Back Aa

Prisoner of Morro, A

Close

<h2>CHAPTER XIX.</h2> <h3>A FAREWELL.</h3> Clif found Lieutenant Hernandez waiting for them to come out. Both he and the driver had descended from the carriage. It was quite dark where they were, apparently surrounded by a lonely woods. But by such light as there was Clif looked at the officer anxiously. Now since he had heard that story he was more than anxious to study his face, to see what manner of man this was. The lieutenant still wore the calm, quiet look; he seemed almost inspired. "If you will follow me a short distance," he said, "we shall reach a place where we can remain concealed until morning." He started across the country, after a few words with the driver of the carriage; they had not gone very far before the faint roaring of the breakers on the beach became audible. "You see," said the Spaniard, "we are near the sea. We are only about four miles from Havana harbor, and you may make an effort to reach the blockading fleet in the morning." Obviously, it would not do to try it in the darkness. They might be run down or lost or fired on or swept out to sea. "But it will be daylight in a few hours," said the lieutenant. And then the three went on in silence until suddenly a small hut loomed up in the darkness. "It is deserted," said their guide. "We can conceal ourselves there." And accordingly, they crept through the low doorway, and finding the place covered with straw inside, sat down to wait. There was no conversation among them, for each one of the trio was wrapped in his own sad thoughts. The place was in absolute darkness, and so they could not see each other. But Clif was revolving a plan over in his thoughts, and it was not very many minutes before he made up his mind. He rose to his feet again. "Excuse me for a while," he said. "I will return." And with that he hurried out of the hut. Bessie Stuart knew why he had gone, and after a moment's silence she turned toward the lieutenant. "My friend has left," she said, "in order that I may have a chance to talk to you." The officer answered nothing; the girl went on slowly. "Lieutenant Hernandez," she said "will you answer me a question?" "What is it?" "What do you intend to do?" "How do you mean?" "I mean that you will be court-martialed if you return to Havana——" "Yes," said the other, "I know that." "Do you mean to return there?" "Such are my plans at present," was the quiet response. Miss Stuart thought a moment before she began again. "Lieutenant Hernandez," she said at last, "you have been a hero to-day." "I have done my best," said the man. "You have done what few men would have. You have given your life for our safety." "Yes," answered he, "I have." "But there are other heroes, Lieutenant Hernandez," said the girl. "You have inspired us two. That is what I wish to speak to you about. I have a better plan than your return to Havana." "What is it?" "Come to America with us——" "And then?" "Then I will do my best to repay your favor. I will do as you have asked me." "You mean——" "I mean that I will marry you the day that we arrive." The girl said those words in a low, earnest tone. She saw the officer give a start, she even fancied she heard his heart begin to beat louder. But he said nothing. The two sat as they were in silence. The Spaniard was having his struggle then. The pause continued for at least five minutes; it was broken only once. "Does Cadet Faraday know of this?" asked the officer. "He does," said the girl. "We talked it over in the carriage." "And he said that he was willing to give you up?" "He did." "I am glad that I saved him," muttered the man. Bessie Stuart was a little puzzled to catch the drift of that last remark. But she soon saw what it meant. She was quite startled by the decision to which the Spaniard came. "Miss Stuart," he began, in a low, trembling voice, "this is indeed a reward for my helping you. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate it. It shows me that those I helped were worth helping. And it makes me all the more sorry." "Sorry?" "Yes, sorry that it cannot be." The girl gave a slight gasp. "What cannot be?" "I cannot marry you. I will not." The officer paused for a moment, then he went on. "It is plain to me," he said, "that you have worshiped this cadet. I do not blame you, after what I have just seen of him. I have heard of his bravery, too, and he is worthy of you—more so than I am. As I say, Miss Stuart, you love him; and you do not love me. You make this proposal to me from a sense of duty, and I cannot think of accepting it. You would never be happy again." The girl started to protest, but the lieutenant held up his hand to stop her. "No," he said, "there are more reasons, even stronger ones, I could not think of going to the United States. I could not think of turning traitor to my country. You forget, since I have helped you, that I am still a Spaniard; and while this war continues I shall remain with my countrymen." "But they will kill you!" "They may do what they please with me. It is not for me to say. I have done my duty; I will not become a traitor." The officer was silent for a moment, sadly staring ahead in the darkness. "You Americans forget how we Spaniards feel," he began slowly. "You think us foolish to fight for a dying country. I know that it is dying; for I am not one of those who blind their eyes and boast. I know that we are bankrupt and disorganized, our men dying, and our enemies closing in on us. We cannot keep up with modern nations. But, Miss Stuart, it is still Spain, my native land; my friends are there, my memories are there. And Spain's enemies are mine." There was a gleam in the proud Castilian's eyes as he said that; but then he sank back with a sigh. "It is useless," he said, "foolish, if you will. And I am tired of the struggle, tired of weeping at my country's trials, her follies. I shall be glad to leave. I can die without a murmur. When I go back to Havana I shall have no one to care about me, and it will soon be over." The man stopped abruptly. "I am through," he said. "You say you have no one to care for you," said the girl. "I will care for you." But the officer only shook his head. "I should ruin your hopes," he said. "You must not think of me at all. If I came I should have no way of taking care of you; I will stay in Cuba. And remember that I have done this to make you happy—because I love you. If I leave you unhappy I shall know that I have died for nothing." And there the matter ended. The calm officer only shook his head to all of Bessie's arguments; he had his mind made up, and was as firm as adamant. It seemed strange that the girl should be trying to persuade him to marry her; but in her earnestness she never thought of that. The man's sacrifice quite appalled her; she felt that she was not worth it, and she did all she could to persuade him of her sincerity. But Lieutenant Hernandez was unmoved. "I know that you love him," he said, "and I know that your heart is ready to break at the thought of leaving him. I can see it in the way you look at him. I knew it when you fainted when I spoke of his danger. And I do not blame you, for he is a braver man than I. But I will not be coward enough to separate you. You would hate me." "Hate you?" "Yes, and every decent American, too. What else has any man for a traitor? I should kill myself for shame. No, no!" And the girl realized to her despair what he said was true; but oh! how her heart went out to that man! The officer rose to his feet just then, as if to close the painful discussion. Bessie Stuart rose, too, and she held out her hand to him. He took and kissed it reverently; then his face still calm and dignified, he stepped to the door. "It is best," he said, "that I should go." "Can you not wait to see us start?" asked the girl. "You will find a boat on the shore just in front of you," began the other. "And you had best start as soon as it is light. But there is nobody about here, and you are not in any danger. As to my staying, I will watch you from the woods, a short ways back. It would not be well for me to stay here, for I am human——" The man paused a moment as he gazed into the girl's beautiful face. "I am very weak," he said, with a sad smile. "I might accept the reward you offer." And with that he bowed, then turned resolutely on his heel and strode away into the darkness. As he did so he passed Clif; and Clif, as he saw him leave rushed toward the dark figure that stood in the doorway of the hut. What had been Clif's agony of mind may be imagined. When he saw the lieutenant going away it had flashed over him that perhaps he refused the act of treason implied in his going to America. And Clif's heart began to throb once more with the wild hope he had tried so hard to suppress. "Bessie!" he panted. "Bessie! What did he say?" "He has gone back to Havana," was the answer. For an instant the two stood staring at each other, their hearts throbbing with an emotion they were ashamed to call joy. Clif saw the girl's slender figure trembling. And he sprang forward and caught her in his arms just as she fainted dead away. <hr style="width: 65%;" /> <div style="break-after:column;"></div>

1 of 2

2 of 2