Show r liae e valle vale of Arai by frea mclaughlin author of the blade of copyright liy by bobb berrill co CHAPTER XIII Is 18 A night of madness in tile ancient calabozo calibozo cala bozo of if valencia I 1 stood upon he edge ot of a 0 roughhewn rough hewn bunk and holding to the iron bars of the window watched a red sun go down behind tile the hills of alone alona and facing my last night of life I 1 lived in fancy ough the swift passage of events that had filled the few fell short lee weeks since that night of moonlight madness in now new orleans orlean in actions in emotions in lovo love and hate and fear I 1 hall had lived a long life in that brief space I 1 had met brave and honorable honor ablo men whose friendship had proved a blessing to me I 1 had mildo made i enemies oiled my soul u I 1 with a passion for killing I 1 had se seen ln patriotism in its highest form lint had watched a man win nil hit empire aye had riss assisted isted even in the winning or of it and I 1 had spent roy my life in the service of a lovely lady and I 1 was carrying away with me to another and surely more beautiful world the blessing of her love dulce herself had called my love a madric madness 98 well it if madness might glorify ones life with such emo bielss then madness was indeed it a blessing and sanity a futile thing it had been born I 1 remembered all at once that love for the senorita site she had conle conic like tin an angel out of the mellow moonlight rind love loveland had lind overwhelmed me in an instant my worship had brought me here here to a gloomy house of horrors which h I 1 would leave at dawn to face tile the rising sun suit and a lie file of armed soldiers yet I 1 was glad of my service to tho the senorita her brother was safe and free of the menace of colonel she he was waa doubtless safe pint I 1 had vanquished yet pints dead hand reached out to crush me how strangely doth fate direct our destiny tor for between two suns the senorita lamartina should loso lose three suitors for her liand hand I 1 laughed aloud at tho the sheer absurdity all s u rd of tile the tiling thing and turning bae back k to tile the iron ron door found the guard standing there tapping upon tt it can you laugh at such a time senor why not fc 1 I do not know yet a man a eadom dettlow laughs at death Is not lot a laugh easier caster to fash fashion lon ile he considered it who knows no he brightened up lip 1 I have news news of interest ancl profit to tile tho senor Amer lenno 1 would toll tell you senor of a thing that hat give you freedom fre edoria ilo ile has returned senor lie ile I 1 questioned not pint pablo ho he could never nother mother of 0 d 1 locito ga gasped crossing himself dignin 1 I hope he may never return 1 then r TI the young spanish lieutenant he whom you aided to no pablo I 1 cried noha dohe no do he ha could not have done n thing so foolish 1 A glorious thing senor aye pablo I 1 said bald humbly a glorious thing indeed 1 so the brave polito to save me ine had find made the great sacrifice all ah a miserable time for dulce for she loved that handsome brother what does he say pablo after the darkness had settled tho the cuford auard explained tills this young lieutenant appeared at the iron gate and demanded dellin ded admittance lie ile told us ua that the major garde had taken ills his personal bond until ten tell so that under cover of tile the night lie ho might make ills way safely to the cala calibozo calabozo bozo for tho the streets of valencia anre filled with venezuelans Venezuela ns celebrating our great victory at cara bobo so if t tile tho senor has not aided in tile the of tho the lieutenant Lieu terin tit inmar tina but has merely put him on parole for a few hours lie he will surely not be shot tomorrow morning it tile the prisoner hos returned how suny may they shoot you I 1 ilow how indeed gablor you do not seem glad senor no pablo for the buy boy has thrown his life away A brave man said pahlo pablo who seemed less leas sympathetic than happy 1 I have locked and I 1 hm am going now to report the occurrence to captain lopez commandant of tile the prison ilo ile will ill see to your lour release Is it not so BO I 1 senor 1 I that he will my little pablo altu you not bring the lieutenant here and put him in tills this cell with me assuredly a little moment senor I 1 waited horror in my heart for his return I 1 knew anew that tills would give me back tho the senorita yet it slie she lost her brother all ah the glory and the pity of tile thu hit it they stood in tw tile narrow hallway vague figures in the ineffectual light pablo unlocked the tha door thrust into my cell a uniformed figure and slammed tho the door shut again 1 I will teburn senor he said I 1 wa waited sted until the sound of hla his departing footsteps died away in the gloom then I 1 took the counterfeit lieutenant in my arms always senorita sou iou find me in ft a prison 1 loreo oren all ah loren I 1 lovo love thee I 1 cannot live without thee I 1 I 1 removed the futile bandage from her right arm and she put it with the other around my neck so BO holding each other close wo we lived the swift sweet minutes oblivious to storms storma or wars or prisons you thought to trick me ell eh she laughed lightly that clover clever subterfuge could never have been repeated for there la Is a glory in tile the air where you abide I 1 can call feel it my love for you your tour love was ever a madness loren it to Is such a thing that makes a saint yet tet no greater joy joer could ever come to me she al sighed glied it Is so eo dark dear heart she whispered 1 I want to see your hair I 1 want to see the lovelight love light in your eyes the light of worship that makes a woman happy and I 1 want to see you smile again and I 1 dear heart would look again upon pon u th the beauty of your eyes would see into the purple depths of your eyes would watch und and envy tiny shining curls that caress P ali ah my moon wraith how sweet a satisfaction faction Is your love 11 she laughed happily ha Pity love tills has never come to you before TO no my own and when it camo came it filled the world with glory she was silent it a moment and I 1 knew she visualized that night of mad ness before tho the cabildo you seemed a wild thing in the silver moonlight loren ll 11 1 I and you were a queen your eyes were full of dreams you seemed only half real and your eyes turned till the silver light to purple you you loved roe me then loren aye that instant I 1 think some gentle providence put me thereto there to wait for you to come I 1 you brought something loren out of a chivalrous world to lay before mo tile the gift of courage my fine anerd acano a thin thing so rare in this wort world 11 A poor thing my own wo we notice courage loren we we worship it and the man who possesses it requires little else I 1 laughed ruefully 1 I have little else elm lf if indeed that and that which you consider courage may be only recklessness yet you met adolfo an indifferent swordsmen swordsman swords men 1 I and you came to our aid on the santa Luc lucrecia A little thing and you saved me from the storm and brought me to my brother Ill humph 11 and you braved the perils of caracas to see me where a lady offered herself in sacrifice to save a man who though professing love could not penetrate a simple masquerade it ts Is forgiven she said softly all of 0 that Is forgiven yet I 1 should have known you at karacay maracay BIar acay you saved me from colonel pint who held a pistol that was pointed at you heart pint was ever a coward with three hundred natives a you held in chock check a thou thousand S and trained soldiers of spain was that not courage my bravos had been trained to fight to save me again you yon offered chat challenge to colonel pint knowing that your arm 11 pint was never a swordsman now slie she was sobbing softly in my arms arins and you took t to 0 a place of safety returning to offer yourself oil 01 my sweet dont cry we should be happy for we have tills this hour and 11 ali ah dear n G d loren Is it any wonder that I 1 love you it la Is a wonder to ml me and ana a cause for or gratitude tell me ma how you played this t trick ri ck upon the guards tills this brought another quick transition for she laughed gaily and dropping her voice into a burring huckl buckl ties noss that was almost masculine said eald 1 I am polito lamartina Lamart lna of ills his maje service a charge of major garde who placed me on parole until ten tonight when I 1 am to report myself to the calabazo calabaza cala bazo I 1 am here now that you are said 1 I laughing at her masquerade what it Is all too simple loren the guard has gone to seek captain L lopez 0 pea who because of tile the return of the prisoner who was as in sotir your charge will release you of course dulce and then after that dear heart there la IS no more for the morning ddn sun should find you near the coast and safety and you I 1 questioned deep humility in roy my soul that this beautiful lady should offer so great a sacrifice 1 I shall be happy loren because you are safe yet tomorrows sun would find you here assuredly A small matter indeed I 1 knew the matter was waa not so 1 small mall 3 and I 1 was sure too that she knew e w it will you disappear then with the coming of day like a wraith of the night or will they find you here 1 I shall ahall be here loren tomorrow morning when they come to shoot the tall handsome americano americana they will discover only a woman weeping because her lover is far away now I 1 kissed her again and hold held tile the trembling form close to me and 1 I offered up a prayer of gratitude tor for such a lovo love as the senorita had bestowed upon me there Is 13 not another my own in all the world like you none so beautiful none so gracious none with a loye so willing to sacrifice this hour with you la Is worth cred what do you mean loren she cried clinging to me desperately la Is it that you will not 1 1 I cannot I 1 yet you offered your life for polito of course if polito had known loren he ha would never have gone gone if he knew now he would come back assuredly my own for polito la Is your brother and a brother of the senorita lamartina Lamart lna could not be aught but a brave and gallant gentleman ali ah loren I 1 am so happy my moon wealth I 1 I 1 had hoped that this nightmare of murder might miss us I 1 had hoped that I 1 might go with yo you u to the peace of your beautiful land and there we might find our hearts desire there live out ont our lives together there fulfill this love that god has given us at this I 1 was silent for nothing I 1 con could id say would help and as we waited in close embrace tho the clatter of shod feet and the voice of the garrulous locito came out of the gloom 1 I have put them in the one cell captain it was the wish of major garda Garde 61 courage my sweet I 1 whispered as she fell to trembling we must muse face unafraid that which may como come to us itlena you Lor loren enill she stood straight and slim as the two men stop poil beside my cell A key rasped in the lopas tile the heavy door swung op open e n lind captain lopez entered 1 I would get the straight git 0 of this major carde Gi ircle A simple task my captain if this lieutenant lamartina Lamart lna wa waa s placed on parole by yourself and it ho has r turned returned L voluntarily you have not aided in his escape tor for there has been no escape therefore the charge the charge against me me my captain should remain unchanged for this Is in not lieutenant lamartina Lamart Larn artina lna 11 TO BE CONTINUED |