Ainslee's Magazine, February 1913 — page 140: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

{30 “N-nine!’”’ said Amarillis, which was the day of the month. The padre sprang from his chair. “Undress yourself at once and get into my bed! I will fetch Rosa!” and he rushed from the house. As he neared the highway, more than twenty of the little boys ran toward him into the chasm road. There was a great din up in the village, rising and falling and rising again, blown hither and thither by the springtime wind. ‘Has the world gone mad?” he cried. “Yes, sir! Yes, sir! She did it! She confessed it! She did it,” cried the lit- tle boys around him as he ran. ‘Who? What? Amarillis?’ shouted the padre. In a corner of the highway wall were Tito and José, clinging to each other and weeping, and he stopped short as he came up to them. “We did not do it! We did not do it!” they screamed, weeping and jump- ing. “We need not go to the almshouse ! She did it! She confessed it!’ “Stop shrieking! Explain your- selves!” ordered the padre loudly. But Rosa came running toward him, her three plumes waving like a charger’s in the breeze. “Did Amarillis tell you?” “She told me she bought seven. She is ill in my bed—go to her!” ‘“‘Nonsense!’’ cried Rosa. ‘She has had no drinks, but such news would in- toxicate any one! I bade her tell you Inés has confessed! It was she that defiled the statue, and she is leaving Terassa forever! I have been rousing the people against her, and the indigna- tion is frightful! She may yet be stoned. She thinks that the devil is coming for her to-night, so she is going to live in Algeciras, and we will never see her again!” He could not answer, for the clamor doubled. Forth from the square rushed Inés’ cart, and her progress downward was a pitiable sight. She was standing upright in the laden cart, lashing madly at her galloping mule and the mob that ran beside her. hausted goat was already overthrown, and was dragged through the dust by the harness. She was bent for the The ex-- AINSLEE’S chasm road, and when she saw the padre standing at the entrance, she be- gan screaming at him in her terror: “You shall not stop me! I defy you! He shall not get me!” But he stood un- afraid, with arm upraised, and her cart in swerving struck the highway wall with a grinding and a clatter. A wheel came off, her bedstead was thrown to the ground, and the mule, tearing from the traces, hurled the wretched goat over the highway wall, whence it van- ished down into the chasm. ‘Toninio had sprung to save it, but it was dead, anyway. Inés, screaming amid her ruin, had a new inspiration, and hurled herself before the padre in the road. “Save me!” she shrieked. “I did it! I confess it! But forgive me, and plead with the devil for me! Tell him I will never sin again! I was going to lead a better life in Algeciras! I will per- suade you, before six o'clock!” “Woman,” thundered the padre, “stand up and go back to your house! I will come to you to-night, and I will know whether your heart is truly changed! Who told you this wicked nonsense about the devil?” But Inés had swooned again, and he turned commandingly to Rosa. “Ex- plain this! It is no time for rejoicing —why are you dressed in those ridic- ulous clothes ?” “What?” cried Rosa bitterly. “Do I find you ungrateful? Have I not kept my promise? Have I not cleared your beloved little boys, who lied nobly for each other’s sake? And, in doing it, have I not reduced that atheist to a jelly of repentance? When you should turn upon me and call my _ lovely clothes ridiculous! I deserve your in- nocent children more than you do!” Bursting into tears, she fell upon them and kissed them. They were so aston- ished that they began to weep loudly again, struggling from her embraces to the padre’s neck; and as the awe-struck mob melted toward Terassa, bearing the unconscious Inés across the back of her mule, the four sat weeping on the high- way wall. (C@) OOO) KK ' thank me in your gentlest tones, you (C@