Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1878-05-04

SlaTld, doOuL JnTee leagues from LlhDOn
said Father Pedro.
William turned very pale but that
might be caused by painful recolleCtions.
"' Yes, good father, said he.
81 know that country well, and was
born not far from that convent, said the
old man, musingly.
The events in the history of this
family had been so shocking that Vickas
sank into state of incapacty. Although
man in the yigor of lie two years
before, he was now sunken and apparently
dead.
His estate, which was large, came
very much into the hands of William,
who, though young, proved himself an
excellent man Of business. His slaves
worked more hours than any gang on the
island, and his sugar and coffee brought
high prices. He led lie of unparalleled
license and dissipation, and seemed to
fear neither God nor man. Yes, there
was one man who made him tremble, and
that was Father Pedro.
"At length it occurred that this check
should bo removed. Father Pedro had
long since determined to 90 to Spain and
to make search Tor the unfortunate
Philip, but many things detained him.
The Catholic priests are very dominant
men on these islands, and very important,
particularly in the Spanish islands, to
the government; 80 he must wait until
some successor arrived to take his place.
At length, and difficulties being smoothed
away, Father Pedro departed silently,
not communicating the purpose of his
journey to any save one, and this was old
Santa, an African slave.
"Au African slave means one
brought from Africa Immediately, having
still the original brand on the forehead
given by the SLAYER. OF these the islands
of Cuba and Porto Rico are full, and a
wild, fierce race they are. The gives
have not yet entered their souls, and
they seem to have a supernatural power
about them, burning ever in their un~
tanned eyes.
Old Santa was the commanding spirit
OF the plantation. She had been very
insubordinate at first, and Father Pedro
had interIered to save her many cruel
punishment. She wss now old, subdued,
and attached to the family, and especially
to Father Pedro.
The family estates were three in
number One lying on the seacoast was
called The Bay > another, more to the
inland, was called 'The Sapphire from
its commanding view of the blue
ocean; the third and by far the finest
was called the Man in Armor,' from a
fanciiul decoration to the facade of the
house-an efigy of a man in full armor
lying beneath each window--the pro-
prietor having paid this tribute to his
love of merrie England IN her feudal
days
Vickars grew nigh to death and pres
pared to resign all these possessions. As
the body gave way the mind came back,
and, summoning his lawyer he dictated
as follows:
/, g. have three estates, and | pray 10
God that may still have three children.
My fine estate called the Man in
Armor ! give to my son Philip, if he be
living and ! give it in trust to my son
William to keep for him twenty years. If,
at the expiration of that time he is not
heard from, ii becomes the property of
William. My estate of The Bay |
give to my son William. My estate of
The Sapphire give TO my daughter
Annunciata,'
" And other provisions followed which
do not affect this story.
This will was signed by Vickars in
the presence OF his son William, his law
yer and one Mr.. Agayo, a Spanish gem
tleman who owned an adjoining estate,
and, unuoticed by all OF them, old Santa,
who was busy in the room.
Poor Annunciata, whose youth had
been withtred by these events, after pay.
ing the last sad Offices ai respect to the
remains of her father, departed for Eng.
land to the relatives whom she had
never seen, hoping to receive some ale
Walton to the grief which consumed
her.
Meanwhile her brother empIoved
himself in altering and renting his
houses, particularly the Man in Amor
He sent away all the slaves pertaining
to it, to his other plantations, aud ems
ployed some Spanisrds who had newly
arrived on the island.
Gone day, as he was surveying the
facade, he muttered to himself, Almost
large enough for mans BODY He
started as he heard a step behind him,
but felt reassured as he saw only old
Santa.
" After giving her sound repreof for
lounging about, he sent her away; but
her curiosity was aroused and she deter
mided to watch him.
" About this time the island was very
much agitated by the report that Mr.,
Agayo was found dead in his bed. In
these islands the events are so few that
one such thing as this, which does not
attract much notice in larger place,
fills the minds of the whole population.
He had been at dinner the day before,
had drank freely, but had gone home
perfectly well, and this was all that was
known.
Before this event had ceased to be a
| topic of conversation, the dinner parties
OF the island were enlivened by a very
different rumOr, which was that the lost
heir of the Man in Armor was alive
and was coming to claim his own again.
1t at first was rumor, but soon became
more by the arrival of letter from
Father Pedro to William, which read
thus:
"God be with you, my son, and give
you satisfaction in the tidings | bring.
Your brother, whom you believed desd,
is alive! found him in the holy con.
vent of Santa Maria, injured in mind
and body, but still, I hope, capable of
improvement The holy brothers of the
convent found him bruised and bleeding
at the foot of preCipice. They took
him up and tenderly cared for him. His
memory is affected much, and he may
never quite recover it. He can recall
nothing OF the robber troop, of whom
you have so vivid recollection, but re-
members something Of riding with you
up mountain pass, when his horse
stumbled and fell. He cannot approach
this place without emotions almost over
powering. The holy brothers tell me
that they see change for the better in
him in the last year, and need net tell
YOU that he knew me, and will accsm-
pany me back to that home from which
a myAterioua fate hsa an lon0 w;tbhald