Daily Yellowstone journal., 1886-11-16

into melancholy so black and deep
that no one could console him. His
cheeks became sunken, purple circle
appeared around his eyes, and his clear,
white complexion turned to an opaque,
Shiny yellow, that at once revealed that
he was consumed by terrible physical
sufferings, as well as by spiritual illness.
For some time Don Juan Manuel re-
mained shut in his house, and none had
speech of him. Then, in secret, and
with thousand reserves, the
women who were old and devotees
declared that Don Juan Manuel had
made compact with the devil, and
they blessed themselves and showed the
cross for the Evil One. The truth per-
haps was that Don Juan Manuel was
jealous of his wife, with whom he was
madly in love; and as he could not dis
cover nor prove with certainty who it
was who robbed him of his honor, he
was on the verge of madness from rage
and despair.
One night the body Of murdered
man was found in that street; but as
there was absolutely no police vigilance
at that time, and the city was unlighted,
and robbers abounded, this misfortune
was attributed to them. However it
was remarked that large sum of money
was left in the pockets of the victim.
Within a week, another corpse lay in
the street now called after Don Juan
Manuel. The next day another, and
another, and, periodically thereafter,
others. The city was full of terror
several of the dead men belonging to the
best known and most honored families
in the city.
The question was, who was the author
of those crimes? The vulgar answered
that, entirely led away by the devil, to
whom he had surrendered his soul on
condition of being shown the lover of
his wife, Don Juan Manuel went forth
every night from his house, closely muf-
fed, with a short dagger in his hand,
and when he encountered any man near
the house, blinded by jealousy, he would
infer that this was one of the many who
were resolved to injure his honor, and
so asked the other:
what is the hour?"
"Eleven o'clock" the wayfarer would
answer in all innocence. Then
Happy art thou who knowest the
hour of thy death!" would respond Don
Juan Manuel, and at the same time
strike his dagger into the heart or throat
of his victim, whom he would leave
dead and bathed in blood, while he re-
turned home, whence wac heard the
formidable clang of the heavy door
closing, after which all remained in
silence and in gloom.
The most dangerous hours were from
II to 12 at night. and few, even il in
quest of the Holy Oil, would venture to
pass through that street after at night,
unless accompanied by two or three
guards. However, some there were,
who from incredulity, or from dire ne
cessity, did pass through the domains Of
eDon Juan Manuel, and sure it was that
that night knowing exactly the hour,
they would fall victims to the sanguin-
ary fury which the demon had inspired
in that cavalier. The fact was that the
murders were committed with fire.
quency, that the bodies were found next
day with all their apparel and valuables,
and that, in whispers and murmurs,
Don Juan Manuel was pointed out as the
author of the crimes: but the visible tes-
timony was all to the contrary. Don
Juan Manuel, although sad and gloomy,
attended mass, gave aims, and visited as
of yore his friend the viceroy. Who
would dare accuse man so wealthy
and respected without even proof to
offer against him? Thus all the world
talked of the matter. but were content
with shutting themselves within doors
as soon as sounded the call for prayer
for lost souls.
There was in the street of Don Juan
Manuel-probably about where Senior
Dozal's superb building stands-a house
Of poor aspect, which was the property
Of beata-a devotee-of some fifty
years old. One of the errors to which
youth is victim, when confiding too
much in the other sex, had caused
Mother Mariana, as she was called, to
the habit of devotee, promising, further,
TO recite daily credos of the Precious
Blood, equal in number to that of the
current day of the month; on the 18th,
for instance, she spent long time in re-
peatIng the twenty-five credos which fell
TO her lot. Thus. she never slept earlier
than midnight. In that unpaved street,
dark, silent, and entirely deserted after
So'clock at night, there was seen but
one light, like a lonely, distant star in a
cloudy sky; it was the light that came
from the narrow shutters Of the beata
Mariana, who lighted little lamp be-
fore an image of Jesus Christ, that was
tied TO post, and she did not close her
shutter until after she had said her
credos. Nearly every night she heard a
door close noisily, and that sound oc-
curing always at the same hour caused
her to watch until she was satisfied that
II was the door of the house of Don
Juan Manuel.
One night, toward the end Of the
month, when her prayers were long,
while on her knees before the image,
she heard moan; she put out the light,
and, approaching the shutter on tiptoe,
cautiously put forth her head. A man
was running, and another, following,
overlook him almost at Mariana's very
door, and gave him four or FIVE staba
The man groaned piteously, and fell q
short distance away. The murderer
| left hin, and ahortlv tho hoata aavu and