Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1891-11-28


deeply that all tho force OF sarrazA could not
withdraw H.
The old man fell like log at the feet Of his |
assassin.
Domingo s&wvpza made a great effort to
detach the dagger, and finding IL futile, gath
ered in his arms the body, so little Of weight
In lis attenuation, and hurled II over the
parapet into the canal beneath
At home Beatriz de MILAN waited for her
adopted father, who returned to her never
again
Never had Mexico been 70 excited and
shaken as over the mysterious disappearance
OF Juan de Nava There was no system Of
police. save the body OF serenos-the night
watchmen-who 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
auxilaries 10 evil doers. But volunteer
searchers turned out by hundreds and secured
every quarter where il was imagined the old
man might have fallen alone, victim OF
sudden illness. For 1t 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
guilty secret
Thus the matter passed among the unfath-
omable mysteries. Beatriz de MILAN, ever
mourning over the unknown fate OF the
missing man, and left quite alone in the
world, took the veil at Santa Teresa, though
more thnn one home was open To hCr, for her
\ own sake and the sake OF Juan de Nava
| Years passad. 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
semblance. and still continued 10 enact the
/ anchorite 10 the churches the devil else.
where As Of old Inc was wont To seek new
prey before the altar. and In the Sagrario
adjoining the cathedral he saw one morning
woman who awoke in him the instinct OF
pursuit and conquest more strongly than he
had felt it for years past
lie saw not her face, for she was closely
veiled, but the charming grace Of her move
ments and the elegance Of her figure gave for
Domingo Sarraza the assurance Of great
beauty. He was hattered, too, by the CONT
nuity with which she cast upon him stolen
giances that burned through the lace Of her
yelling, aud the mystery Of this behavior
heightened the charm Of her He followed
her out of the church, across the plaza,
through the teeming streets, and before he
knew his bearings he found himself upon the
bridge across the Traza, where he had not
set foot since the death OF Juan de Nava.
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 ut midnight. We
will be safe when the bridge is deserted
And she glided on like a moving shadow, and
was lost "a the sight Of Sarraza-
The man was filed with misgiving and
terroIs, but he also bewitched by the
namelesss charm of the unknown woman
Thus il was that he found himself impelled
albeit, indeed, against his own yolition, :,
,, keep the tryst upon the bridge at midnight
The clocks were striking the hour as h
/, , reached the spot, for he had dallied, hopin,
that the lady might be before him; but tn
bridge was empty. The violence OF the pas
sion he had conceived for the mysteriou
: woman held Sarraza spcllbound, and h
: found a score OF reasons To excuse her tard
: ness Her rich but sober habit, which wa
!, almost the garb Of mourning, had made hir
: suspect that she might be "a widow, who's
/, social position would coustrain her To e,
: treme precautions against the discovery {
: her levity. Again. be fancied her Marie
woman, and the announcement, unsuspecte
, presence of her husband might account f.
:, her detention In short, there was no n
J. source but waiting Tor SarTazn was madl
y mpaSsioned Of this last victim OF his fasc
n nations.
= He leaned on the parupet Of the bridge an
= looked down into the water. The ferns al
- water plants on the margin, diruly discern
= BILE from the bridge in the ghostly moo
~ light, lent "A more than common gloom
~ the somber canal and its sluggish, heas
= water that already, at that day, served as
y vehicle for tho refuse of the quarter. III
y surface Of the water and the depth OF Il
u = cutting were full OF sinister shadows al
- weird reflections.
u Az Domingo Sarraza gazed downward
~ seemed 10 him that there arose from und
the water horrible sound, duh and awf
ie clanior. HIS soul beat and throbbed In hs
te rifiei revolt against its bodily habitatio
hs and his body sckenesi and shivered under I
81 resistance of its tenant Ills limbs trembl
ie with faintness, his blood ceased flowing,
81 eyes wero filed to burst ng cold wi
Ah swept over him, he inhaled sickening cd
n of dank mold and decay a grasp as OF ban
nc or fingers OF steel closed around his pulsl
Tn throat the sky turned black before him. a
at uttering one great cry, that was answer
of by an Internal laugh of mockery Domin
ba less
n Some Indian huckSters. vending their W
-, To the city market. stumbled over the DO
III lying there, IN the ears morning, and Il
OF ing affrighted, gave notice. The patrol v
ON ordered out.
Stark and liyd lay the corpse of Sara
M. and across il lay water soaked bones-i
~ bones of a skeleton, whose hcshless fing
~ were fastened ON the throat Of the dead IN
va. in a grip 80 firm that they could not be 10
OF ened From the skull OF the grisly hori
lot projected the handle OF an old and rusty ii
an ger, firmly imbeded, that bore the name a
he arms of Domingo Safraza, and wrap
,aJ about its waist was a rosary. on Whose cru
=, fix was dimly deciphered Juan dc Nava
- The canals arr leveled full with the s.
IA rounding country, but this spot where 1
MS men met with violent deaths Is still known
lre Puente del Clerigo-Tbe Priests Bridge
ed, II. Adds in The Argonaut.
err
m The Seals Domestic Discipline.
bic Travellers have often said that the
But seemed To be something human about I
Al -. - 4