Show alie e vale of ar araon a gon by bredl of the blade of Covy copyright rIght by t balbi werrill co service lo CHAPTER XIII 18 A night of madness in the ancient calabozo calibozo cala bozo of valencia I 1 stood istook upon the edge of a rough hewn b unk bunk and holding to the iron bars of t the he 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 in moonlight oon light madness in new orleans in actions in emotions in love and 1 hate and fear I 1 had alv lived d a long life in that brief space I 1 had met bravo brave and honorable men whose friendship had proved a blessing to me I 1 had made en enemies who had filled my soul with a passion for killing I 1 had seen patriotism in its highest form had watched a man win no nn empire aye had assisted even in the winning 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 and surely more beautiful world the blessing of her love dulce herself had called my love a madness well if madness ml 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 bece ice that love for the senorita she had come like an angel out of the mellow moonlight and love had bad overwhelmed me in nn an instant my worship had brought me here here to a gloomy house of horrors which 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 iier her brother was safe and free of the menace of colonel pint she was doubtless safe plot I 1 had vanquished yet pints dead hand reached out to crush me how strangely doth fate direct our destiny for between two suns the senorita lamartina Lamart lna should lose three suitors for her hand I 1 laughed 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 wily why not 1 I do not know yet a man seldom laughs a at death Is not a laugh easier to fashion lie ile considered it who knows lie ile brightened up 1 I 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 lie ile has returned senor lie ile I 1 questioned not pint pablo he be could never mother of 0 d I 1 locito gasped crossing himself again 1 I hope he nav may never ret return urril 1 then the young spanish lieutenant he whom you aided to escape no pablo I 1 cried no he could not have ane I 1 ne a thing so foolish I 1 A gl ihling senor aye av it I 1 said humbly a glorious ti tn indeed so the brave polito to save me had made the great sacrifice ah a miserable time for dulce for she loved that handsome brother what does he sa say pablo v after r the darkness had settled the guard explained this young lieu tenant appeared at the iron gate and demanded admittance lie ile told us that the americano Amerl cano major garde had taken his personal bond until ten so that under cover of the night lie he might make tits his way safely to the te cala calibozo calabozo bozo for the streets of valencia are filled with venezuelans Venezuela ns celebrating our great victory at cara bobo so it if the senor has not aided in the escape of the lieutenant lamartina but has merely put him on parole for a few hours he will surely not be shot tomorrow morning if the prisoner has returned how may they shoot you 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 1 I have locked him up and I 1 am going goin now to report the occurrence to captain lopez commandant of the prison lie will see to your our release Is it not so senor 1 I suspect that he will my little pablo aitu cnn you not bring the lieutenant here and put him in this cell with mea me assuredly a little moment senor I 1 waited horror in my heart for his return I 1 knew that this would give me lack the senorita yet it if she lost her brother ah the glory and abild 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 1 I will ledurn senor he said I 1 waited until the sound of his bis departing footsteps died away in the gloom then I 1 took the counterfeit lieutenant in my arms always senorita iou find me in it a prison loren ah loren I 1 love thee 4 I 1 cannot live without 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 ahill eh she laughed lightly that clever subterfuge could never have been repeated for there Is a glory in the air where you sou abide I 1 can feel it my love for you sou your love was ever a madness loren it Is such a thing that makes a saint yet no greater loy 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 ees 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 wraith how sweet a satisfaction Is your love I 1 she laughed happily love hns 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 sh she visualized visualised that night 0 of f madness 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 yon seemed only 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 watt wait for you to come you brought something loren out 0 of f a chivalrous world to lay before me the gift of courage my fine americano 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 swordsman swordsmen swords sword men smon 11 and yon ion came to our aid on the santa lucrecia Luc A little thing and you jou saved me from the storm and brought me to my brother Il 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 Is forgiven she said softly all of that Is forgiven en yet I 1 should have known you 11 at blar maracas maracay acay you saved me brorn from colonel pint who held a pistol that was vias pointed at you heart rint was ever a coward with three hundred natives you held in check a thousand trained sol tiers of spain was that not courage sly bravos had been trained to fight to save me again you offered chat challenge to colonel pint knowing that your arm pint was never a swordsman now she was sobbing softly in my arms and you took polito to a blare of safety returning retaining to offer yourself M oh my sweet dont don t cry we should be happy for we have this hour and P ah dear fl 1 d loren Is it any wonder that I 1 love you vou it Is a wonder to me mc and a cause for or gratitude tell me how you played this trick u upon po n the guards this brought an another other quick transition for or she laughed gaily and dropping her voice into a burring huski ness that was a almost I 1 most masculine said 1 I am polito lamartina Lamart lna of his maje service a prisoner in ebar charge 10 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 ad in your charge will release you of course dulce and then after that dear heart there la Is no more for the morning sun should find you near the coast and safety and you I 1 questioned in 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 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 1 I shall be here loren tomorrow morning when they come to shoot the tall handsome americana they will discover only a woman weeping because her lover Is far away now I 1 kissed her again and held the trembling forn close to me and I 1 offered up a prayer of gratitude for suh a love as the senorita had bestowed upon me there la Is not another my own in nil all the world like you none so beautiful none i so gracious none with a love s so 0 willing to sacrifice this hour with you Is wo worth rth P what do you mean loren she cried clinging to me desperately de tely la Is it that you will not T 1 I cannot yet you 0 offered your life for polito of course if had known loren ha be would never have gone it if he knew now he would come back assuredly my own for polito 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 bad 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 glen given us at this I 1 was silent tor for nothing I 1 co could uld say would help heip and as we waited in close embrace the clatter of shod feet and the voice of the garrulous rab locito came out of the gloom 1 I have put them in the one cell captain it was the wish of major garde Cour courage my sweet I 1 whispered as she fell to trembling f we must face unafraid that which may come to us bless you lorenl loren 1 silo she stood r straight and slim ris as the two men stopped beside my cell A key rasped in the lork lock the heavy door swung open and captain lopez entered 1 11 I would get the straight of this major garde A simple task my captain if this his lieutenant lamartina Lamart lna was placed on parole by yourself and he has returned voluntarily you have not aided in tits his escape for there has bee been a no escape therefore the charge the charge against me my captain should remain unchanged for this la is not lieutenant lamartina Lamart lna TO DID BB CONTINUED |