Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1878-12-04
Devils Grapes.

| va lAS I'LL VI ouiJ 1910, tNO uich sat
at dinuer on the broad verandah of the
coffee plantation house of the Palma
Garda, near San Juan, Porto Rico.
They were Clarkson Collins, blonde
young American, the proprietor of the
plantation, and his head everseer 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
musical voice behind them, "are you
not going to thank me for the good din
ner | prepared for you with my own
hands?"
The two friends turned and found
themselves face to face with beautiful
octoroon girl of 20 years at most, who
had just ascended the steps of the verau-
dah with a rush net full of oranges,
bananas and a couple of pineapples, all
freshly plucked and loading the air with
perfume, on her head.
"Come, now," she continued, laugh
ingly, as she placed the fruit on the
table, 'here is your dessert, and here l
am 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 towards mis- own
and imprinted kiss on her lips.
"But did you really prepare the din
ner yourselfl" asked Owens, initiating
his friends example and drawing the
girl to seat on his knee. ''ls 1t all
your work."
every morsel of it," she replied, CO.
quettishly, running her slender fingers
through his curling hair. ''I would not
trust to Old Maria's clumsy hands on
such an occasion as this you may be
sure. She can cook well enough for
common folks
"Your husband, for Instance" inter-
rupteda voice hoarse and quivering with
rage, and an undersized, savage-looklng
mulatto, bounded upon the verandah,
willie the girl started up with shrek
of alright.
Course you, you wanton! Since you
are so fond of feeding other people but
me, 60 and cook dinner for the devil"
And snatching a 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 upon
Owens, whom he seized by the throat,
the man yelled:
GAS for you, you dog of an American,
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 hell"
And with a circular sweep of his knife
like that employed by butcher in slit
ting the stomach of bullock, he ripped
the Overseer open, while the latter who
had snatched 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 felled
the murderer with single tremendous
blow, and shouted for assistance.
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 verandah
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 to deep but
narrow stream, that irrigated the plan
tation, and commanded the murderer to
be thrown in
The order was promptly obeyed, and
the man had hardly touched the water
when score of hideous heads appeared
all about him, and in a moment more he
had disappeared. The alligators had
devoured him.
Then Collins returned to the house
and sought to drown the recollection of
the days tragedy in a manner which
resulted in his being carried to bed By
hisiservants, dead drunk.
He awoke late at night with his throat