orders. II you
are caught there, you will be put in
prison. Remember. mean what ]
say" f..
But Palo came again to see his
Mercedes and Sister, Sorice was watch
Ing from her high convent window.
Alas, he, came. to tell his sweetheart
that he is going away on q trip to
far of Spain. but he will be back
again In year, perhaps sooner. WIN
she wait for him till then?
I'm the morning." he said, II may
see you again, tits for theiast time by
the bridge that goes over the Plaza,
is 1t not So? Mia Carrissima!"
Tears came to the girls eyes as she
nodded her head. He kissed her and
went down the path. In. the morning
she was, waiting for him at the bridge
when Palo arrived. She was about
to fly into his. arms, when, out; from
the shrubbery stepped 9 soldier. Il
arrest you, Senior" he said.
The officers back was turned toward
her. An impulse, g. fash, and It was
done. She had drawn the dagger, from
her g1rdle and plunged it into his back.
He fell like a log. Palo; shrank back
| aghast.
If am caught now" he cried.
."But you will not. Goi Go! she
cried, in frenzy pushing him toward
the BRIDGE At the bridge she stop
ped. "Kiss me once" she, cried. He
stopped and kissed her passionate
". .' :.
They parted, and Mercedes began to
run quickly through the woods,
She saw people. standing around the
body. She faneied she heard her
name spoken. Fleet as a deer, she
sped away, but before she had gone
hundred yards, she was discovered.
There was shout and dozen start.
ed after her.
The silver bell Of the convent was
again. ringing and she ran instinctively
towards the sombre sheltering walls.
She stumbled up the steps and fell
into the arms Of Sister Sorice.
Snatching the silver crucifi1 from
her girdle Sorice held It delantly into
the faces of the oncoming mob. They
recoiled from it as. from a great re-
pellant force.
STOP" she cried, "she has taken
refuge with God. Would you defile
the sanctuary of the Lord?"
They looked into the calm, de-
termined face Of Sister Sorice, and
one by one, skunk shamefacedly away.
Trembling, Mercedes wept out her
story to the sister, who, when she
heard 1t, wept with her.
my child" said Sister sorice, gent
| ly putting her arm about Mercedes,
II will tell you a story. Twenty years
ago q maiden bid her lover goodbye
| by that little bridge down there. Wait
for me- he said. I will return soonP
But he did not. and soon the maid
took refuge in this convent to hide
her shame. A little girl was born and
a good man took pity on 1t and adopt
ed it as his own, That maid, Mercedes,
was myself. For twenty years have
looked down that. road, watching for
the return Of my lover.
She paused and looked at Mercedes
with infinite yearning. And you,"
she continued at last, HAS the miller
never told you"
Mercedes looked at the sister In
surprise. Told me what?"
"You-you are-my-child."
Many years have passed since then.
One weary watcher has been laid to
rest, but there Is sister still, with
snowy white hair and kind, wistful
face, who. stands by the high. little
window and looks out upon the road.
Perhaps she fancies she hears q
voice. It is only the humming of the
old bell and the echo Of the Quayering
voices as they sing:
"Misereri mel Domini"
! lGopyrisht, by Daily Story Pub ca)