to join in the mazy dance. That
these ladies are capable of deep feeling and practical sympathy on
such occasions as would naturally draw these qualities forth, we know
by experience. When the patriot forces were poorly armed, with but
scant material, and ammunition was short, these fair patriots gave
freely of their most valuable jewels as a contribution to the cause of
liberty.

A sad instance illustrative of this fact was told us by a resident of
Havana. The young ladies and matrons of a certain circle in the city,
at the commencement of the year 1872, had put their diamonds and
precious stones together to realize money for forwarding supplies to
the insurgents under Cespedes, who was then operating in the vicinity
of Santiago. The jewels were secretly intrusted to a brother of one of
the ladies, a young man who had just reached the age of twenty-two.
His part of the business was the most difficult to perform, but he
finally succeeded in realizing over four thousand dollars in gold for
the gems intrusted to him. Fortunately the money was at once forwarded
to the patriot leader through a safe and reliable channel. Hardly had
the business been accomplished to the satisfaction of all concerned
when the young Cuban was secretly denounced to the Governor-General as
a suspected person. The settings and jewels had all been disposed of
so as to be beyond recognition, and it is not known to this day how
the brother's complicity with his sisters and their friends was
divulged, but presumedly it was through the Jew pawnbrokers. The
brother was arrested and thrown into Moro Castle, where he was
subjected to the closest examination to find out his accomplices.
Loyal and affectionate, he could not be made to speak. He was finally
offered his freedom and permission to leave the island if he would
divulge all. The government reasoned that if they could make a witness
of him they would succeed in serving their own interest best, as by
sacrificing one prisoner they might gain knowledge of many disaffected
people whom they did not even suspect of disloyalty. One of the
sisters of the prisoner determined to assume the guilt, and declare
that her brother was the unknowing agent of her purpose; but when at
last satisfied that this would not free him, she reluctantly gave up
the design. The young Cuban maintained his silence. No publicity was
given to the matter. He was brought before a military tribunal--so
much is known. The sentence n