Show ari fie valte vale 7 i of t aragon by it fred irea hlo n author of the blade of copyright br by dobbs merrill co service CHAPTER XIII 18 A night of madness in the ancient calabozo calibozo cala bozo of valencia I 1 stood upon the edge of a rough hewn bunk and holding to the tron iron bars of the window watched a red sun go down behind the hills of barquisimeto alone and facing my last night of life I 1 lived in fancy through the swift passage of events that had filled the few short weeks since that night of moonlight madness in new orleans in actions in emotions in love and hate and fear I 1 had lived a long life in that brief space I 1 had met brave and honorable men whose friend friendship P had proved a blessing to me I 1 had made enemies who had filled my soul with a pass on for kill ng I 1 had seen patriotism in its highest form had watched a man win an empire aye had assisted even in the win winning nina of it and I 1 had spent my life in the service of a lovely lady and I 1 was carrying away with me to another r and surely more beautiful world the blessing of her love duice dulce herself had called my love a madness well if madness might glorify one s life with such emo bliss then madness was indeed a blessing and sanity a futile thin thing g it had been born I 1 remembered all at once that love for the senorita she had come like an angel out of the mellow moonlight and love had over whelmed me in an instant my worship had brought me he here re here to a gloomy house of horrors which I 1 would leave at dawn to face the ris ng sun and a file of armed sol diers yet I 1 was glad of my service to the senorita her brother was safe and free of the menace of colonel pin she was doubtless safe pird I 1 had vanquished yet mal s dead hand reached out to crush me how strangely doth fate direct our destan destiny y tor for between two suns the senorita lamartina Lamart lna should lose three suitors for her hand band I 1 laughed aloud at the sheer absurd ity of the thing and turning back to the iron door found the guard stand ing there tapping upon it can you laugh at such a time senor why not 1 I do not know yet a man seldom laugals s at death Is not a laugh easier to fashion he ile considered it who knows he ile brightened up I 1 have news news of interest and profit to the senor americano Amerl cano I 1 would tell you senor of a thing that shall give you freedom he fie has returned senor he ile I 1 questioned not brinl pablo he could never mother of G d locito gasped crossing 1 itself again I 1 hope he may never return then the young spanish lieutenant he whom you aided to escape no pablo I 1 cried no he could not have done a thing so foolish v A glorious thing thin sen r aye pablo I 1 said humbly a glorious thing indeed so the brave pol to to save me hid had made the great sacrifice ah ali a miserable time for duice dulce for she loved that handsome brother what does ehe ashe say biblo after the darkness ha haa settled the guard explained this young lieu tenant appeared at the iron gate and demanded admittance he ile told us that the americano Amen cano major garde had taken his personal bond until ten 0 clock so that under cover of tl tj e night he might make his way to the calabozo calibozo cala bozo tor for the streets of valencia are filled with venezuelans celebrating our great victory at cara bobo so it if the senor has not aided in the escape of the lieutenant lamar mip it tina but has merely put him on parole for a few hours he will surely not be shot tomorrow morning if the pris oner has returned how may they shoot you afa how indeed pablo you do not seem glad senor no pablo for the boy has thrown his life away A brave man said pablo who seemed less sympathetic than happy I 1 have locked him up and I 1 am going now to report the occurrence to cap tain lopez commandant of the prison he lie will see to your release Is it not so senor I 1 suspect that he will my little pablo can you not bring t the I 1 eu tenant here and put him in this cell with me assuredly a little moment senor I 1 I 1 waited horror in my heart for his return I 1 knew that this would give me back the senorita yet if she lost her brother ah ali the glory and the pity of the thing I 1 they stood in the narrow hallway vague figures in the ineffectual light pablo unlocked the door thrust into my cell a uniformed figure and slammed the door shut again awill I 1 will return senor he said I 1 waited until the sound of his dei arting footsteps d ed away in the gloom then I 1 took the counterfeit I 1 eu tenant in my arms always senorita aou a find me in a prison loren ah all loren I 1 love thee I 1 cannot live without thee I 1 removed the futile bandage from her right arm and she put it with the other around my neck so holding each other close we lived the swift sweet minutes oblivious to storms or wars or prisons you thought to trick me eh she ohe laughed lightly that clever subterfuge could never have been repeated for there Is a glory in the air where you abide I 1 can feel it my love for you tour your love was ever a madness loren it Is such a thing that makes a saint yet no greater joy could ever come to me file she sighed it is so dark dear heart she whispered I 1 want to see your hair I 1 want to see the 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 took again upon the beauty of your eyes would see into the purple depths of your eyes would watch and envy tiny sl SI in ng curls that caress ah ali my moon wraith how sweet a satisfaction Is your love she laughed happily love has never come to you before no my own and when it came it filled the world with glory she was silent a moment and I 1 knew she visualized that night of mad ness bess before the cabildo you seemed a wild thing in the silver moonlight loren and you were a queen your eyes were full of dreams you seemed only bait halt real and your eyes turned the silver light to purple you you loved me then loren aye that instant I 1 think some gentle providence put me there to wait for you to come you brought something loren out of a chivalrous world to lay before me the g f ft t of courage my fine amer acano a thing so rare in this world A poor thing my own we notice courage loren we we worship it and the man who possesses it requires little else I 1 laughed ruefully I 1 have little else if indeed that and that which you cons coils der courage may be only recklessness yet you met adolfo an indifferent swordsmen and yo yoi I 1 came to our aid on the santa lucrecia A little thing and you saved me from the storm and brought me to my brother humph and you braved the perils of cara cas to see me where a lady offered herself in sacrifice to save a man who though professing love loe could not penetrate a simple masquerade it Is forgiven she said softly all of that Is forgiven yet I 1 should I 1 ave known you at maracay karacay you saved me from colonel pint pini who beld 1 eld a pistol that was po anted at you I 1 eart art pint was ever ener a coward I 1 with three hundred hun ired natives you held in check a eliou ind sol diers of spain was ivas stat not cour age my bravos had I 1 cen een trained to fight to sive safe me again you offered caal cl il lenge to colonel pini pint knowin knowing blat tl at dour irm P ni lit v w as never a isman small now sl e was son ing softly in my arms and vou tou took I 1 lito to a alice of safety return ln to offer yourself oh my sweet don t cry we should be happa f r we have tl ti is ho ir and ah ali dear G d Is it any wonder tl if it at I 1 love ione you it Is a wonder to me and a cause for gratitude tell me how you played this trick upon the guards this brought another quick transi tion for she laughed gaily and drop ping her voice into a burring 0 huski buski ness that was almost masculine said I 1 am aleut polito lamartina of his maje majesty s service a prisoner in charge of major garde who placed me on parole until ten 0 clock ton when I 1 am to report myself to the calabazo calabaza cala bazo I 1 am here now that you are said I 1 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 prisoner who was in your charge wil release you of course duice dulce and then after that dear heart there is no more for the morning sun should find jou near the coast and safety and you I 1 questioned deep hu in my soul that this beautiful lady should offer so great a sacrifice I 1 shall be happy loren because you are safe yet tomorrow tomorrows s sun would find you here assuredly A small matter indeed I 1 knew the matter was not so small and I 1 was sure too that she knew it will you disappear then with the coming of day like a wraith of the night or will they find you here I 1 shall be here loren tomorrow morning when they come to shoot the tall handsome americano Amen cano they will dis cover only a woman weeping because her lover Is far away now I 1 kissed her again and held the trembling form close to me and I 1 offered up a prayer of gratitude tor for such a love as the senorita had bestowed upon me there Is not an other my own in all the world like you none so beautiful none so gra clous none with a love so willing to sacrifice this hour with you Is worth what do you mean loren she cried clinging to me desperately Is it that you will not I 1 cannot yet you offered your life for polito of course if polito had known loren he would never have gone it if he knew now he would come back As assuredly ur edly my own tor for polito is your brother and arid a brother of the senorita lamartina Lamart lna could not be aught but a brave and gallant gentleman ah ali loren I 1 am so hai hal py my moon wraith I 1 I 1 had hoped that this nightmare of murder might miss us I 1 had hoped that I 1 might go with you to the peace of your beautiful land and there we mig might gh t find our I 1 eart s desire there live out our lives together there fulfill this love that god has given us at this I 1 was silent for nothing I 1 could say would help and as we waited in close embrace the clatter of shod feet and the no 0 o ce of the garru lous locito came out of the gloom I 1 have put them in the one cell cap tain it was the wish of major garde courage my sweet I 1 whispered as she fell to ng we must face d tl at which may come to us bless you loren she stood straight ind sl in as the two men stopped bes de my cell A key rasped in the loci the heavy door swung of 0 n an aej I 1 calta n I 1 entered I 1 v w il I 1 get the straight of this M fijor ajor carle car ie A s n i ie task my captain if tl tt s lieutenant Larn lamartina Lamart artina lna was place on parole by yourself and he I 1 as returned voluntarily iou have not aide I 1 in I 1 is escape for there has been no escape therefore the charge the chairge iga ast me my captain should unchanged for this la is not I 1 leu lieutenant tenant Li lamartina martina TO BE CONTINUED |