Rita

e of us? I can go no farther.

eaks of gold in the east. A few moments, and the sky will be bright; then we shall see where we a

arly morning light, Rita was a picturesque figure indeed. She was dressed in a blouse and short skirt of black serge, with a white kerchief knotted around her throat, and another twisted carelessly around her broad-brimmed straw hat. Her beautiful face was alight with eager inquiry and determination; her eyes roved over the landscape, as if seeking some familiar figure; but all was strange so far. Manuela, cr

Poor bird! what does he think of our wandering? he must

I have nothing to say. My fingers are so cramped from carrying this detestable c

rve, or be murdered outright? Old Julio would have wrung his neck, you know it well, Manuela, the first time he spoke out from his heart, spoke the words of freedom and patriotis

in his cage, at unseemly hours, when he should have been hanging quietly in the v

she proceeded to feed the parrot, as composedly as if they were indeed on the wide sha

lax a little, and even to mutter, "Mi gustan todas!" "Is the se?orita not also dying of hunger? for myself, I

a!" she said. "Thou shalt not perish. Breakfast

ta drew from it a substantial box of chocolate, and a tin of biscuits. "My child, we breakfast!" she announced. "If kings desire to breakfa

ta's had no need to rise. She was having a real adventure; her dreams were coming true; she was a bona-fide heroine, in a bona-fide "situation." "What have we in the bag

ueful glance at

" she said; "the white

and bereft of every slightest comfort, Manuela? surely you would not; I know your kind heart

t; two bottles of eau de Cologne; cigarettes for the Se?orito Don Carlos

g any jewels? no? I thought perhaps the Etruscan gold set, so simple, yet so rich, might suit my altered life well e

choed Manuela. "You kno

a, and she looked about he

repeated

him, without doubt; but he is-here-somewhere. Come, Manuela, do not look so despairing. I tell you, we shall meet friend

he others, se?orita? what if we met the Sp

ess's arm, trembling; Rita, rather pale, but composed, looking steadily in the direction of the noise. It came nearer-the grass rustled and shook close beside them; and o

Many a good meal has Carlos made on them, poor fellow. If we f

ing up their burdens, followed in the direction they had

fficient, the girls amused themselves by trying to discover fresh marks on tree or shrub or grass-clump. It was a wild tangle, palms and mangoes, coarse grass and savage-looking aloes, with wild vines running riot everywhere. So f

OOKED FROM THE BISCUI

,-two women, one young, the other old, and a little child, evidently belonging to the young woman. They were clothed in a few rags; their cheeks were hollow with famine, their eyes burning with fever. The old woman was stirring a handful of meal into a pot of water; the o

y out, in wailing voices. "Go! go away! there is nothing for you; nothing! we have n

I want nothing. I am not hungry! See!-I have brought food for you. Quick, Manuela, the bag-the bi

the child hastily, yet carefully. "Mother, be still!" she said, imperiously. "Hush that noise! do you not see this is no poor wretch like ourselves? This is a noble lady come from heaven to bring us help. Thanks, se?orita!" With a quick, gracef

le! oh, I have heard of it, I have read of it, but I had not seen, I had not known. Oh, if my cousin Margaret wer

ed its mother'

it asked, its mout

a noble lady on the road to heaven. See, se?orita! he was pretty, while

es, the same Rita, only awake now, for the first time now in her pretty idle life. She felt of the little limbs. They were mere skin and bone; no sign o

. "Our home, noble lady? the wilderness is our home to-day. Our little farm, our cot

she is not herself since, poor soul; do we wonder at it? we have wandered ever since. My husband-do I know if he is alive or dead? He was with o

imple words pierced deeper than t

direction to look for them? When I find them, I will see; I will have provision made for you. You must stay here now, for a few hours; but have

er crept a little nearer, to kiss the hand of their benefactress, and call on all the saints to bless her and bring her to Paradise. The younger woman said there had been firing yesterday in that direction, and she pointed westward over

, I know; you were too weak, poor souls; you had no strength to travel farther. But I am young and strong, and so is Manuela; and we will go together, and soon we

se?orita had left her excellent intelligence behind in Havana. These people would do very well now; they had food; they had, indeed, all there wa

r to be stirred as mine is; but never mind-the hungry are fed, and that is the thing of importance.

If the se?orita should see Pedro-if by Heaven's mercy he should be with the General at this moment, all woul

she had been used to it all her life; but there was no doubting the sincerity of these earnest and heartfelt thanks. Her own h

s that? a snake! a horrible green snake! I faint, Manuela! I die-no, I don't. See, I am the sister of a soldier, and I am not going to die any more, when I see these fearful creatures. Manuela, do y

ly a cord fastened to his leg. Chico was well used to this, and made no effort to fly away; indeed, he had reached an age when it was more comfortable to sit on a soft shoulder and be fed and petted, than

Still she made her way forward, with undaunted zeal, cheering the weary Manuela with jest and story. Indeed, the girl seemed thoroughly transformed, and her Northern cousins, who had known and loved

tangle of vines and thorny cactus, stood the ruin of a tiny chapel. A group of noble palms towered above it; from the stony bank behind it bubbled a little fountain. The door of the chapel was gone; it was long since there had been glas

ried Rita; "

ic. "Some saintly man lived here in old times. Pity, that th

nuela? what if we rang it, to let Carlos know th

touch it! For heaven's sake, se?

notes rang out loud and clear. The rock behind caught up the echo, and sent it flying across to the hill beyond. Ding! ding! The parrot screamed, and