Show The f e VALE of H ADAkI 0 N By FRED r-ir r I MCLAUGHLIN Author of The liThe Blade Brede of Pic r yi Copyright by bJ Dobbs i 4 4 Co do Co 4 Service CHAPTER XIII Continued XIII-Continued Continued 12 12 Why not I 1 do o not know know- yet know yet et a man seldom seldom sel sel- sel dom laughs at death Is not a laugh easier to fashIon lash fash- Ion to lie It iu Who knows He Be brightened up I UI have hac news News s of Interest and profit to the Senor Americano I would tell you I Senor of a thing that shall give you ou freedom He lIe has hns returned Senor lie He 1 I questioned not PinI Pablo Pahlo he could never never- Mother of G G tJ d 1 gasped crossing himself again I hope he lie may never ne return I 1 IThen Then Then coo V The young Spanish lieutenant he whom you ou aided to escape No Pablo I cried no he could not have done a thing so foolIsh fool- fool sh isIs I 1 IA IA A glorious thing Senor Aye Pablo I said humbly a glorious thing Indeed So the brave Polito to save me had iad made matJe the great sacrifice Ah All a i miserable time for Dulce for she loved oved that handsome brother What does he lie say Pablo After the da darkness had settled the he guard explained this young oung lIeutenant appeared at nt the thc Irongate iron irongate irongate gate and demanded a admittance He told old us that the Americano Major Garde had taken his personal bond until ten o'clock so that under undercover undercover cover coyer of ot the night he might make male his ils wa way safely to the calabozo for forthe forthe forthe the streets of Valencia are filled with Venezuelans axis celebrating our great victory victor at nt Carabobo So if the Senor has not aided In n the escape of the Lieutenant Lamartina but has merely put him himon himon himon on parole for a few hours he lie will wUl sur surely ly not be shot tomorrow morn morn- I Ing ng If It the prisoner has returned how may the they shoot you ou How Indeed Pablo i You do not seem glad Senor I No Pablo for the boy has thrown his life away away awayA A brave bra man said Pablo who seemed less sympathetic than happ happy I 1 have locked him up and andI I 1 am going now to report the occurrence occurrence occurrence oc oc- oc- oc currence to Captain Lopez commandant com corn mandant of the prison He ITe will see to your our release release is is It not so Senor r I suspect that he will my little Pablo Can you ou not bring the lieutenant lieutenant lieu lieu- tenant here and put him in this cell with me Assuredly a little moment Senor I waited horror in my heart for his return I knew that this would give me tack hack the Senorita yet if It she lost her brother Ah Au the glory glor and the pity of the thing They stood In the narrow ballway hallway hall ball way vague figures In the ineffectual tuai light Pablo unlocked the thedoor thedoor door do thrust Into my cell a uniformed uni unI- formed figure and sl slammed the thedoor thedoor thedoor door shut again I will return Senor he lie said I waited until the sound of his departing footsteps died dle a away way In Inthe Inthe Inthe the gloom then I took tool the thc counterfeit counter- counter felt feit lieutenant In my arms Always Always Al AI- AI ways Senorita you find me in a prison Loren ah au Loren I love lo thee I cannot live c without thee 1 I removed remo the futile bandage from her right arm and she put It with the other around my neck so so holding each other close we lived the swift sweet minutes oblivious ob oh- livious Uvious to storms or wars or pris prIs- ons You thought to trick me eh She laughed lightly That clever subterfuge could never neer have been repeated repented for there Is a glory in the air nIr where you sou abide I can feel It my love for you you- you Your love Jove was ever a n madness I Loren it Is such a thing that makes es a n saint Yet no greater joy could ever conic come to me She sighed It is so dark dear dearheart dearheart dearheart heart she whispered I want to see y your yur ur hair baIr I 1 want to see the thc love light In your eyes the eyes the light of worship that makes a woman happy and and I want to see you smile sOllIe again i And I dear heart would look again upon the beauty of your eyes would see Into the thc purple depths of your our eyes would watch watch and and eD envy tIny tiny shining curls that caress caress- I Ah Au my wraith moon how sweet s sweeta a satisfaction is your love Io lovel 1 She laughed happily Love 0 has hris never come to you before No my own and when It came It filled fined the world with glory She was silent a n moment and I knew she visualized that night of madness e the Cabildo You seemed a wild thing In the silver slIver moonlight Loren And you were a queen Your eyes were full lull of dreams you you seemed only half halt real And your eyes turned the sliver silver light to purple You You you loved me then Loren i iA A Aye e that Instant I think some Game gentle Providence put mo me there thereto there there- to wait walt for you to come You brought something Loren out of a n chivalrous world to lay Iny i before me the gift of con courage rage my my line fine Americano a a thing so rare Inthis Inthis in inthis this world A poor thing my own We notice courage Loren we we- we we wc worship It and the thc man who possesses It requires little else 1 1 laughed ruefully I have little else else It if Indeed that and that which you consider courage ma may be bc only recI recklessness I Yet you met Adolfo An indifferent swordsman And you ou came cam to our aid on the thc Santa cIn MA A A little thing And you ou saved me from the storm and brought me mc to my brother Humph And you ou braved the perils of ot Caracas to see me Where a u lady offered herself in sacrifice to save sn a n man who though professing love could not noL penetrate a n simple masquerade It Is forgiven she said softly I all nil of that tha t Is forgiven Yet I should have known you At Maraca Maracay you saved me me from Colonel Pin who held a pistol that was pointed at your heart PinI was ever n a coward With three hundred bundred natives yes you held In check heck a thousand trained soldiers of Spain Was that not courage My 1 bravos tra had bad been trained to fight To save me again you offered challenge to Colonel knowing that your arm arm arm- PinI was as never a swordsman Now she was sobbing softly In my arms And you OU took Polito to toa toa toa a place of safety returning to offer yourself yourself- Oh my sweet dont don't cry we ve should be happy happ for we have this hour anAh and and and- Ah Alt dear G G-d G d Loren Is It any wonder onder that I love loye you nm It Is a n wonder vonder to me and me-and and a cause for gratitude Tell me mc how you pla played ell this tills trick upon the guards This brought another quick transItIon transition transition tran tran- for she laughed gaily and dropping her ber voice Into a burring huskiness that was almost masculine line Jine said I am Polito Lamartina La La- martina of his majesty's service a n prisoner In charge of Major Garde who placed me on parole un until ll ten o'clock tonight when I am to report report report re re- re- re port myself to the calabozo I am here Now v that you are said I I. I laughing at her masquerade what It is all too simple Loren the guard has gone to seek Captain Lopez who because of the return of the thc prisoner who was in your ouI charge will release you ou Of course Dulce Dulce and and then After HAfter that dear heart there thero is no more for the tile morning sun should find you near the coast coast coast- and safety And you ou I questioned deep humility in my soul that this beautiful beautiful beautiful beau beau- lady should offer so great a sacrifice lice I UI shall shaH be happy Loren because because be be- cause you ou are safe Yet tomorrows tomorrow's sun would find you here herc Assuredly A small matter In In- deed I knew the thc matter was not so small and I was sure too that she knew It IL Will you ou disappear then with the coming of da day hike dat-hike like a n wraith of the night or night or will the they find you here I shall be here Loren Tomorrow Tomorrow Tomorrow Tomor Tomor- row morning when they come corne to shoot the tall handsome Americano they will discover only a woman weeping because her lover lo is far away Now I 1 kissed her again and held the thc trembling form close to me and andI I offered up a prayer player er of gratitude for such a love as the Senorita had bestowed upon me There Is not another my ray own In all nil the world like you none BO so beautiful none so gracious none with a love so willing to sacrifice This hour with you is worth worth- What do you ou mean Loren Lorea she cried clinging to me inc desperately Is It that you will not notI notI not not- I cannot Yet you offered your life for Polito PoUto Of course I If Polito had known Loren he would never have ha gone If he knew now he would come back Assuredly my own for Polito is your brother brother and and a brother of ot the thc Senorita Lamartina could not be bo aught tut but a n brave bra and gallant gentleman Ah Ab Loren I am so happy My wraith moon J I I had hoped that this nightmare of murder might miss us ns I had hoped that I might go with you to tim the peace of your i beautiful land and there we wc ml might bt find our hearts heart's desire there live out our lives together there fulfill this love lo that God has given us At this I was silent for nothing I could sa say would help And as ns we waited in close embrace the clatter of shod feet and the voice of the garrulous came out of or orthe the gloom I 1 have put them Inthe Inthe in inthe the one cell captain It was the wish of Major Garde Courage my ray sweet I whispered whispered whis whis- us she ehe fell feIl to trembling we wc must face unafraid that which may come to us Bless mess you ou Loren I she stood straight streIght and slim as ns the thc two men stopped beside my cell A key cy rasped In the lock locI the heavy door swung open and Captain Lopez entered I would get the thc straight of at this Major Garde A simple task my captain If this Lieutenant was placed on parole by yourself and he lie has returned voluntarily you ou have not aided In his escape for there has hns been no escape therefore therefore therefore there there- fore the charge charge- The charge against me my captaIn cap cap- tam tain should remain unchanged for this Is not Lieutenant cried out In surprise But he lie told me rue Senor that he lie was and he lie lie- Lopez pez sw swore rc softly What trick Is this Senor If It the lie prisoner is not Lieutenant Polito who Is he lie Lieutenant Is safe in Puerto Cabello ere this his sis sis sis- ter the SenorIta Dulce stands before be be- fore forc you Ah Mi Loren Loren I would have saved sa thee I But not thyself The Thc captain bowed to the lie Senor ta lily My 1 task Is not so simple neIther neither nei net ther are my duties to my liking yet my orders orders- Are re to be obeyed I said May MayI I request my captain that you offer escort to the Senorita so she may return In safety to the home of Senora This will be m my only request Assuredly No Loren no fbI I I would not lea leave ve thee thee thee- 0 Ah Ab Ah Dulce mla s. s I Yes Loren I am trying Can you not see me smile I urn um smiling smil smil- In ing tog saul smiling I rig bravely bra bravely bravely-as as as you would have hn me rue do I want you to know that I am urn brave c you ou will wUl remember remember ber her me so so will will you ou not Loren Loron that lint I am nm brave b-brave Aye Ae my own Then kiss me and hold me to to your heart again and again and I will go Adios my my my-my my moon I II II I- I I have never believed belle that you are real Just something fine and noble t that at was In my dreams CHAPTER XIV 0 Dawn awn A AH A H THE TilE melancholy silence of at i my prison the horror of at the dragging hours the deep darkness for the SenorIta having left had taken with her all the light of the world had bad taken my soul my mylove mylove love loye my life and there was left to tome tome tome me only an un empty empt husk This I cast upon the rude couch and antI tried vainly to speed the measured minutes min mm- utes courting sleep unavailingly una In ray ros y despair the face of Dulce came to me again I heard in infancy infancy fanc fancy the music of her voice and my prison was filled lilied with the glory of her pres nee nce for at last I slept And sleeping I saw the straight oj c I w I J 1 I y mr mu It 4 11 U. U t vJ 1 i 11 r I I ft I pi U i wJ S Then uThen Kiss Me and Me-and and Hold Me to Your Heart Again and I Will Go sturdy figure of my father er with his fair hair and his clear resolute e eyes es I saw the gracious lady who was my mother and the slim swayIng swaying swaying sway sway- ing figure of that exquisite little sister of mine who at fifteen had given I en promise of great beauty They rhey would miss me for the they loved me and they had given ginn me meery very ery much Indeed So with the thc face of Dulce smiling smiling smil smil- ing bravely coming comins to me out of the gloom and fading again and the vivid pictures of m my youth and my young manhood passing before m me ale in swift panorama I spent the night In fitful slumber to awaken at last to the lie familiar tapping of upon the door of my cell Has the thc sun Pablo Pablo- It has hns Just come up Senor and anda a n sergeant and a n file of soldiers await your our pleasure My pleasure did the sergeant say my ray pleasure My pl pJ pleasure asure then shall shail tax his patience patience patience pa pa- tience for first I shall shah eat then with the aid of soap and water and n a razor that you may bring I Ishall Ishall Ishall shall mal make e myself as presentable as pos possible May one do less at such a time I II 1 do not know Senor he said in a daze is life Ilfe so droll a thing that you should laugh It away Life is a glorious thing my ray little Pablo an and I hope you shall shaU have ha as much of at it as you desire 1 I hope you ou may view this tills beautiful i ful tui world until your your- eyes are ure dim with the years yearn that you may listen I to the sweet sounds of nature and to time the sweeter sounds of the voices I of or those who love you until your our I ears ears ears- GracIas Senor Senor Senor-I I will wIH hasten He brushed brushe my ray clothes and pol- pol my boots while I ate the breakfast of baked chiva and tortilla tor tor- lIla tilla and coffee and papaya that he I prepared then I 1 bathed dressed I shaved combed my hair and placed my cap upon my head with the I greatest care Ready at last I walked with him along the narrow darkened hallway and out Into the bright sunlight to toa a wide iron gate that swung open at our approach where a Sergeant and a squad of a dozen ozen soldiers sollers took me In charge I searched m m- pockets and poured Into Pablo tos to's cuppe cupped hands all the silver sliver that I found there and with a word of thanks for his attentions marched away beside the sergeant with six soldiers flanking us right and left It was a n beautiful morning with I air so clear that lint trees upon the crest of at distant mountain ranges rang I stood out with cameo distinctness Do you usually take tal a u mornIng morning morn morn- In Ing constitutional before an executIon execution ecu ex-ecu- tion 1 I questioned the lie sergeant after we had traversed a full fun third of or the time city I am directed to bring you here said he as we turned Into an nn arched gateway and bent our steps toward the lie massive mansion that has been the home of many gover gover- nors A guard Juard nt at the lie great wooden door with Its exquisite car Iu carving stood aside and four tour abreast we marched through It Into a spacious chamber which at nt first because of time the brilliant sunlight that hind had filled OIled our eyes seemed a place of shad shad- owl 0 The sergeant voiced a sharp command the soldiers faced about and |