The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1925-12-17

skin Of & Valencian peasant; the
women. with their skirts raised
over their heads for protection,
sinking their tanned, skinny, oyer.
worked legs into the slime, and
all drenched from head 70 foot,
the wet clothes sticking to their
bodies: and at the head. a NUM-
Der OF strong young men with
four.wicked tapers lighted, spIt-
tering and cracking in the rain
and casting q weird flickering
radiance back over the clamoring
multitude.
ssSan Bernat! San Bernat! Viva
ell pare San Bernat! Father Saint
Bernard, viva!"
Under the drizzle pouring f1om
the sky and the streams tuTnbling
from the eavespouts, the mob
rushed along the streets in q
wild riot. Doors and windows
flew open, and news voices were
added to the delirious uFroar.
while at every crossing recruits
/. would come 70 swell the on-rush-
ing avalanche headed for the
Ayuntamiento Muskets, ancient
blnnderbusses, and horse pistols
as big as guns, could be seen IN
the menacing throng, as though
those wild forms were to compel
the granting Of q petition chat
might be denied, or to slap the
river, perhaps.
The alcaIde, with all the mem
beers Of the council, was waiting
at she door Of the city hall. They
had Cs.ine running to the place.
n1arshaling the alquacils and the
patrols, to face and 1uen the
mutiny.
What do you want?' the mayor
asked the crowd.
What did they want. They
wanted the one remedy, the one
salvation, for the city: they wanted
to take the ornnipotent saint to
the bank OF the river thai ne
might awe 1t with his presence,
iuet as their ancestors had been
doing for centuries and centuries,
and thanks to which the city was
still standing:
The alcaIde, liegeman Of the
Bruil dynasty, was In a Quandry.
He was afraid Of that ugly mob
and was anxious to yield, az
usual: hut it would be a serious
breach of etiquette not to consult
as the huge, dark mass Of human
being was beginning to surge IN
indignation at his silence, and
Misses and shouts of anger were
being raised, Rafael appeared.
DOna bernardo had sent BIN
out at the first sign Of uneasi.
ness in the populace. 1t was in
circumstances such as these that
her husband used to shine taking
the helm in every crisis. giving
orders and settling questions.
though to no avail at all. But
when the river returned. to it's
normal level, and danger was
past, the peasant would remember
Don Ramon's sacrifices" and
call him the father of the poor.
IL the miraculous saint must come
out, let Rafael be the one to pro-
duce him! The elections We're at
hand. The flood could not have
come in better time. There rust
be no false steps, no frightening
opportunity away. Something
rather must be done to gee people
to talking about him as they used
to talk about his father on similar
occasions.
So Rafael, after having the pur-
pose Of this demonstrations eX-
planned to him by the most ardent
of the leaders, gave a magnificent
gesture of consent:
Granted; have San Bernat
brought out!'
With a thunder of applause and
vivas for young Brull, the black
avalanche headed rumbling for the
church.
They must now persuade the
curate to take the saint out, and
that goLG rrNst-a fat, kindly,
but rather siIewd fellow-always
objected to whst he called bit
of old-fashioned mummery. The
truth was he looked forward with
little pleasure TO q tramp out IN
the rain at the head Of a process
sion, trying to keep dry under
an umbrella, with his soutane
rolled up to his knees, and his
shoes coming off at every step
| in the mire. Besides, some day,
in the very face of San Bernardo,
the river might carry half tire
city off, and then what fix, what
fix, religion would be in, all
on account Of those distUrljers of
| the peace!
| Rafael and his henchmen CT
| the Ayuntamiento tried their
hardest to convince the curaie:
! but his only reply was - ak
whether water was coming down
from Cuenca.
81 believe it is said the al
calde. You can see shat makes
the danger worse. It's more than
ever necessary to bring out the
saint"
well. if there's water coming
down from Cuenca,'' the priest
answered. Wed better let it
come, and San Bernardo also had
better keep indoors, at home
Matters concerning saints must
be treated with great discretion,
take my word for that And,
il you don't agree with me. just
remember that freshet when the
river got above the bridges. We