Show The Vale Vale- olBy ol of Ar Aragon By FRED MCLAUGHLIN Author of The Slade of oJ by Co U Service WHAT HAS TRANSPIRED In the tho old city of New Orleans In n tho year 1821 Loren Garde recently an officer under General Is surprised by the ap appearance ap- ap I of three figures In nn- nn clent Spanish Sp costume two men and n n. woman whose beauty en enchants enchants enchants en- en chants him Resenting the arrogance arrogance arro arro- gance sance of the tho elder of the two men Garde fights tights a duel with him and wounds him He learns his hla opponent Is Adolfo do Fuentes colonel In the Spanish army In Venezuela Garde Gardo overhears a plot to overthrow Spanish rule In Venezuela ell Discovered he ho fights but Is overpowered Garde Gardo finds a n prisoner on tho the Santa Lucrecia ship bearing arms and ammunition for tho the Venezuelans under Bolivar Boll On Onboard Onboard Onboard board arc are tho the conspirators he had overheard o the lady of ot his love her brother Polito and Do De Fu- Fu entes From the girl Gardo Garde learns her name Is Dulce Lamartina Ho does not tell her of his love e but feels she sho Is not Indifferent to him Tho The vessel Is wrecked and Garde rea reaches tho Venezuelan shore alone Making Makin his way way Inland he meets a n man who ho Introduces himself as Monahan captain Inthe in inthe inthe the British legion under Bolivar Boll Ho He sees secs Dulce with Do De Fuentes and Polito Monahan urges him to Join tho Venezuelans but his mind is set on seeing Dulco Dulce Monahan Monahan Mon Mon- ahan directs him to friends in Caracas There Thero Garde supplied b by Monahan with tho the secret sign of ot the patriots Is welcomed at revolutionary re headquarters CHAPTER IV Continued IV-Continued Continued 5 3 My heart henrt suddenly warmed to tills earnest patriot I met mt nn an Irish soldier on the road I said Captain Monahan one of ot the BritIsh British British Brit Brit- ish legion who offered me his trust He helped me change the complexIon complex- complex Ion of my face and hair hall and he referred referred referred re re- re- re me to Tomas Carrasco and the Cantina Merida And the sign of ot the Sociedad i Be have gave me that as well weH Your Tour life In this cit city Senor will not be worth a silver real when Fuentes finds you ou out He has little cause to Jove love one who In the space of an hour vanquishes him with the sword and steals the heart of his lady How lIow can you rou know that Manuel Manuel Man Man- uel I cried hopefully A lOA mere matter of or logic a simple thing indeed New Orleans' Orleans was Oiled filled one brilliant moonlit night with the hue and cry of ot the chase and the quarry was a tall hatless haired fair man who had stabbed stubbed the tIle n noble tle Colonel Fuentes during the course of ot a duel in the Place dArmes We Ve found hiding In the apse reser reserved d for tor San Isidro such sucha a man who afterward refused to leave the Santa Lucretia Lucrecia at nt the safe port of Besides the lady came to see him In his prison sought him out again in the fury of ot the storm The Jad lady Journeys journeys journeys Jour jour- to Caracas and the Viking dyes his hair hall and beard and face and follows her only to put his foolish head into a noose Until the noose tightens then Manuel I said my foolish head Is safe It is a n long way war from Spain to the cathedral and I r Intend Intend It The Thc sailor gave ga himself over to boisterous laughter But nut the cathedral cathedral cathedral ca ca- ca- ca thedral has been reached Senor the Journey ended for the Senorita Dulce Lamartina will wUl be married today at high noon which noon which is within within within with with- in the hour hour to to Colonel Adolfo de deFuentes deFuentes Fuentes military aide of ot La Torre Name of G G-d G d I The truth truth said Manuel It lilt catches you no He grinned I How will your efficient fists tale take care of such a situation will you ou push over the big cathedral or or V We can at least Manuel g go to the wedding Madness Senor Surely you would not do so wild a thing I 1 Why not Is not the wedding a public affair I have taken care of myself for many years Manuel and expect to do so many more If you hesitate to accompany me rue or fear tear that evil U might befall befall- Not at all aU he cried In high good humor now I wouldn't miss it for the finest ship In the Indies 1 I As we entered the soft gloom of the cathedral m my heart was beating a swift tattoo against my ribs my breathing was the labored breath of ot the spent runner and my body shook in the palsy of ot arrant fear I I had bad be begun Un to cherish a faint hope th that t a portion of the Senoritas Senorita's love had been bestowed upon me She had bad come to my prison had tried to save me she had sought me out In the fur fury of the storm and the light of or her e eyes es when she had found me mo ah alt ah But who was Adolfo what had he done dono to win her Wh Why should she marry this drunken Spaniard whose whoso loves were le legion lon When I had saved her and brought her to those In to the lifeboat lifeboat- Adolfo had tried to kill me A wild rage possessed possessed pos pos- me De Fuentes would never never nev nev- er cr marry her I would throw myself upon him at the altar I would put my fingers around his throat and hold them there until ho lie died and andall andall andall all the tIO powers In the great cathedral cathedral cathe cathe- dral would not atop stop me I would tear A A quieting ng hand band wn was laid upon m my ma arm and Manuel Manuel's s warning whIsper whisper whis whIs- per came to me Do you OU shake the roof from the tube building fool tool One Is watched here hero As we moved mo slowly down the wide aside aisle alsie 1 could see sec that the spacious spacious spacious spa spa- cious chamber was filled An usher seated us less than twenty feet teet from the altar we thanked him and settled at last listened to the suppressed murmur that went up from the waiting crowd Yonder said Manuel pointing a n prudent thumb Is Morales who acts for La Torre I studied the cold dignified man who tore with evident c pride the gaudy trappings s of his rank Had HadI I never seen the city of I should ha have 0 disliked this c cynical Spaniard whose face was set In a mask of cruelty and whose J c eyes es were veiled cUed by heavy helly II lids lis half closed cosed as ns though to conceal his crafty thoughts This man then with the power of ot Spain at nt his call had laid ald his hand upon a city and had destroyed destroyed de ed all the life It held It hadn't been a gesture of ot war I 1 remembered remembered for not a man In was armed A deed of senseless brutality brutality no no less this less this destruction of a n helpless town and the slaughter ter of Its people If It Morales represented represented represented rep rep- resented Spanish methods In Venezuela Venezuela Venezuela Vene Vene- zuela the cause of Bolivar I reasoned reasoned reas reas- I was just Hot anger burned within me the racing blood pounded at nt my temples and falling to trembling again I 1 gripped m my fingers and ground my teeth in a fury of impotence The glorious was marrying the aide of this monster and the colonels colonel's emulation of ot the Butcher had earned for him already a n reputation reputation tation as Infamous as that of hIs hla chief Now Manuel touched my arm Careful my friend he whispered such malignant looks loos ill Ul become a n wedding If you Ou would e conser conserve your life lite you must control your face c I had come to realize at last that behind the face faco of the swarthy and clever Manuel Mnnuel la lay thoughts most beautiful and profound profound profound pro pro- found and I wondered vaguely what manner of man might be this Bolivar ar the father of the the- revolution revolution re tion wherein lay his hold upon his people Francisco had said to me If It Venezuela had a thousand men like lIle you Senor she would win her independence independence in in- dependence out of ot hand Well r rr J r S I i iI I I Ir t r z rr r- r r r phi t y i Mrs L Senor Moon Moon wraith why not could this game we call life offer to me any more fascinating fascinatIng fascinating ing sport And If Bolivar were half halt the man that his this amazing power over the people of Venezuela seemed to Indicate then service Ice under him would be a glorious thing The swelling murmur of ot the throng was stilled with startling suddenness and a n silver sll thread of music filled the air It deepened Into the slow harmony of a march marchand marchand marchand and In time with It It came a muffled sound of footfalls I bowed m my head for I dared not look They The were coming down the aisle beside us After nn an Interminable wait the priests priest's deep voice filled the cathedral cathedral cathedral cathe cathe- dral with toneless sound I heard nothing of what he lie said I could not even raise my e eyes es She Sho was marrying him marrying that craven Spaniard Wherein had hind I failed had I r followed her for this this to to sit Idly while she gave herself In marrIage marriage marriage mar mar- to Adolfo to wait In muted Impotence while another man I lifted my head at last and looked at them They st stood od before the tho tall taU serene robed black-robed priest i Adolfo In the brilliant uniform of ot oti i his rank with his arm free now and she in white as fair and as asI I pale as a lily Polito garbed as a lieutenant In the service ser of his majesty maj esty Ferdinand Ferdnand VII stood beside her his Ws head hend swathed In a bandage and another around his throat I My mad worship drew my eyes to her downcast face and held them I there I saw again the tender curve CUITe of her cheek check and the sweetly pointIng pointing pointing point point- ing chin which trembled else my eyes ces were playing me false tiny black curls curIs touched an ear und and caressed caressed caressed ca ca- her neck and her bosom rose roseand roseand roseand and fell In an emotion beyond her control The Incongruous thought came to me that she seemed just like a n little girl about to C cry I looked and looked filling my soul with her beaul beauty I gripped the carved car bench In front of ot me and held m myself self rigid concentrating every overy faculty into the Intensity of my regard Polito offered something something some some- thing to the colonel colonel colonel-a a rin ring I sup sup- posed Time The ho calm father tather spoke c to the Senorita and she extended one slender hand It raised slowly as ns though It were lifting the weight of the world and her e eyes es came up with It I searched her face tace eagerly now no drinking in her loveliness I would live thIs l love e of ot mine during the minute or two that she might still i remain the Senorita Lamartina and then then free free of ot Caracas I I would seek forgetfulness In arms under the banner of Bolivar for I could never go back again to the peace and quiet of the great plantations Dios DIos said Manuel Mnnuel In to an anxious ious sous whisper she site has seen thee l 1 No v NoI I realized that the Senorita Dulce had found m my eyes ees She was looking past last the lie colonels colonel's shoulder der ller her lips were parted her eyes wide color came carne and went In her face and a n deep sigh escaped her With outstretched hand pointing In my direction she pushed past the prospective brIde bridegroom room and started down clown the carpeted aisle nisle toward me She Sho seemed like e one who moves mo InA Ina in ina a trance her e eyes eye unseeing her arms extended as though In sup sup- Before she had taken two steps I Iwas Iwas Iwas was on my feet and In three strides stood before her catching the swa swaying Ing figure as It fell With a childlike sigh she snuggled Into the protection of my arms Senor wraith Moon she whispered in a tiny voice olce that was drowned in the swelling lamentations that filled the tho cathedral She raised a hand wonderingly and touched my ray darkened hair Is It the Senor I would would- would would-It None other what have I Idone Idone Idone done Senorita Hasten said a rasping voice at my elbow you yon must escape Save Sa thyself Manuel Mnnuel good goodfriend goodfriend friend I said nothing they may maydo maydo maydo do to me meNow meNow me- me Now the crowd was upon us In Inan Inan Inan an overwhelming o flood Polito Polito his his face ns as black as a thunder cloud tore the precious burden from m my arms soldiers barked orders women women wom wom- en screamed and anal children cried shrilly Thrusting bodies propelled me swiftly toward the wide doorway doorway doorway door door- way out of which we tumbled In a n scrambling heap CHAPTER V Adios E EVEN PEN as I entered the spacious J home of ot Tomas Carrasco a file of ot soldiers deployed and surrounded surrounded sur sur- rounded It It Verily Morales moved swiftly and swiftly and I knew I would never r win free of Caracas Yet I had held her In my my arms again had lost m myself In the sweet depths of her e eyes es had heard her call my name had felt the touch of her fin fin- gers To my starved soul that was very cry much Indeed so I 1 laughed gaily as the good Tomas all nil of a tremble hurried Into my comfortable comfortable comfortable comfort comfort- I able quarters Do they seek thee Senor these Senor these soldiers f fAye I Aye A e Tomas I am amery very ery valuable to them for I have just disarranged ed eda a wedding wedding- and I hn have put a lasting hurt Into the heart healt of ot Colonel Fuentes Alt Ah misfortune Senor it will bring death to nil all of us 1 Not so Tomas this will bring death only to a poor French sailor who would feast his soul upon the beauty of n a lady Indy This inn nil of or yours ours is open to any traveler who tins has mone money to pa pay for accommodations You know nothing of me I shall shaH assure them As a sergeant and ande five e soldiers soldiers- and Lieutenant marched Polito-marched marched In from the patio I chose the side of ot the room farthest from the window that I might stand stanl as much as possible possible pos pos- sible In the gloom The ser sergeant turned to Polito who shook his head and touched his bandaged throat with 1 fingers n ers then the sub officer addressed addressed ad ad- dressed me Are you the devil Senor who has put a spell upon the SenorIta Lamartina There is too much flattery In your words sergeant I said Y You u assign n too much power to me and andI I think It t Is s the Senorita who has lIas cast a spell upon all of us PolIto started and stared What are arc you ou called Senor Timoleon said I choosing at nt random the first name that came camo Into my mind a sailor raised In n the Indies who will work worle for an anybody bod on any ship at an any anytime time I am nm a n that's floater floater that's all nil I How came camo you Senor In the cathedral I I sat alone this morning in the Plaza San Jacinto while people passed Into the great church A swarthy sailor doubtless having sympathy for my loneliness led me meIn meIn meIn In so that I 1 might view the wedding of the beautiful lady of ot Spain and the wise C Colonel lonel Fuentes If evil has been wrought wr In the cathedral Sergeant It is no work of mine Yet you you you- you The Frenchman Senor Is ever evera a lover and If It I stared at nt her hel Is It nn anything a thousand others were I Inot not doln doing Yet she she she- I Ah Alm must I let her fall fainting to the carpeted aisle would that have been the act of ot n a Frenchman We are a. a chivalrous race Senor and we offer our arms and arms and our hearts hearts hearts-at at all aU times May Ia one do less Polito swung his legs lebs a half half- smile on his handsome face The sergeant shrugged his shoulders helplessly and turned nel toward his superior The lieutenant desires to question him him him- Not at all said PoUto Polito His voice was n a hoarse rasping whisper whisper whis whis- per |