South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-10-26


when his uncle. the village priest,
who had taught him q little latin.
Greek and Logic. sent him of with
80 6ucats and a bad mule 10 study
divinity at salamanca
His adventures began fmue dlately.
At his first stop he was cheated out
of his mule; as ne was eating his
dinner a willy natterer invited him
self 20 be his guest and showed his
gratitude b. the good advice never
10 be taken in By praise. He had
TO pay an exOrbitant reckoning and
went on his way. giving 20 as many
devils as there are saints in the cal
endar. the parasite. the landlord and
the inn"
He soon fell into the hands Of
bandits. who made him join them on
their raids In one Of them they
captured Dona Mencia. wife Of the
Marques de Ia Guardia, and brought
her 10 their cavern. Gil Bias pre-
tended 10 be in and escaped with
the grateful lady. He was arrest
ed as one OF the bandits and as ne
was wearing clothes recognized Dy
one OF their victims, and his pockets
were full OF money he was thrown
into jail After several weeks i'm
prisOnment his innocence was es-
tablished. but the jailer had robbed
him OF everything.
At Burgos he sought out Dcna
Mencia who presented him with a
hundred ducats and a costly ring.
He bought a pretentious outfit for
twice its value and decided that in
stead OF becoming a Iicentiate, "he
would make his way in this world
rather than think Of the next" A
second gift OF a thousand ducats
from Dona Mencia confirmed him
IN MS resolve.
lie bought two mules and hiring a
servant. set forth for Madrid. His
servant conspired with several
rogues to make a fool of him. one
of them. Camilla, pretending TO be
related 10 Dona Mencia, invited him
20 hired lodgings as If to her home
and there he was Toasted and flat
tered. As "A mark OF special favor
she exchanged her ruby ring. which
she declared was worth 500 pistoles,
for his. and procured him an invita-
ton 10 a great country seat for
hunting and fishing.
But when he arose in the morn
ing, his servant. his two mules, his
portmanteau and Dona Mencia's
pretended relatives had vanished.
The ruby ring was n cheat
Fortunately he fell in with a boy
hood friend. Fabricio. at ValladOlid
and by his advice became a servant
20 a clergyman, the canon SediIlo,
at whose house he led an easy life.
The canon soon died, leaving him
his worthless library. and the good
fortune of becoming assistant 10 his
physician. the famous DR.. SangradO
Under him Gil Bias became partic-
ularly proficient in his method OF
practice, which consisted of nothing
but blOod-letting and "drenchings
OF water" He declared that he
made as many widows and orphans
as the siege OF Troy: one of his
victims was the betrOthed OF a giant
Biscayan. who threatened him with
dire vengeance, and he fled to Ma
drid, where he became valet 20 a
mysterious and wealthy Don Der
nardo, his only duty being to keep
the wardrobe brushed and 20 tend
door. But ne happened 10 fall ir
with RoiandO. captain Of the bri-
sands; and Don Bernardo, seeing
him in such suspicious company
dismissed him with six ducats.
From one reason or another h'
kept changing employers; he servet
now a dissipated hidalgo. then al
intriguing actress, then an aget
libertine whose daughter, in graft
tude for aiding her TO win back he
recreant lover, Don Luis Pacheco
gave MIN a hundred pistoles, and, OF
her fathers death, got him a plac,
with still another aged roUe. Dor
Gonzales whose dressing operations
when ne arose at noon. reminded
him Of the resurrection OF Lazarus
Here again he acted as inter
nediary in "a love affair. but whel
he told his infatuated employer tina
ne was being duped, he was tune,
off. though given recommends
ton 10 the Narquesa de ChaVes re
puted the cleverest woman I'm Ma
drid. because she was as solemn "a
an owl and rarely spoke Her salon
called the Fashionable Institution
for Literature, Taste and Science,
was the resort for the wits and not
ables OF Madrid
Here again he had easy work. bu
getting into trouble about a cir
was compelled 20 leave the city. 81
his way 20 Toledo he rescued
young nobleman. named Don Alton
so. from arrest They baCam
friends and after Don Alfonso reach
ed his home he and his father DE
came Gil Bias patrons, placing hin
as secretary 10 their relative, tn
Archbishop OF Granada, who was i'm
ordina1eIy vain and as broad as n
was Ions.
Gil Bias praised his sermons an
was regarded as q Young man Of OK