Show alie ine vale of araon aragon by fred frea liUn author of the blade of copyright by bobbs 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 roughhewn rough hewn bunk and holding to the iron bars ban of the window watched a red sun go down behind the hills of alone and facing my last night of life I 1 lived in fancy through the swift passage of events that had bad 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 bad met brave and honorable men whose friendship had bad proved a blessing to me I 1 had made enemies who had filled my soul with a passion for killing I 1 bad seen patriotism in its highest form had watched a man win so nn empire aye had assisted even in the winning of lt it and I 1 had spent my life in the service ofa of a lovely lady and I 1 was carrying away with me to another and surely more beautiful world the blessing of her loe dulce herself had called my love a madness well it if madness might glorify ones life with such emotional bliss then madness was indeed a blessing and sanity a futile thing 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 overwhelmed me in an instant sly my worship had brought me here here to a gloomy house of horrors which hach I 1 would leave at dawn to face the rising sun and a file of armed soldiers yet I 1 was glad of my service to the senorita her brother was safe and d free of the menace of colonel pin she was doubtless safe pint I 1 had bad vanquished yet dead hand reached out to crush me now how S strangely tr angely loth doth fate direct our destiny for between two suns sun the senorita lamartina should lose three suitors for her hand band I 1 laughed lau glied aloud at the sheer absurdity of the thing and turning back to the iron door found the guard standing there tapping upon it can you laugh at such a time senor why not 1 I do not know yet a man seldom laughs at death Is not a laugh easier to fashion ne considered it who knows ile he brightened up 1 I have news news of interest and profit to the senor americano I 1 would tell you senor of a thing that shall give you freedom ne has returned senor tie ne I 1 questioned not pint pablo he could never T mother lother of G d ill 1 Pahlo locito eito gasped crossing himself again 1 I hope he may never return then T 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 A glorious thing senor sanor aye pablo I 1 said humbly a glorious thing indeed so the brave polito to save me had bad made the great sacrifice ali ah a miserable time for dulce for she loved tant handsome brother N what hat does be say pablo after the darkness had settled the guard explained this young lieutenant appeared at the iron gate and demanded admittance lie ile told us that the major garde had taken his personal bond until ten so that under cover of the lie night he might make his way safely to the calibozo calabozo cala hozo bozo for the streets of valencia are filled with celebrating our great victory at cara bobo so fabe senor has not aided in the escape of the lieutenant lamartina but has merely put him on parole for a few hours he be will surely not be slot shot tomorrow morning if the prisoner has returned how may they shoot you 7 now indeed pablo you yoo do not seem glad senor vo no pablo for the boy bay lias has thrown his life away A brave man said pablo who seemed less sympathetic than happy 1 I have locked him up and I 1 am going no now w to report the occurrence to captain lopez commandant of the prison tie ne will see to your release is it not so senor 1 I suspect that he be will my little pablo can you not bring the lieutenant here and put him in this cell with roe me assuredly a little moment senor 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 ali ah the glory and the pity of the thing I 1 they stood in the narrow hallway ballway vague figures in the light pablo unlocked the door thrust into my cell a uniformed figure and the door shut again 1 I will ctorn senor be said I 1 waited until the sound of his departing footsteps died away in the gloom then I 1 took the counterfeit lieutenant in my arms alwaes Al senorita sou find me la in a fir prison lson I loren all ah loren I 1 love thee I 1 cannot live without I 1 removed the futile bandage from her right arm and she bhe put it with the other around my neck beck so holding each other close we lived the swift sweet minutes oblivious to storms or wars or prisons you thought to trick me ehl eh she laughed lightly that clever subterfuge could never have been repeated for there la IS a glory in the air where you abide I 1 can feel it my love for you your tour love was ever a madness loreo loren it Is such a thing that makes a saint yet no greater joy could ever come to me she sighed it Is so 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 1 I dear heart would look again upon the beauty of your eyes would see into the purple depths of your eyes would watch and envy tiny shining curls that caress ah my moon wralph how sweet a satisfaction Is your lovel love I 1 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 madness before the cabildo you seemed a wild thin thing in the silver moonlight loren and you were a queen your eyes were full of dreams you seemed only halt half 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 gift of courage my fine amer leano 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 1 I have little else if indeed that and that which you consider courage may be only recklessness yet you met adolfo an indifferent swordsmen swordsman swords men and yon came to our aid on the santa luerecia Luc Lne recia A little thing and you saved me from the storm and brought me to my brother humph and you braved the perils of caracas to see me where a lady offered herself in sacrifice to save a mar man who though professing love could not penetrate a simple masquerade it is forgiven she said softly au all of that Is forgiven yet I 1 should have known you at maracas maracay you saved me from colonel pini pin who held a pistol that was pointed at you heart lie art binl was eer a coward with three hundred natives you held in check a thousand trained soldiers of spain was that not courage sly bravos had been trained to fight to save me again you offered challenge to colonel rini knowing that your arm pint binl was never a swordsman now site she was sobbing softly in my arms and you took polity polito to a place of safety returning to offer yourself oh my sweet dont cry we should be happy for we have tills this hour and ali ah dear fa r d loren Is it any wonder that I 1 love you it li ii a wonder to roe me and a cause for gratitude tell me how you played this trick upon the guards this brought another quick transition for she ehe laughed gaily and dropping her voice into a burring huskiness duskiness that was almost masculine said 1 I am polito Lamort lamartina Lamart lna tria of his maje service a prisoner in 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 lopez who because of the return of the prisoner who was in your charge will release you of course dulce and then after that dear heart there Is no more for the morning sun should find you near the coast and safety and you I 1 questioned deep humility in ray my soul that this beautiful lady should offer so great a sacrifice 1 I shall be happy loren because you are safe yet tet tomorrows 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 IZ 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 be here loren tomorrow morning when they come to shoot the tall handsome americano Amerl cano they will discover only a woman weeping because her lover Is far away now I 1 kissed her again and held mhd trembling form close to me and I 1 offered up a prayer of gratitude for such a love as the senorita had bad bestowed upon me there Is not another my own in all the world like you none so beautiful none so gracious none with a love so willing to sacrifice fim this hour with you Is worth what do you mean loren she cried cIlli clinging ging to me desperately Is it that you will not 1 I cannot yet you offered your life for polito of course if polito had known loren he be would never have gone it if he be knew now BOW be would come back assuredly my own for polito la is your brother and a brother of the senorita lamartina could not be aught but a brave and gallant gentleman ali ah loren I 1 am so happy my moon wealth 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 might find our hearts 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 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 garde courage my sweet I 1 whispered as she fell to trembling we must face unafraid that which may come to us bless you loren she stood straight and slim as the two men stopped beside my cell A key rasped in the look the heavy door swung open and captain lopez lopes entered 1 I would get the straight of this major garde A simple task my captain if this lieutenant lamartina Lamart lna was placed on parole by yourself and he has returned voluntarily you have not aided in his escape for there has been no escape therefore the charge the charge against me my captain should remain unchanged for this Is not lieutenant lamartina Lamart lna TO BE CONTINUED |