The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1890-10-11

s al So the lawyers were consulted il re-
gard to Delaro' estate. and after sever
al disputes q settlement was agreed
upon. 95. .5.
Delaro's sorrowing wife, finding that
the horrible associations Of the district
would be too much for her, resolved to
sell every thing and move to Santa
Rosa where her friends and parents had
long resided.
u In all her negotiations and other
business matters, she Yves ably
assisted and indeed guided by
Joel Wilcox, and this proved a
fortunate arrangement for her. For
a woman with no more knowledge OF
law and business than Mrs. Delaro
would have been pliable tool in the
hands Of SO unpriacipled and crafty a
man as Velasquez.
The estate, including the wine Gel
lars and every thing else connected
with it, was sold, and, after all the
final details were settled, Velasquez re-
ceived a check for very nearly the same
amount he had agreed upon with Mario
Delaro on the night OF the murder.
He lost no time in bidding "Good-
Bye to the Valley, bending his steps
toward his old haunts in Frisco
His stay there was not Of long dura-
ton, for he became fearful that Anton
Reyman might be acquitted Of the
charge Of murder, following which
event the impetuous Joel Wilcox would,
undoubtedly, make matters rather I'M
pleasant for him, if his whereabouts
were known.
So he realised on all valuable papers
in his possession and started East.
Nearly month elapsed between the
enactment OF the vineyard tragedy and
the time Of Leon Velasquezs final dis
appearance from the Sonoma valley.
With the assistance and advice Of Joel
Wilcox, Mrs. Delaro was preparing to
dispose of her house and leave the dis
trict. Thanks to the old Yankees bust
ness tact, she found that she had suf-
fcient money left from the proceeds Of
the sale to keep her in comfort for a
number of years. Still she was anxious
to be rid of the house also.
In any case she would have been com
PEELED to sell itshortly afterwards, for on
after Delaro's death, a notice was served
on the executors of the estate to the effect
that a note for $3.50, fifty thousand
dollars drawn in favor of Leon Velas-
'quez and discounted by him in San
Francisco, was due and must be paid in
three days.
This threw a new light on affairs, and
Mrs. Delaro was amazed. Why had her
husband given Velasquez note at
thirty days for such an amount OF
money? She was utterly unable to
solve the riddle, and at once sought her
old friend for aid.
This is what old Joel Wilcox, the
millionaire, said about it: s'You kin
depend upon it, Mrs. Delaro, that there
is more in this than you or know at
present. This note that's lynn in
the bank for you to meet was drawn on
the night that my friend Mario was
murdered, and I'm as sure that it's got
sum thin to do with that dirty work as
I am that Anton Reyman is innocent OF
it all. The note'll hev to be met, but
it'll knock big hole in what you got
out Of the sale O the vineyard to do it.
So when you're ready to sell your house
don't 60 to anybody else I'll buy it
and give you fair price for it,
Mrs. Delaro was much stirred by old
Wilcox's words, and it was with a
blanched face that she looked mp at the
big millionaire, and said: "Mr Wilcox,
do you think for one moment that Leon
Velasquez had any thing to do with the
death of my poor husband?"
eyes ] do" was the reply land
what's more I'm going to find out just
how much he did hev to do with it, or
my name amt Joel Wilcox
Il don't like to think this without
some good grounds for the belief,' said
the beautiful woman; ''but | will
arouse myself at once. ! am unusually
quiet and do not as rule jump at con-
illusions: but when my husband was
cruelty taken from me it seemed as
though my heart had been forcibly torn
from it's place to be replaced by spirit
of revenge. Henceforth my duty shall
be to find Mario's slayer I, too, do not
believe Anton Reyman guilty, butt
here her voice became choked with
emotion and passion. The quiet pas
,sive nature of the lady was fast fading
before the hot southern blood of an
aroused woman. and it was with flash
ing eyes and painting breath she
earnestly exclaimed: II a0SU find his
I1| s., )iR -