The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-06-21

| GREETED that neither bona M,,........
| himself could have the honor DID,. -.
Ing the Captain again, and tho D,n,ai
bowed very low and clankcd ... ,,o,
the big gloomy arch OF the ga. ...,, g.
almost the last time. ="
Now | doubt IL either Don, ,.....,.-
or the Captain had really boon .. l,'''
But they were ready to grow .,. .... ,.,
forced separation has been a ,,... ,",
for the growth OF love ever n'"
world began Tue
The little girl was YER d.....,. mn,
sat with her father every nm
merry and smiling and tender ... ,,,'.,
but across the big cleaning t..J. -.
would sometimes see vision ut ln,rr.
boyish face. Don Enriuur Ind 500,
visions across that same tahh Soon re.
member. Perhaps in time T. Nor.
cedes might have watched t.. y.si,,
| till IL came to be more to her 'Itp tho
| great house and the family ..u, and
| the love of her father himsof
And the Captain fell into a Very ,ovor
of devotion, and for more than 20 mo1ih
he stayed In his quarters. wrlt.u- C,ta.
Ian love songs on the edges of commits
sary returns and gazing gloom, "a, his
sword and spurs. Billiards ard rar,l,
knew him no more, the hl1,. horse
| fretted in the paddock and lpu..d un.
sayable things at the frigh,cu.d .room
and the brown skinned girls vt tho
countryside lived in peace and lm,ty
with their lovers. Perhaps hi devotion
| might have endured and al. that
splendid energy Of his might has.. beer
turned to good and useful thing Cd, last.
IL IL
| keep secret. just as they had put i
into the head of peasant namad
Aguinaldo to be priest ridden no ,nger:
| just as they had moved the frar, 1.
put to death a young man named lose
| Rial. outside there had long Been
rumors Of ugly things sudl.u ,.'rct
death and sm"uldering insurToc'i." and
killing Of priests and burning of towns
and terror stricken people ever whore
And now at last they penetrated To
| the far off valley-stories Of rand, On
distant haciendas and assassina '.1H, IN
lonely trails. and little army mrsNed
| in the foothills 1t was as II = ch
wind swept over the sunny plains and
rolling hills and busy. trca' h'roui
river. and none 81 the lean. N''rdc'
bronzed men could tell whence y am.
Don Enrique. that great man h"edt.
1t not. and when news cam NJ .
wondrous big buck seen near .Nsc'r' H.
insisted ON setting out to capture il.
"A bit Of venison is what you need to
put the roses back" he said to bona
Mercedes. standing tall and strong In
his boots. and tapping her check with
| his gauntlet. "Insurrection' NunSrnse.
chiqulta. 1t is but the talk OF thes" poor
| foolish Indians. I wave my ridlns Whp
at them. and phooh."-he blew a quick
breath. kissed her, and rode OFF.
But toward evening a man dragged
himself in--old Canuto. the hunt,man,
cut and bleeding-and told D"na M"r-
cedes how the party had been amhuS'
caded and had fought their way to a
| thicket OF bamboo. and how they must
have help or perish. While she still
stood half stunned and helpless came
Capt. Manuel. uncalled. and said simply,
Il am going to him, Dona mia"
He did not tell her that all the coun.
try was up In arms, that he was going
to his death. doubt IL he even thought
of 1t as he stood before her and saw
her big. beseeching eyes. All the care
les ness and lightness of his nature
were washed out as he stood bcfur. the
| lady for whom he was to die. And yet.
as he turned 10 go. bit of IN, spirit
of old Spain stirred in him. and he lent
toward her. II kiss your hand my
lady" h. said.
| And then Dona Mercedes understood
that he was saying farewell, aud with
a little cry flung herself into hs arms.
One little moment she knew thar AL m"
secret Of life was hers-and then she
took white rose from her hair and
gave 1t To him.
| MY colors for my knight" she said.
and none Of her house had ever stood
more proud and stately to watch their
knights go out to battle.
There's not much more To- tell. ~
course. The Captain found p"Y En-
rique. and at dawn they went n0' to-
| gether. with their men, in one ~ hos"
deeds Of splendid courage that once
made their country mistress Of holf the
world. But one OF those pu"r. foolish
Indians, with good Mauser and firm
rest at five hundred meters aud the
wrongs of three centuries /, rsht
stopped their poor. proud Snonsh
hearts.
The few men who We're left brought
them back To Dona Mercedes, standing
| pale and stately in the great courtyard
and on Don Enrique's breast was
miniature that might have been his H.
tie girl. but was not. and ON l'' Cap
tain's was white rose dahh.'l with
! red.
As ! said, all this happened long ago
when the world was young. ! know f'r
! rode through Echague the other day
and l saw Dona Mercedes's eye.
They are friendly and inqurn- stu
but the smile comes from an Dbl! GA
heart. And yet. after ALL why -1'nh
We blame the little gods? Don &nrHos,
and the Captain are very quicf nae
In the great garden, and perhaps the
valley II none the less happy thrt tneH
impcrious wills are quiet to-" Inc
river still runs and the boatmcn ing on
its long reaches and the hot, sunny ar
floats over field and hill and for' WIN
vivifylng strength, and you would h'ruy
know that they were gone.
Perhaps Don Enrique could never
have been reconciled, perhaIs the zap
tain might have changed. Their are
dozen perhapses. And now Don" Mef.
cedes has the great house-aft'r Az !,
Is not unlike a convent in its uu'' anu
| tta hn