Show 71 THE VALE ea OF ARAGON B by y FRED mclaughlin author of the blade of T CoDy copyright right by bobbs merrih co service CHAPTER XIII continued Contini tied 19 rab locIto cried out in surprise but he be told me senor that he was and he lopez swore softly what trick Is this senor it if the prisoner Is not the lieutenant polito who Is he lieutenant lamartina Lamart lna Is safe in puerto cabello ere this his sister the senorita dulce stands before you ah loren loren loran I 1 would have saved thee r I 1 but not thyself lopez took off his cap what motive senorita would you have thus to masquerade as your brother all ah my captain I 1 laughed may one question the motive of a lady whose heart Is full of dreams one who has looked perchance upon the moon the captain bowed to the senorita my task Is not so simple neither are my duties to my liking yet my orders are to be obeyed 01 I 1 said may I 1 request my captain that you offer escort to the senorita so she may return in safety to the home of senora ybarra this will be my only request assuredly no loren no nol I 1 I 1 would not leave thee all ah dulce mial mia ill yes loren I 1 am trying can you not see me smile I 1 am smiling smiling bravely as you would have me do I 1 want you to know that I 1 am brave you will remember me so will you not loren that I 1 am b brave aye my own then kiss me and hold me to your heart again and I 1 will go adelos my my moon brattli I 1 I 1 have never believed that you are real just something fine and noble that was in my dreams CHAPTER XIV dawn ah the melancholy silence of my Ir prison lson the horror of the dragging hours the deep darkness for the senorita having left had taken with her all the light of the world had taken my soul my lo 10 love ve my life and there was mt left to me only tin an empty husk this I 1 cast upon the rude couch and tried vainly anly to speed the measured minutes courting sleep unavale angly I 1 had given to the cause of liberty and venezuela all I 1 had had bad striven as desperately in her behalf as the most earnest patriot had striven had been so I 1 bell believed eved a potent force in the winning of freedom for her and I 1 had come to this the dead hand of colonel pint could hold in check any one of my friends who might have offered assistance to me dead lie he stood between me and liberty which would have meant also love and happiness and the shadow of his spirit dimmed my little world jn in my despair the face of dulce came to me again I 1 heard in fancy the music of her voice and my prison was filled with the glory of her presence for at last I 1 slept and sleeping I 1 saw the straight sturdy figure of my father with his fair hair and his clear resolute eyes I 1 saw the gracious lady who was my mother and the slim swaying figure of that exquisite little sister of mine who at fifteen had riven given promise of great beauty they would miss me for they loved me and they had given me very much indeed three years had passed since I 1 had seen them three years that I 1 had spent in europe while the study of the rise and fall of races had held me for it had been my desire to become a writer of history I 1 would write no history now yet I 1 had lived it I 1 had taken part in what would doubtless prove to be the last battle between my own people and their anglo saxon brothers across the sea and I 1 had also taken part n that battle which had broken for ever the hold of spain upon the western hemisphere aye in a few short years I 1 had lived a deal of history so with the face of dulce smiling bravely coming to we me out of the gloom and fading again and tho the vivid pictures of my youth and nay my young manhood passing before me in swift panorama I 1 spent the night in slumber to awaken at last to the familiar tapping of locito upon the door of my cell you sleep senor he said as one sleeps whose conscience Is as clear why not my little pablo I 1 said with forced gaiety sleep has never been a problem to me 1 I cannot understand senor I 1 tear fear that my last night and my last hour might be filled with lamentations perhaps you would even care to eat no of course should one miss a breakfast fanstill ah senor lias has the sun pablo it has lust just come up senor an and d a sergeant and a file of soldiers await your pleasure my pleasure locito did the sergeant say my pleasure my pleasure then shall tax his patience for first I 1 shall eat then with the aid of soap and water and a razor that you may bring I 1 shall make myself as presentable as aa possible may one do less at such a tinie time 1 I do not know senor fenor he said in a daze Is life so droll a thing that thai you should laugh it away life Is a glorious thing my little pablo and I 1 hope you shall have as much of it as you desaro I 1 hope you may view this beautiful world until your eyes are dim with the years that you may listen to the sweet sounds of nature and to the sweeter sounds of the voices of those who love you until your cars Gra gracyas clas senor I 1 will hasten lle lie brus brushed lied my clothes and polished m my y boots while I 1 ate the breakfast of baked chiva and tortilla and coffee or j t then kiss me and hold me to your heart again and I 1 will go and papaya that he prepared then I 1 bathed dressed shaved combed my hair and placed ni my cap upon my head with the greatest care ready at last I 1 walked with him along the narrow darkened hallway and out into the bright sunlight to a wide iron gate that swung open at our approach where a sergeant and a squad of a dozen soldiers took me in charge I 1 searched my pockets and poured into cupped hands all the silver that I 1 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 beautiful morning with air so clear that trees upon them the crest of distant mountain ranges stood out with cameo distinctness A breeze from the take lake tempered what might have been a hot day do you usually take a morning constitutional before an execution I 1 questioned the sergeant after we had traversed a full third of the city 1 I am directed to bring you here said he as we turned into an arched gateway and bent our steps toward the massive mansion that has been the home of many governors A guard at the great wooden door with Us its exquisite carving stood aside and four abreast we marched arched cs through it into a spacious chamber which at first because of the brilliant sunlight that had filled our eyes seemed a place of shadows the sergeant voiced a sharp command the soldiers about faced and went out leaving me standing in the middle of the room in front of me stood the straight stalwart figure of a man with fair half hair and the clear blue of northern skies in his bis eyes A wild surge of joy went over me I 1 reached out my hands to him Fa father therl I 1 I 1 cried oh my fa father therl I 1 loren he said gently you scamp I 1 I 1 felt his strong arms around me I 1 felt his muscular body shake with silent laughter and hot tears of happiness blinded me for I 1 knew that I 1 was saved because my father never failed when your letter came loren I 1 we knew that you were again in search of trouble for venezuela I 1 laughed through my tears and found it more of it my father than I 1 have dreamed might como come to one man and happiness too now another figure appeared ared the slim tiny figure of a man in brilliant uniform with piercing black eyes bushy busby brows and a high forehead curiously seamed whereupon I 1 fashioned boned a stiff salute for this wits was south americas greatest 1 I have erred grievously my general ile he sho showed wed white te teeth eth in a smile dintle of welcome then he auton put one 0 arm across my shoulders and you have striven greatly major I 1 think venezuela shall not forget you are kind my general he spoke to my father this young oun giant has helped us win an empire he Is an omen of good fortune for since his arrival success has come to us 1 I fear said my father soberly he will never lay down the sword A pity when he do does es bolivar said because he Is a born soldier with ahr three ee hundred native troops he held firm against the entire right wing of the spanish army 1 I am forgiven then I 1 asked bolivar laughed when you permitted the spanish lieutenant to escape you committed a crime against us ua 1 I knew it very well my general but almost within this hour the liberator continued the wise francisco has brought to me the senorita lamartina Lamart lna who seems to think you are a greater lover than a soldier from her I 1 have learned many things concerning colonel who has paid sadly for his misdemeanors misdemeanor st aye my general and your father gardo garde Is not to be denied he takes what he wants he eie Is the incarnation of that spirit of progress and determination that shall surely malie make your country great no man may prevail against him therefore you are free but the ladles ladies await you and one may not keep a lady waiting ladles ladies then there was more than one I 1 won wondered derea yet I 1 might have known that he would bring my mother I 1 faced her with mixed emotions of joy and contrition that my rashness had hurt her I 1 got her in my arms and held her close and kissed her yet her lips were trembling and her eyes were tilled with tears ali ah my sweet and wonderful mother m oth I 1 have offended she shook her head to free her eyes of the tears it is not that you have offended me my son for you have never done that you have terrified me never again my mother you are half our world loren and felice Is the other half one could not be happy in half a world unless my country calls me ray my mother never again I 1 then I 1 am glad loren there there Is felice my boy felice indeed yet I 1 would hardly have known her she had reached the fullness of the beauty that fifteen had promised my little sister I 1 cried how lovely you have grown to bel be I 1 A woman already let me see eighteen is it not it Is a golden age ngel I 1 I 1 lifted her off the floor and held her against my heart my little sister I 1 I 1 you would see some one no 1 I would and if I 1 dont see her very soon I 1 shall dle die 11 she Is in your eyes loren they are full of love for her and my heart and my soul as well she sighed if I 1 find a man who shall love me like that P never fear I 1 said never fear there will be too many holding my arm she turned mo me around until the senorita lamartina Lamart lna a vision in purple and lace stood before me dulce mia I 1 gasped all ah senorita I 1 have you no kisses left for me loren I 1 took her in my arms A heart full and ones heart may hold a deal may we go back to your beautiful land loren aye and will there not be some peaceful pursuit for thee yes I 1 shall not take up the sword again now I 1 am happy dear I 1 have lost you so many times you are not a dream loren are you this is not just something in my mind no my angel there was a gentle tugging at my sleeve and the voice of felice came from a misty distance awaken you two the whole crowd Is watching you come over and talk to us yonder Is the tall francisco who resembles a bird of prey and who fashions his conversation like a chesterfield there Is manuel whose unlovely visage belles the golden heart within him and yonder the gay end and grizzled captain monahan my sister go and talk to them yourself we have affairs of greater import THE END |