Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1879-05-13
"HE WILL COME YET.

'HE WILL COME YET.
It is the will of God, and he must come.
On the morning of January 18th Pro-
fessor Aguaverde, who had lately return
ed from u six months residence in Paris
set out for the University to resume the
course of lectures which his absence haC
interrupted. The chemist was a tall
thin man, cold. meth0dical and stern o.
manner. He was young yet, but worn
with intense study. Though an able
scientist, he was universally disliked
his repellant manner and brusque speech
exciting common aversion.
He passed through the plaza at cou-
pie of yards distance from the crouching
| cripple. Some loungers in the square saw
| gether. Before they could interfere
Bastisn launched himself at the Profes-
sor, uttering roar like that of furious
beast of prey.
| He had snatched huge Albecete
knife from bis breast and cut his victim
down with the first blow. The chemist
struggled fiercely, screaming for help.
but his cries only added to his assailant's
fury, and by the time assistance arrived
be was fairly butchered to death. The
assassin, dripping with blood, kept the
police at bay with his murderous knife
till well-aimed stone stretched him
senseless, and he was secured.
WHEN HE RECOVERED CONSCIOUSNESS
He asserted that his victim was the
mysterious stranger of the Accused
House, the man who had given him the
bloody money, and for whose crime his
brother Pedro had suffered death. Brief
as the first view he had had of him had
been, its tragic consequences had inn
printed every lineament on his memory
"His face haunted me-" he said, "as if
it was painted on my eyeballs with fire.
I could not describe it, but / could have
picked it out from among million in
the night"
The man was evidently sane. His
idocy had been either cunningly assum.
by the securing of the vengeance over
which he had been brooding SO darkly
and so long! The authorities, impress.
ed by his sincerity, ordered an investi-
cation.
The inquiry proved his assertions to
be correct to the letter. Salvador Aqua
verde was indeed the murderer of the
old woman of the Casa Maldicha. More
frightful than that crime was the train
of horrors it had led up to. The mur-
dered woman was
THE MURDERER'S OWN MOTHER!
Aguaverde was the bastard of a promi-
nent lawyer at Segovia. His mother
was the pretty daughter of a restaurant
keeper of that city. Her lover, who was
| 0n0 IF Of hnr foil r1c
blishment, after seducing, supported her
as his mistress. He loved her sincerely,
hut was already married, though sepa-
rated from his wife. Aguaverde, as a
boy, received a good education at the
University of Salamanca, and when his
father died his mother was possessed of
means enough from his various gifts to
continue the elevation of her son.
The latter was thoroughly heartless
and selfish being. He possessed no
atom of affection for his devoted parent,
who, in order to benefit him. lived life
of penury and want. happy that what
she stinted herself of should render him
more comfortable. The poor old crea
ture, though really mistress of at least
ten thousand dollars-a very large sum
as fortunes in Spain go-lived like beg
gar in the Casa Maldicha, barely per-
mitting herself enough to eat and the
few poor rags she wore. Yet even this
was not nough for the miscreant whom
she had
THE BAD FORTUNE TO GIVE BIRTH TO.
| He had contracted connection with
notorious adventures, and. like all
cold blooded men, once his passion was
infiamed, ne entered on the Idison with
positive fury, though he concealed his
weakness under the cold exterior of his
public austerity. To satisfy the cravings
Of the leech who fed on his amorousness,
he sacrificed all the savings he had accu
the College. Then he turned to his
mother, whom he had latterly altogeth.
er neglected, for more.
The old woman had beenh oarding ev-
cry farthing she was not absolutely COM
PEELED to spend, in order, at her death,
to leave fortune to the child of whose
fame she was proud. although she dared
not publicly call him her son, for fear of
''disgracing" him. She complied with
his demands willingly, until.their mag
nitude alarmed her. Then she set to
work with true woman's cunning, and
ferreted out the object ON which her
savings weressbeing squandered. There
was fiery scene between the mother
and the sons harlot, and when Aqua
verde came to pay one of his usual visits
the courtesan upbraided him with being
the son of such an old beggar.
| MAD WITH FURY,
he sought his mother out She pleaded
with him, aud offered him all she had if
he would abandon the connection. He
demanded money now. She refused
He cursed her, and the old woman, in
horror at the blasphemies leveled at her,
fell on her knees and prayed for her un-
worthy son. 1t was while she was pray
ing that the unnatural scoundrel struck
her down with the first weapon that
came to his hand-Pedro Domenic's
goose.
The ill>fated tailor was at that moment
in the next room doing famished doze
over his work. The old woman fell, but
was not killed, and her means alarmed
the monstrous assassin, who now resort
ed to the knife. and thoroughly silenced
her. Then, hearing the tailor stir, he
lied. his hands still SO wet with parrici4
dal blood that when he plunged them
into his pocket to toss some money to
the cursing cripple they left their Grim
son marks upon the coins.
Shortly after the news of the old wo-
mans death became public, lawyer of
Segovia, an old friend of his father g for
warded to the parricide the meney which
his victim had given into his keeping.
The old woman had made her lovers an
clent comrade her confidant, but told him
that her son was ignorant of his identity
and of his connection with her. So, to
the very last, the love of the mother
whom he had butchered saved the assas-
sin from even suspicion.
1t was with this money that he went
to France, while an innocent man
mounted the scaffold he should have
trod, leaving behind him, however, a
legacy of vengeance, which Bastien the
Cripple meted out in its fullest measure.
The latter is now animate of the des
olate penal settlement at Cavas, con-
demned for life.
THE COLORED ExoDUs.-The Louis
vile Courier Journal regards the color
ed exodus from the South as political
trick, and, in urging Congressman
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