The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1929-06-28
CHAPTER XIV


| went 70 the window and looked
out I studied the stars. and won
dered which was the star of nv luck
and what ! had done thus TO have
LOST IT'S favor. They seemed so near
10 me. so very near indeed
the twinkling mantle of the stars and
the wide blue arch OF heayen-so
very near 10 me.
The graceful outlines OF the con
vent Of La t'ruz sfeneiled a pretty
picture against the sky. Windows
were alight: wondered which was
Maxiniiians I visioned the vast
| preparations for tomorrows fight
They would leave me-ieave my body
dangling YET I had done no wrong !;
| had given all my majority TO my
country: | had committed no crime
against the Empire. | had served
| faithfully. and for that service now
faced the moose. There had never
been a need for me to serve, for the
extensive De Vigny estate was worth
fortune Yet because OF my love
Of service TO my country, | was here
What was il Madrella had said
The gilt on the emperor's crown
grows thin" And now his majesty
forsaken by the powerful friends In
Europe who had sent him here
planned a last desperate dash 10 free
dom. And La Anita had prophesied
that Macmillan would face a firing
| squad, that the people of Mexico
would rise up and crush him. Could
such a thing be; could an emperor
fail; 'ould an empire fall?
| found the crude uncomfortable
bed and stretched my weary body
upon il. where ! lay, passing from
semiconscious stupor to a troubled
sleep.
| saw again in dreamy retrospect
the sweet Carlotta. empress of Mex
leo, every inch glorious queen; and
/ saw his majesty. the handsome
Hapsburg. who-with his great, grace
/ full height and his golden hair and
beard-Iooked more like a Morse god
tifa4l a man. saw the smiling. cyni
cal face of Madrella-the face of my
self as well He spoke To me: g.
but you mCst be preserved for a less
| kind fate. for the moose awaits you.
Madrella was dead-dead by my own
| hands-yet Ihe had prepared the noose
for ne. | saw Pasqual and his lovely
| little Dolores, and | wondered if they
knew where | had gone Through all
these pictures came and went. ike a
will-o'-the- wisp, the figure and the
/ Of I har aHar
| were fathomless wells of love. and
her red lips were smiling, and the
slim hands beck0ned TO me-
And. doubtless because of my fear
| Of the eyer-tightening Liberal lines
my dream went back TO the emperor.
who had loved me. and who-before
| | had failed so miSerably-had trust
ed me. He was all demonstrating
| alone-and the bare encircling hills
| of Queretaro cut the sky behind him
He faced a squad of dark-faced men
with guns, who stood-solemn, silent
| awaiting an order. They raised
their weapons and saw the squirting
streams of flame. The great figure
crumpled. half rose, fell, and lay still
Mon Dieu-they had killed himl
cried out in my agony: 1.-THE Enlper-
| or-they have killed himi They
/ have"
The vivid horror of that dream
brought me to sudden, startled wake
fulness. | lay trembling, thanking
God that il had been only dream.
beam of sunlight, entering the
barred window. shone full on my face
got to my feet ..lowly, and looked
around. surprised TO find familiar
| things. The night had gone and with
| it half the morning. for the sun was
! high. How quiet was the world.
looked out The convent of La CrUz
was still there. and the bare en-
circling hills as well
Had they forgotten me, or were
they merely waiting? Was this a
scheme of Colonel Lopez; to wait
and wait-letting my hopes run highi
Ii was such thing as be might do.
While | stood. half daZed and won
| dering. | heard deep voice and the
sound of footsteps in the narrow cor
ridor Now they were coming. com
| ing to take me out and hang me
What was il Madrella had SAID? 1--WE
tall, Iong-legged men wiggle a vast
deal on the end of rope" That was
IL | waited Courage-fhar was al!
| needed; would show them how
to diei So. with eyes upon the floor
waited
A key scraped in the lock, a grufi
| order in Spanish. the guards reply
| and the door swung open. vision
| f10ated into the cell, vision in gold
en- tan. with a halo of hair the colar
of desert smoke. with sparkling, am
toned my name. with soft warm arms
that went round my neck
Francois" she cried. Francois
my dearp'
Have died. dear heart-and are
you an angel? All nfght have seen
| you Such sublime loneliness cannon
| be realI"
1 Put your arms around me. Fran
co.'s; does an angel feeI-like thafs
Would the .-iss of an angel seem
| like this?"
How beautiful you are. Anita !
Yet the morning is gone. my sweet.
| and they"
viii never come. Francois" She
loosed me so that | might look upon
her and who had come with her.
/ General Escobedoi" I cried. In
the name of God. senior. how came
| you here-here within the lines of the
Empire2"
There is no Empire. Captain Wig
nv he said
Am I still in the land OF dreams
4 SouarS@