The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1890-12-06

hands in blood until murder came as
natural to him as the killing OF q bull
lock to a butcher; he had drawn better
natures down to evil and made crime
the study Of his life. But the day Of
retribution was fast closing in upon
him. The murder of Mario Delaro was
soon to be avenged, and before long he
would realize the awful justice OF the
old Mosaic lava life for a life. y
And yet how poor recompense.
Robbed of her life happiness when it
was just beginning to assert itself, all
that the victims widow received in re-
turn was the knowledge thatret ri button
had finally overtaken the one who had
robbed her of her treasure.
And, compared to Valasquez, VIII at a
fearful price had she paid to secure re-
venge. The best part of her life had
been spent: wasted, in fact, in running
to earth monstrosity who had at last
fallen into her hands through sheer ac-
cident las the greater part of the world
would say), though there are those who
would see in such an accident the won
derful machination of an unrelenting
Ruler, who has said: vengeance is
mine"
Never until now had Velasquez re-
tiected on the possible results of the re-
pulsive acts of his life. His immunity
from discovery had only tended to
harden his soul and he had ever been
prompted by one impulse only-greed
for wealth-which when acquired had
never brought him any genuine pleas
ure. He had never once stopped to
think of the price his victims paid to
satisfy his own insatiate desires. He
had been absorbed in self and had lived
a life in which none others shared a
part. But now that the hcllish conceits
IF his debased mind could only spend
themselves on four prison walls, he was
forced to think.
Leon Velasquez, running riot as one
Of the most active Of the devils en-
missaries. had never paused to think OF
the oxactness with which Gods mills
grind all, had never thought it worth
his while to consider that those who es-
cape the mills the longest are in the
end ground more quickly and relent-
lessly. He was in the mills now and
the great stones were beginning to re-
volve; so closely, SO surely increasing
the speed of their revolutions every mo-
uent, never to cease grinding until the
grist should be fine as the finest powder.
His nights grew restless, sleep al
most forsook him, and the little
snatches OF mapping which he did
som etimes secure were only heful
slumbers disturbed by horrible dreams
which brought to his mind in turn.
like a moving panorama, the scenes OF
his devilish acts. Bold as he had been
through life, he now shuddered under
the shadow of the gallows, and so fear
full was the mental torture that at times
he wished that the end might be speedy.
When the bolts shot into their sock
cts across his prison door all hope fed,
and he knew full we'll that ne would,
after all these years Of liberty. meet the
penalty Of his greatest crime. strom the
hour of his arrest he had been moody.
and entirely ceased to speak to those
who approached him. He neither OK
pressed hope of escape nor murmured
at his fate. Some imagined that the
terrible visions of a just punishment
were perhaps the cause of his silence.
though others avowed that he Was only
meditating bold and final plunge tor
liberty. BE that as it might, he per-
sisted in a mcrose reticence"
While he fingered in prison Mrs. De-
laro and her friends were taking rest
from the intense exciteme nt at D pretty
little English watering place, trying in
vain to forget for time the fina! TRACE
dy in which they must take al import
ant part.
Mr., Blodger had been completely out
done by the scenes he had Witnessed.
He made hurried determination to re-
turn to America and never again assist
at such exciting performances. tie re"
ceived SO severe nervous shock that
all the poetry of his soul was crushed
out, and ne was compelled to postpone
for an indefinite period the writing of an
ode to Father Thames, in which he had
avowed his intention of putting a vast
amount OF research, labor and thought.
The world was thus robbed of another
literary gem. 49,.
He was true to his word, and a week
after Velasquez's incarceration Mr..
Blodger's little party of friends accom-
panied him to Euston station and babe
him .sGod speed on his journey home.
About five weeks later Mrs. Delaro,
Armida and Percy returned to London
to meet the American detectives, who
had arrived with the extradition papers.
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