The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-05-18
omous hatred. Eut Juan de Nava. when he

former DAYS, that no foe might come near,
10 bring upon her unmerited calamity. But
il the old man dreamed that he might become
the object OF Sarrazas vengeance, he took no
measures TO protect himself from Violence,
but went and came at all hours, wherever he
could give aid hope or consolation to suffer
Ing humanity
Thus it happened that he one night neared
the bridge across the Traza, as the bells of
the city towers sounded midnight, and saw,
without apprehension, in the shadow, the in
distinct shape of man who leaned on the
parapet Juan de Nava drew near with the
hating steps Of age, and the man in the
shadow, sinIsterly muiled, moved forward
- the fo0tpath, seemingly to await the
other.
Juan de Nava, accustomed TO be hailed at
all hours and in all places, ia behalf Of the
dying or the distressed, paused and spoke to
the silent figure: The peace OF God be with
thee son Can do aught 10 serve theer
"Ay" Domingo Sarraza answered; thou
canst take myself and thy prating hypocritic
scruplcs where thou wilt interfere no more
with the satisfaction Of thy fellows and the
delights of youth and warm blood" and with
that he raised his arm and struck down
swiftly, and here was horrible sound Of
grating as there crashed through bone and
brain the point Of bis dagger, driven home SO
deeply that ail the force of Sarraza could not
Withdraw 1t.
The old man fell like log at the feet of his
assassin.
Domingo Jsrrza made a great effort to
detach the dagger, and finding it futile gath
cred In his arms the body, so little Of weight
In its attenuation. and hurled 1t over the
parapet into the canal beneath
At home Bcatriz de MILAN waited for her
adopted father, who returned to her never
again
Never had Mexico been 50 excited and
shaken rs over the mysterious disappearance
IF Juan dc Nava There was no system Of
police, save the body Of sercnos-the night
ELECTROMAGNETIC were a shade worse than
nothing, since they never dreamed Of inter
fering in the nefariOus transactions of night
birds whereas their lanterns often served as
auxiliaries 10 evil doors But volunteer
searchcrs turned out by hundreds and secured
every quarter where it was imagined the old
man might have fallen alone, victim Of
sudden illness. For it was not even remotely
imagined that foul play could have touched
him, beloved as he was by all and known to
all the city But the waters Of the canal
were silent, and the echoes Of the bridge, and
Domingo Sarraza, too, knew how to keep his
guilty secret.
Thus the matter passed among the unfath-
enable mysteries BeatFiz de MILAN, ever
mourning over the unknown fate Of the
missing !nan, and left quite alone in the
world. took the veil ut Santa Teresa, though
more than one home was open to her, for her
own sake and the sake Of Juan dc Naya.
Years passed The memory of the priest
had become a sort Of legend Of holiness, and
his adopted daughter was forgotten. Do
mingo Sarraza lived, still kept his youthful
,emblance, and still continued to enact the
inchorte in the churches-and the devil else
where. As Of old, he was wont TO seek new
prey before the altar, ard in the Sagrario
adjoining the cathedral LIE saw one morning
a woman who awoke in him the instinct Of
pursuit and conquest more strongly than he
had felt it for years past
He saw not her face, for she was closely
yelled, but the charming grace Of her move
ments ard the elegance Of her figure gave for
Domingo Sarraza :he assurance Of great
beauty. He was Gattered, too, by the CONT
nuity with which sine east upon him stolen
chances that burned through the lace Of her
yelling, and the mystery of this behavior
heightened the charm Of her lie followed
her out of the church, across the plaza,
through the tceming streets, and before he
knew his bearings be found himself upon the
bridge across the Fraza, where he had not
set foot since the death of Juan de Naya.
The woman paused before him, and let him
approach her.
II dare not linger now, she murmured,
there are people coming, and am in dan
ger. | will meet you here at midnight. We
will be safe when the bridge is deserted"
And she glided on like moving shadow, and
was lost TO the sight Of Sarraza.
The man was filled with misgiving and
terrors. but he was also bewtched by the
nameless charm Of the unknown woman
Thus it was that he found himself impelled,
albeit, indeed, against his own volition, to
keep the fryst upon the bridge al midnight.
The clocks were striking the hour as he
reached the spot fO' he had dallied, hoping
that the lady might he before him; but the
ridre was empty. The violence of the pas
sion he had conceived for the mysterious
woman held SarraZl spellbound. and he
found u score Of reasons to excuse her tardi-
ness Her rich but sober habit which was
almost the Calb Of mourning, had made him
suspect that She might be a widow, whose
social position would cOnslrdin Der To ex-
IRENE precautions against the discovery Of
her loyity. A-ain, he fancied her "a married
woman. and the inc0nyencnt, unsupported
presence of Lcf husband might account for
l,r detention In short. there was no re-
source ba- Waiting. for Strrlza was madIF
im;3.sioncl If tbs lAe, victim of bis tascl
nations.
He leaned on the pariYet Of the bridge and
locked down into the water The ferns and
water plants Oh the margin. dimiy discerni-
BE from the bridge ia the chostly moon
licht. lent a more tL..A common gloom 10
the somber canal and Its sluggish, heavy
water that already. at that day, served ~
vehicle for the refuse OF the quarter The
surface Of the water and tue depth OF the
cu.t.na were full Of sinister shadow, and
weird reflections.
As Domingo SaIraZa ga1ed downward 1t
seemed 70 him that there arose from under
the water horrible sound, q dull and awful
cIanor. His soul beat and throbbed In hor-
riaed revolt against Its bodily habitation,
and his BODY sickcIed and shivered under the
resistance Of its telant His limbs trembled
a, fa,utusss hiS ilDDl ceased flowing. bis