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

NUMBER 80.

in something more startling still-the
sound of groaUs proceeding from they
knew not whence, oliowed By clauking
OF metal aud heavy fall
/" Immediately a servant rushed in,
seized Father Pedro's robe and drew him
to the outside OF the house. There, de-
tached from the window, lay one of the
Men in Armor, leaving CHASTITY open
ing in the wall Of the house. A few,
boIder than the rest, drew near and dis
covered the horrible truth. Within the
Man in Armor, was the body Of Will
liam, stiled in his own ingenious contriv.
ance. Poetic justice could not have de-
manded a more fitting termination to
such a career. The tastenings of the
mouth piece Of the casque, made to fly
open at touch, had grown rusty with
the dsmpness, and had resisted all efforts
to open it.
The confessions of a Spaniard shortly
after apprehended for some crime or
other, supplied the deficiencies in this
story. William had designed this hiding
place to afford him a refuge in that day
when retributiOn should find him. 1t
was suit OF armOr. painted to match
the stone effigies which ornamented the
house, and ingeniously fitted TO small
closet in the wall of the house He had
used il successfully on the night of his
escape, remaining quietly in it while his
guards were in the house, and letting
himselfOut when they were all gone. 1t
was true that he had escaped in boat to
one of the lesser islands, where he was
not known, returning sometimes in the
night, and always determined to he re-
venged on His brother and Father Pedro.
"The wedding having come TO his
knowledge, he determined to use his
internal hiding place on that occasion, to
issue from it at night'all, to burg his
murderou3 knife in the heart OF his
unofendiDg brother and to escape the
way he came. The rockets were of his
invention, and this same agent of his who
revealed the story had charge of them.
" "While the people were gone to church
he crept to the house and shut himself
in his hiding place. His horrible death
from sufTocation lad caused such
convulsive struggles that the Man in
Armor was torn from its fastenings and
fell with its still palpitating inmate to
the ground. Itnever was returned, and
stone was plainly fitted in the place
of it.
"Aununciata, her husband and brother
departed for England. The house has
never been inhabited since"
Ny friend paused and looked out
upon the land we were just approaching
in the gray dawn.
81 am the inheritor of this estate
through my relationship to Annunciata's 5
husband. T ey died childless. Phillip
died young and unmarried All this
happened fifty years ago, but l feel as il
it we're yesterday when | see the place" "
After landing we stepped into q car
riage aud drove over one of the finest
hard roads had seen for msny years,
through the unsurpassed luXuriance of
the tropical verduTe. Alter an hour we
approached the "Man in Armor." A
nOOie gateway commanded my attention.
Ny friend drove in. Grounds which
might have adorned the place Of a grand
duke opened to my view Artificial
rivers wound through the garden, Trees
aud flowers, planted with much taste,
Adorned the lawn. Before NE rose a
noble facade. The MANN Armor" was
gilded by the morning sun. Under each
window ! observed the charac c.eristic
efgy save one Oae Of the Men in
Armor," marshslled By some lutimely
resurrection bad left his brothers in.arms
awaiting their turn.
As we took our coffee in the once
grand saloon, and were waited upon by
dusky old woman who might have
been Santa herself, | felt powerfully
the melancholy influence of the place,
and did not wonder that my friend had
grown pale under the weight Of such an
inheritance.