San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1878-11-30
THEBEAUTIFUL OCTOROON.
yferseIr aud Lorer AssassimGtesE-1he MR.
aevrr DeroMred by dHf0dfors.

coffee plantation Of the Palma
Garda, near San Juan, Porto Rico
They we're Clarkson Collins, blonde
young American, the proprietor OF the
plantation, and his head overscer and
friend, David Owens, and they were
celebrating the anniversary OF their
national independence with many a
bumper to their distant country and
their absent friends.
"Well, Senores Americanos,' said a
musical voice behind them, "arc You
not going to thank me for the good
dinner I prepared for you with my own
hands?"
The two friends turned, and found
themselves face to face with beautiful
octoroon girl of twenty years at most,
who had Just assembled the steps of the
vcranda with rush net full of oranges,
bananas and n couple Of pineapples, all
fresh plucked and loading the air with
perfume, ON her head.
"Come, now" she continued, laugh
ingly, as she placed the fruit on the ia
BILE, "here is your desert, and here I'm
ready for my reward"
"Take it, then, Teresita," exclaimed
Collins, "for you have earned it nobly.
Your banquet is fit for an emperor"
and twining his arm around her waist
he drew her face down toward his own
and imprinted kiss on her lips.
"But did you really prepare the din
ner YOURSELF" asked Owens, initiating
his friends example and drawing the
girl to seat on his knee. us it all
your work." ... .. =.
"Every morsel OF it," she replied, CO.
quettishly, running her slender fingers
through his curling hair. II would not
trust to old Maria's clumsy hands on
such IN occasion as this, you may be
sure She can cook well enough for
common folks"
"Your husband, for instance" inter-
rupted voice hoarse and quivering
with rage, and an understood, savage
looking mulatto bounded upon the YER
anda, while the girl started up with
shrek Of alright.
Course you, you wanton! Since you
are so fond of feeding other people but
me, go and cook dinner for tho devil!"
And snatching long, keen knife
from his bosom, he plunged it up to
the hilt in Teresita's body before either
of the Americans could interfere.
The girl fell dead, and springing up
on Owens, whom he seized by the
throat, the man yelled:
"As for you, you dog Of an American,
I have watched you this long while.
You wanted my wife, did you? Very
well, then, you have enjoyed her. Now
go and have your fun with her in h--l!"
And with a circular sweep Of his
knife, like that employed by a butcher
in Sitting the stomach of a bullock, he
ripped the overseer open, while the lat
ter who had snatched q fork from the
table, drove the tines into his cheek,
leaving the weapon quivering there as
he fell.
BY this time Collins had recovered
himself, and, catching up the heavy
stool on which he had been sitting, he
fellcd the murderer with single ire
mendous blow, and shouted for assist
ance.
The mulatto resisted furiously, but
still made no effort to injure the slaves
who secured him, using his knife only
to hack and mangle the bodies of his
victims until he was finally dragged
away and bound, leaving the vcranda
inundated with blood.
After the bodies were removed the
planter, followed by the negroes drag
ging the prisoner behind them at the /.
end Of rope, led the way 10 deep
but narrow stream that irrigated the
plantation, and commanded the muir
derer to be thrown in.
The order was promptly obeyed, and .
the man had hardly touched the water
when a score of hideous heads appeared
all about. and in moment more he had
disappeared. The alligators had de-
voured him.