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About Lincoln County leader. (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 6, 1907)
THE RED 3 B GVSTAVE A I M -A R D ? 'TRAIL 5 CHAPTER XXVII. The Spanish custom a custom which bas been kept up in all the old colonies of that power of placing persons con demned to death in a chapel, requires ex planation, in order that it may be thor oughly understood and appreciated, as It deserves to be. Frenchmen, over whom the great revo lution of '03 passed like a hurricane, and carried off most of their belief in its san guinary cloak, may smile with pity and regard as a fanatic remainder of another age this custom of placing the condemned In chapel. Among us. It is true, matters re managed much more simply; a man, when condemned by the le.w, eats, drinks and remains alone in his cell. If he de alre it he is visited by the chaplain, whom he is at liberty to converse with, if he likes; if not, he remains perfectly quiet, and nobody pays any attention to him, during a period more or less long, and de termined by the rejection of bis appeal. Then, one One morning, when he is least thinking of it, the governor of the prison announces to him, when he wakes, as the mosUsimple thing in the world, that he Is to be executed that same day, and only an hour Is granted him to recom mend his soul to the divine clemency. The fatal toilet is made by the executioner and his assistant, the condemned man is 'placed In a close carriage, conveyed to the place of execution, and in a twinkling launched into eternity, before he has had a moment to look round him. When a man is condemned to death from that moment he Is, de facto, cut off from that society to which be no longer belongs, through the sentence passed on him ; he is consequently separated from bis fellow men. He is shut up in a room, at one end of which is an altar; the walls are hung In black drapery, studded with silver tears, and here and there mourning in scriptions, drawn from Holy Writ. Near his bed is placed the coffin in which his body is to be deposited after execution, while two priests, who relieve each oth r, but of whom one constantly remains in the room, say mass in turn, and exhort the criminal to repent of his crimes, and implore Divine clemency. This custom, which, if carried to an extreme, would appear in our country before all, bar barous and cruel, perfectly agrees with Spanish manners, and the thoroughly be lieving spirit of this Impressionable na tion ; it Is intended to draw the culprit lack to pious thought, and rarely fails to produce the desired effect upon him. The general was, therefore, placed in apilla, and two monks belonging to the order of St. Francis, the most respected and, in fact, respectable in Mexico, en tered it with him. The first hours be passed there were terrible ; this proud mind, this powerful organization, revlted against adversity, and would not accept defeat. Gloomy and allent, with frowning brows, and fists clenched on his bosom, the general sought .shelter like a wild beast in a corner of the room, recalling his whole life, and seeing with starts of terror the bloody victims scattered along his path, and sac rificed in turn to his devouring ambition, sadly defile before him. Then he reverted to his early years. When residing at the Palmar, his mag nificent family hacienda, his life passed way calm, pure, gentle and tranquil, without regrets, and without desires, among his faithful servants. Then he was so glad to be nothing, and to wish to be nothing. By degrees his thoughts followed the bias of his recollections; the present was effaced ; his contracted features grew soft er, and two burning tears, the first per haps this man of iron had ever shed, coursed slowly down his cheeks, which grief hud hollowed. He fell into the arms open to receive him, exclaiming, with an expression of desperate grief, impossible to render ; "Have mercy, heaven; have mercy!" The struggle had been short but terri ble; faith had conquered doubt, and hu manity had regained its rights. The general then had with the monks a conversation, protracted far into the night, in which he confessed all his crimes and sins, and humbly asked par--don of God whom he had outraged, and before whom he was about to appear. The next day, a little after sunrise, one of the monks, who had been absent about an hour, returned, bringing wtih him the general's capataz. It had only been with extreme reluctance that Car nero had consented to come, for he justly dreaded his old master's reproaches. .His surprise was therefore extreme at being received with a smile, and kindly, and on finding that the general did not make the slightest allusion to his treachery, which the evidence before the court-martial had fully revealed. Carnero looked Inquiringly at the two monks, for he did not dare put faith In bis master's words, and each moment ex pected to hear him burst out Into re proaches. But to his amazement nothing of the sort took place; the general con tinued the conversation as he had begun it, speaking to him gently and kindly. At the moment when the capataz was about to withdraw, the general stopped htm. "One moment," he aald to him ; "you know Hon Valentine, the French hunter, for whom I so long cherished an Insen sate hatred?" - "Yea," Carnero stammered. Bs kind enough to ask him to grant me the favor of a short visit; he is a noble-hearted man, and I am convinced that he will not refuse to come. I should he glad if he consented to bring with him Don Martial, the Tigrero, who . has so much cause to complain of me, as well as my niece, Dona Anita de Torres. Will you undertake this commission, the last I shall doubtless give you?" "Yes, general," the capataz answered, affected in spite of himself by such gen tleness. "Now go ; be happy and pray for me, for we shall never meet again.". The capataz went out in a very differ ent frame of mind from that in which he had entered the capllla, and hastened off to Valentine. "I will go," said Valentine simply, and he dismissed him. Curumilla was at once sent off to M. Itallier's quinta with a letter, and during his absence Valentine bad a long conver sation with Belhumeur and Black Elk. At about 5 in the evening a carriage en tered the courtyard of Valentine's house at a gallop; It contained M. Rallier, Dona Anita and Don Martial. "Thanks !" he said on seeing them. "You ordered me to come, so I obeyed as usual," the Tigrero snwred. "You' were right, my friend." "And now what do you want of us?" "That you should accompany me to the place, whither I am going at this mo ment." "Would it be Indiscreet to ask yon T" "Where?" the hunter Interrupted hira with a laugh. "Not at all ; I am going to lead you. Dona Anita, and the persons here present to the capataz In which General Guerrero is confined." "The capllla?" the Tigrero exclaimed in amazement, "for what purpose?" "What does that concern you? The general has requested to see you, and you cannot refuse the request of a man who has but a few hours left to live." The Tigrero hung his head without an swering. "Oh ! I will go !" Dona Anita exclaimed Impulsively,, as she wiped away the tears that ran down her cheeks. "Since you insist, Don Valentine, I will go," said the Tigrero. "I do not Insist, my friend ; I only ask, that is all." CHAPTER XXVIII. Valentine, Dona Anita, M. Rallier and Don Martial got into the carriage. The two Canadians and the chief followed them on horseback, and they proceeded at a gallop to the chapel where the con demned man was confined. All along the road they found marks oi tne oostinate struggle which had del uged the citv with blond a few dnvs nro. - rf - viously; the barricades had not been en tirely removed, and though the distance was in reality very short, they did not reach the prison until nightfall, owing to tne detours they were forced to 'make. VfllentinA hpprorl hia frtxrtn frrt Torn n In outsi'de, and only entered with Dona Anita and the Tiirrern. Th ronorsl impatiently expecting them, and testified a great joy onperceiving them. The young Iadv could not restrain hor emotion, and threw herself Into her un cle s arms with an outburst of paston ate crief. The ?enernl nrpsmul hop tar, derly to his bosom and kissed her on the iorenead. "I am the more affected by these marks of affection, my child," he said, with much emotion, "because I hove been very harsh to you. Can you ever forgive me the sufferings I have caused you?" "Oh, uncle, speak not so. Are you not, alas! the only relation I have re maining?" "For a short time," he said, with a sad smile, "that Is the reason why I ought, without further delay, to provide for your future." "Do not talk about that at such a mo ment, uncle," she continued, bursting Into tears. "On the contrary, my child, It Is at ttiis moment, when I am going to leave you, that I am bound to insure you a protector. Don Martial, I have done you great wrong; here is my hand, accept it as that of a man who hna mtnnUi.ii, recognized his faults, and sincerely re pents me evil ne nas done. The Tigrero, more affected than he liked tO diSDlaV. took a ton fnrntarH nA cordially pressed the hand offered him. "General," he said, in a voice which he tried In vain to rpnder firm "tM. inent, which I never dared hope to see, mis me witn joy, out at the same time with grief." "Well, you can do something tnr, by proving to me that you have really forgiven me.", "Speak, general, and no mattpr. If If is in my power " he exclaimed, warm ly "I believe you. Don Martial tw Sebastian answered, with his unit .mn "Consent to accept my niece from my hand and marry her at once In Viio chapel." One of the monks had prepared every thing beforehand. When the hunts and tv T7V v -- - 1"D X1 banker entered, followed by Curumilla and the officer commanding the capllla guard, who had been warned beforehand, the general walked eagerly toward them. "Senores," he said, "I would ask you to do me the honor of wltnuln ti. marriage of my niece, Dona Anita de i or res, wun inn cabellero. One mo ment. I bar aomethlnc mora ret. If yon please. I now wish to make yon witness of a great reparation." They stopped and looked at the gen eral with the greatest surprise as he walked up to Valentine. "Caballero," he said to him, "I know all the motives of hatred you have against me, and those motives I allow to be just. I am now in the same position in which I placed Count de Prebois Crance, your dearest friend. Like him, I Bhall be shot to-morrow at daybreak, ' bnt with this difference, that he fell as. a martyr to a holy cause and Innocent of crimes of which I accused him, while I am guilty, and deserve the sentence passed on me. Don Valentine, I repent from the bottom of my heart the iniquit ous murder of your friend. Don Valen tine, do you forgive me?" "General Don Sebastian Guerrero, I forgive you the murder of my friend," the hunter answered in a firm voice. "You forgive me?" "I forgive you the life of grief to which I am henceforth condemned "oy you." "You pardon me unreservedly?" "Unreservedly I do." ."Thanks. We were made to love In stead hate one another." "You think so now." "I misunderstood you; but yours Is a great and noble heart. Now let death come, and I shall accept It gladly, for I feel convinced that heaven will have pity on me on account of my sincere repent ance. Be happy, niece, with the husband of your choice. Senores, all acoapt my thanks. Don Valentine, once more I thank you. And now leave me, all, for I no longer belong to the world, so let me think of my salvation." "But one word," Valentine said. "Gen eral, I have forgiven you, and It it now my turn to ask your pardon." "What can you mean?" "I have deceived you!" "Deceived me!" "Yes; take this paper. The President of the Republic, employing his sovereign right of mercy, has, on my pressing en treaty, revoked the sentence passed on you. You are free." His hearers burst Into a cry of admira tion. The general turned pale. He tot tered, and for a moment It was fancied that he was about to fall. A cold per spiration stood on his temples. "Fathers," he said, turning to the monks, "lead me to your monastery. General Guerrero is dead, and henceforth I shall be a monk of your order." ' Two days after the scene we have de scribed Valentine and his companions left Mexico and returned to Sonora. On reaching the frontier the hunter, In spite of the pressing entreaties of his friends, separated from them and returned to the desert. Don Martial and Dona Anita settled In Mexico near the Ralliers. A month after Valentine's departure Dona Helena returned to the convent, and at the end of a year, In spite of the entreaties of her family, who were surprised at so strange a resolution, which nothing ap parently explained, the young lady took the vows. When I met Valentine Guillois on the banks of the Rio Joaquin some time after the events recorded In this long story, he was going with Curumilla to attempt a hazardous expedition across the Rocky Mountains, from which, he said to me, with the soft, melancholy smile which he generally assumed when speaking to me, he hoped never to return. I accompanied him for several days, and then we were compelled to separate. He pressed my hand, and followed by his dumb friend, he entered the mountains. For a long time I looked after him, for I involuntarily felt my heart cont-acted by a sad foreboding. He turned round for the last time, waved his hand In fare well and disappeared round a bend of the track. I was fated never to see him again. Since then nothing has been heard of him nor of Curumilla. All my endeavors to join them or even obtain news of them were vain. Are they still living? No one can say. Darkness has settled down over these two magnificent men, and time Itself will, in all probability, never remove the veil that conceals their fate. For all, unhap pily, leads me to suppose that thev ner- ished in that gloomy expedition from which Valentine hoped, alas! never to return. , (TheJSnd.) Fixing; It. "John," said the political leader's wife, "you'll have to get a new police mnn assigned to this beat; Bridget doesn't like the present one." "All right," said he, "and while I'm about It I'll got one that likes his meat rure. I'm getting tired of overdone beef." Philadelphia Press. HlaTh and Low Cities, Fasco, the capital of Junln. in pn, Is the biggest city In the world. It Is built on a table land fourteen thousand two hundred and seventv-flve rent- above the sea level. The Dutch Hti. are the lowest, being several feet below the level of the sea. Tears Not Idle, "My doctor tells me a eood err la beneficial." The second woman, opening her purse, displayed a flrst-elass return ticket to Euroie. "A good cry gained me this" aha said. At It A sain. Fair 0e Ifeallv. Horr ffohnw. you think It amuses me to talk of noth ing but the weather? Schulze (ill at ease) Well, frauleln, I thought ercr as the weather Is so very fine Just now. Fllesrende mBt. ter. Only one couple In over 11.000 Mv colehrat their diamond wedding. UNCLE SAM AST) FISH. A Novel Proposed Extension af Fed eral Authority. With the stock of food fish In the United States growing loss each year the proposal of the American! Fisheries Society, made at Its meeting at Erie, that control over the river and lakes be given to the Federal government,, is a matter of .timely Interest, says- the Philadelphia Record. Shad In the Delaware -are less plen tiful than ever, and the riteord of other rivers where they once abounded: 1; the same," said an oldl flsheruianf the other day. "Complaint rife from. the Potomac to the Connecticut. The de pletion of the great la lies Is deplorabl. They are growing less--and less capable of furnishing their dormer supply of fish. "Of course the extension of Federal control Is not popular, but there:- seems to be no other way of meeting; th sit uation. Where a river,, as the- Dela ware, flows betwoen two States; neither has absolute Jurisdiction,. aod laws rarely dovetail, so. as toi effect a super vision worth the-name Moreover, arti ficial propagation must b carried on on a great scale and: under the direc tion of some authority adequate to se curing Its full results "The bttf now being- drafted by Congressman- Shires of Pittsburg to be? Introduced at trie next session of Con gresa wtll doubtlessly be opposed by strict constructionists of State rights. But Its provisions will be for the gen eral good, and there appears to be no other way of securing the supply for future generations." A Joint commission of the States of New York and New Jersey ts now worktng on laws to be passed! by those commonwealths. Pennsylvania has a commission which Is authorized to co operate with It In no other town than Dublin Is the traveler so Impressed by the fact that the public vehicles are really servants of the public, A writer In Macmlllan'i Magazine declares that In Dublin are a people who refuse to be dictated to. No white posts, registered stopping places, are considered. Passengers get In where they will and out where they will. Occasionally, of course, conductors, being, after all, only mortal, deem It necessary to hurry the leisurely pedes trian, who clambers slowly and majes tically Into the car, but his urging la always resented. One evening an old dame's feelings proved too much for her. She hulled the car too late; we bad passed, and by the time we pulled up she was sev eral yards down the road. She was becomingly arrayed, I re member, In a spotlessly white mob cap and n blue check apron, that covered her ample petticoat to the very hem. She had a big basket on her arm, and came trundling after the car In a very aggrieved fashion. Perhaps the conductor was In a hur ry; perhaps he thought her pace un necessarily slow ; at any rate, he clang ed the bell vociferously. Jerking her basket on to the foot board and catching the brass rail In one band, she stood on the road and treated him to a flood of eloquence, while he tried vainly to make her eith er enter the car or release her hold. The driver was growing Impatient, and the other occupants were so openly amused that the conductor lost his tem per. "Will ye get on or will ye not?" he thundered. "Get on? What else would I be do In', If ye'd only give me time." Then she did condescend to get on, and finally seated herself with a genial smile that embraced the entire com pany. "My," she remarked, "what a hurry we're In ! Sure, we have the day be fore us" It was 0 fn the evening "and that young man rampngln' and clatterln as though Ould Nick was af ter him." Hard to Answer. The golfer bad a very good opinion of himself, says a writer in the St Louis Post-Dispatch, and after making a fairly good drive he turned to hit caddie. "I suppose," he said, "you have been round the links with worse playeri than me, eh?" The caddie took no notice, and the golfer began again. "I say," he said, loudly, "I suppose you've been round the links with worse players than me, eh?" "I heard you the first time," replied the caddie, calmly. "I'm Just thinking about it" Shrewd Scheme. Traveler In Parlor Car Porter, thai man In front will give you a quarter for dusting him off, won't he? Porter Yesslr I Traveler Well, I'll give you half a dollar to leave the dust on him and not brush It off on to me. Somervllle Journal. -Don't you think tlia- new debu tante's volee-la perfectly boavenly? He Quite unearthly. The Ujrstundc. He (wltlu a sigh) I have only one friend on. earth my dog. She Why don't you. get another dog? Chicago. uany isewa. Cltimau Yes, she's married to a real estate agent, and a good, honest fellow too. Subbubs Goodi gracious! Big amy, eh,? Philadelphia Press. 'Johnny, doesn't your conscience- tell you thut you are dulng wrong?" "Yes, mother, but father, aald I wasn't, to believe-everything L heard." Punch. patience Did you ever hear the Duetts sisters sing In concert.?.- Patrice No; one always seems to be a little ahead of the ether. Yonkftrs States man. "No, I doat care for Enxllsh opera." "Why not?" "Because It; bothers me to. listen to what the singers are saying when I want to talk."-4velnnd Plula dealer. Nell She always, wild sho wanted a husband, who was easily pleased. Bess Pl ti get such a one? Nell Why, yes; didn't he njarry her? Llpplucotts Magazine. "I should thUik." she said, "that golf Ing would make you awfully tlredr" "No, I stand! It first rate You see, I never keep my score at aXV Chicago Record-Herald. Church I see that Argentine has a 64-iuUo horse railway. It is the long est lu the world. Gotham Gee ! Think of holding on to a strop for 54 miles! Youkers Statesman. "I must get you another chair for tin kitchen, Katie; I see you have only one." "Sure, you needn't mind, ma'am, I have uoue but glutlcman callers." Youkers Statesman. "I'm going to put a fonder on the front of my runabout" "So you won't ruu over some one?" "Nope. So it won't hurt the radiator when I do." Cleveland Plata Dealer. Wigwag That's a flue dog of yours, Saphedde. Saphedde Yes, Indeed, he Is. That dog knows as much as I do. Wigwag I'll give you a quarter for him. Philadelphia Record. "Excuse me, sir, but this Is the sixth time that you have gone away without paying." "Oh, my dear young lady, when a man sees you he forgets every thing else." Fllegende Blaetter. Lady Customer I wish to tell you how these shoes of mine are to be made. Shoemaker Oh, I know that well enough large Inside, and small outside. Meggendorfer Blaetter. "Oh! Willie, what's this queer look In' thing with nbout a million legs?" "That's a millennium. It's somethln' like a centennial, only it has more legs." "Natural History," in Life. Nell Yes, she said iier husband mar ried her for her beauty. What do you think of that? Belle Well, I think her husband must feel like a widower now. Catholic Standard and Times, Blinks The first principle of an archism Is to divide with your fellow man, Is It not? Winks No. The first principle Is to make your fellow imiu divide with you. Chicago Dally News. Hotel Proprietor lias not the man In No. 15 received his bill yet? Head Walter Certainly ! Fifteen minutes ago. "Strange! I hear him still sing ing In his. room." Meggendorfer Blaet ter. Tired Tatters I saw de new moon over mo left shoulder las' night I wonder wot dat's a sign uv? Weary Walker It's a sign dut do nex' place youso ask fer work youse'll git It. Chicago Dally News. Mr. Phoxy Did you send the Borema a card for our "at home?" Mrs. Phoxy Yes; how could I get out of It? Mr. Phoxy I'll tell Borem that Jenks Is coming. Borem owes him money. Terre Haute Tribune. "Ah! pretty lady," said the fortune teller, "you wish to be told about your future husband?" "Not much," replied Mrs. Galley. "I've come to learn where my present husband Is when he's ab sent." Philadelphia Press. Husband (explaining his late home coming) My dear, I couldn't help It I Just missed the last car and had to wait forty minutes. Wife Now don't blame It on the street enr company. They've troubles enough without you. Detroit Free Press. Hawkins Oh, well, BJenks Isn't such a bad fellow, after all. Dawklns What makes you say that? Hawkins Well, he wouldn't lend me the $10 that I asked htm for, but be dldu't take ad vantage of the opportunity to give me good advice. Somervllle Journal. She-