Lincoln County times. (Jerome, Idaho) 1911-1919, 1918-12-26

negro companions. looking for relief.
They made the journey without mis-
hap. for they were too destitute to
warrant plundering. and Rosa's dis
guise concealed what charms remained
to her. But once they had entered the
city, what an awakening What suf-
fering, what poverty, what rags they
saw, The three of them grew weak
with dismay at the horror Of 1t all
but there was no retreat
Asensio built makeshift shelter
close under La Cumbre-from 1t the
ruins of the Quinta de Esteban were
visible-and there they settled down
to live. They had hoped to lose them
selves among the other prisoners. and
in this they were successful. for none
of their miserable neighbors were in
any condition to notice them, and
there was nothing sufficiently con-
spicuous about two tattered blacks
and their hunchbacked daughter to
draw attention from the soldiers.
Asensio foraged zealously, and at
first he managed somehow TO secure
enough food for his little family One
day the soldiers seized him and put
him to work on the Notifications along
with a gang of other men who APP
peared strong enough to stand hard
labor. Asensio was not paid for this,
but he was allowed one meal day,
and ne succeeded in bringing home
each night share OF his allotment.
1t is surprising how little nourish-
men. will sustain life. Rosa and her
two friends had long felt the pinch
of hunger, but now they plumbed new
depths of privation. for there were
days when Asensio and his fellow con-
scripts received nothing at all. After
a time Evangelina began making bas-
keJs and weaving palm-leaf hats, which
she sold at six cents each. She taught
Rosa the craft. and they worked from
dawn until dark. striving with nimble.
tireless fingers to supplement Asensio's
rations and postpone starvation. But
it was a hopeless task. Other uimble
fingers worked as tirelessly as theirs.
and the demand for hats was limited.
Their hut overlooked the road to
San Severino. that Via Doiorosa on
which condemned prisoners were
marched out to execution, and in time
the women learned to recognize the
peculiar blaring notes of certain cor
net, which signified that another ecu
ban cock was about to crow" When
in the damp of dewy mornings they
heard that bugle they ceased their
weavingA long enough to cross them
selves and whisper a prayer Tor the
souls of those who were on their way
they allowed themselves.
Rosa meditated much upon the con
trast between her present and her for
mer condition. Matanzas was the city
of her birth, and time was when she
had trod its streets in arrogance and
pride, when she had possessed friends
by the score among its residents But
II all these there was not one to whom
she dared appeal in this, her. hour OF
need. But even had she felt assured
| of meeting sympathy, her pride wa.
pure Castilian, and it would never
down. She, Varona, whose name wa:
one to conjure with, whose lineage was
| of the highestl She to beg? The
| thing was quite impossible. One crumb
| so taken, would have choked her
Rosa preferred to suffer proudly ant
await the hour when hunger or disease
would at last blot out her memorie.
of happy days and end this nightmar,
| misery.
Then, too, she dreaded any risk Of
discovery by Mario de Castano, WHIT
was hard, vindictive man. His part
Ing words had shown her that h
would never forgive the slight she ha,
out upon him; and she did not wish t
put his threats to the test. Once Ross
saw him, on her way to buy few
centavos' worth of sweet potatoes; h'
was huddled in his victoria, a hug