The Washington times., 1925-12-16

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The reciuse, in hopes Of g ner-
eiiisite, led the two women to-.
ward the door Of the hermitage,
where his wife and daughter had
appeared, to feast their eyes on
the huge Diamonds sparkling at
the ears Of the strange lady.
The Genuine Virgin
ENTER. senorita," the rustic in
yited. ..I'll show you the Virgin,
the Virgin del Llilch, YOU under.
stand, the only genuine one. She
came here alone all the way from.
Majorca. People down In Palma
claim they have the real Virgin.
But what can they say for them
selves? They are jealous because
our Lady chose Alctra: and here
We have her, proving that she's
the real one by the miracles she
works"
He opened the door Of the tiny
church, which was as cool ana
gloomy as cellar. At the reafS
on a baroque altar Of tarnisi1ed
gold, stood the little statue with
fits hollow cloak and its black
face.
Rapidly, by rote almost the
good man recited. the history OF
the image. The Virgin del Lluch
was the patroness Of Majorca. a
hermit had been. compelled TO flee
from there, for reason no one
had been able to discover per-
haps to get away from some
Saracen girl Of those excitin9
war-like daysi brought her to
Alcira. and built this sanctuary
for her. Later people from Ma.
5orca came to return her to their
island. But the celestial lady had
taken a liking to A1cira and its
inhabitants. Over the water, and
without even wetting her feet,
she came gliding back. Then the
Majorcans, to keep what had
happened quiet, counterfeited q
new statue that looked just like
the first. All this was gospel
truth, and as proof, there lay. the
original hermit buried at the foot
of the tltar;, and there was the
Virgin. too, her face blackened
by the sun and the salt wind on
her miraculous voyage over the
sea.
Rafael had followed the party
into the shrine and taken a pp-
aftion near the fascinating
stranger. She. however, pretended
not to see him.
THAT is only a legend" he ven
tured to remark, when the rustic
had finished his story. You un-
derstand. of course, that nobody
hereabouts accepts such tales as
true"
II suppose So" the lady an
1wered coldly.
Legend or no legend, Don RAJ
fael," the recluse grumbled, some
what peeved, that's what my
grandfather and all the folk OF
his day used to say; and that's
what people still believe. II the
story has been handed down so
long. there must be something
to tt"
The patch of sunlight that
shone through the doorway upon
the flagstones was darkened by
the shadow of a woman. 1t was
q poorly clad orchard worker,
young, it seemed. but with a face
pale, and as rough as wrinkled
paper, all the crevices and hol-
lows of her cranium showing, her
eyes sunken and dull, her un-
kempt hair escaping from be-
meath her knotted kerchief.
No Faith in Doctors
She was Ill, very. very I'll. With
no faith in doctors, who, accord.
ing TO her, treated her with
nothing but Words she believed
that the Virgin del Lluch would
ultimately cure her. And, though
at home she could scarcely move
from her chair and was always
being scolded by her husband for
neglecting the homework, every
week she would climb the steep
mountain-side, barefoot, her shoes
in her hand.
The beautiful stranger was
plainly affected at the pitifus
sight. Her maid had knelt and
was following the sing.sonC
rhythm OF the chant, with pray.
ers inf a language that Rafael
recognized at last. 1t was italian.
What great thing faith isp'
the lady murmured with a sigh.
Yes, sonora; a beautiful thinRr'
Rafael tried to think Of some.
thing brilliant" on the grandeur
Of faith from Saint Thomas. or
one of the other "sound'' authors
he had studied. But he ran.
sacked his memory in vain.
Nothing! That charming woman
had filled his mind with Thoughts
far other than quotations from
the Fathersi
"Poverina! Poverina! Co.
raggo." The invalid. rallyine
from her swoon. opened her ewes
and gazed yacantIy at the
stranger, not understanding her
words but guessing their kindly
intention.
The. lady stepped out to the
plazoleta, deeply moved. 1t seem.
ed, by what she had been wit
Messing. Rafeal followed. with
affected absent -mindedness, some.
what ashamed OF his insistenco,
yet at the same time looking for