Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1892-06-14

hatred Of the English people and tongue.
Don Federico would let no stranger cross
his threshold, for he had no faith in the
fidelity of women, and my great-grand-
mother dared never TO speak TO any man
but her husband and the priest. Well, ho
died at last, and his heirs quarrelcd among
themselves, and in the end the place was
sold to settle the dispute. And so it hap.
pens, senior, that this immense estate, which
should now be mine, passed into tho pos
session Of aliens and this house. which
was built TO shelter Don Fcderico's de-
scendants for centuries, now stands empty
and in ruins"
Severson, with his arms behind him,
paced slowly through the deserted rooms.
The walls were immensely thick. Each
window made an alcove. The ceiling was
broken where toe roof had leaked, and the
heavy tiles had fallen through; and patches
Of sky were visible here and there
"Of course the place is hauntcd?" Sever
son quered, with u smile; "thcse old
houses are always tenanted by ghosts"
MiramOnte smoked yehcmently for a
moment The senior does not believe in
ghosts" he asked in noncommittal tones
"Well, hardly" answered Stevenson en-
phatically; "still-ld like TO- 1t would
make life intensely interesting. DO your
"Quien sabe" murmured the Spaniard,
Struggling his shoulders, 81 could tell you
Of things and he said nothing more.
Severson extended his explorations, not
ing with growing admiration the immense
sOlidity Of the walls. Between two of the
inner rooms he found partition seven feet
thick
"Whewp' he whistled in amazernent;
"the old don built for all eternity--a seven
foot walln'
He struck it admiringly with his doubled
| fist, and TO his surprise he heard a faint
sound like falling mortar
Queer" muttercd Scvers0n; sit can't
be very substantial after all, and he be
gan to search for the detective spot. But,
though he examined il on every side, the
wall presented an unbrokcn surface lie
struck it again, and again he heard the
mysterious sound.
"Mramonte" he called cxcitedly; "Mira-
monte Come here"
"What do you wanty" the Spaniard re-
piled, indolently rising from his seat on
the floor in the farther room.
Come herep shouted Severson; quick!
Pve made a discovery. This wall is hol-
| low"
Mramonte leaped TO join him-not in.
| dolent How-his yellow face suffused, his
eyes alame.
"The money!" were his first words
! "Vive Dios!-the hidden money"
! Severson nodded afIirmatively and gave
| the wall another blow. Listen, Mira
| monte" he said; don't you hear the NOR
| tar falling insideS 1 tell you this wall !,
/ hollow. How shall we make n holei"
Miramonte stood transfixcd II hear,
| hear" he murmured. in ectasy as If hC
were listening 10 celestial music. "Now-
| now, at last it viii be found. / shall b,
rich once more"
Think" urged Severson impatiently
"how TO get inside. We have no tools"
"The roof" cried the Spaniard. "My
knife!-with my knife | can make an open
ing through the roof"
Instantly the two men ran out into thu
placita. Severson stopped TO study tn,
roof and fix in his mind the location Of tn
inner room; but Miramonte, carrying hi
unsheathed hunting knife in his hand an,
trembling with eagerness, began at ono
TO Chamber over the fallen and molderinl
outer walls.
"Be carefulp' cautioned Severson; you'll
break through the roof. The tiles ar
heavy; the tules are old and rottenl b
carefulW But the Spaniard scarcely SCENE,
TO hear.
Kneeling now upon the uneven roof h
flung the loose tiles aside, and when Sever
son Joined him he was hacking the tule
and rending the thongs that bound then
together Severson could hear him reit
Grating in Spanish while he worked, 9TH
money-at last-the moneyp
Soon hole was made two feet In dian
eter Miramonte thrust in his head ill
his shoulders rested upon the roof. Sev
erson saw his body shake and heard hin
utter a hideous oath. 1T is dark car
not see" he cried aloud In fury. "W
must make the hole larger" and he fe
madly TO work again.
At last the opening was four feet long
Miramonte's hands were bleeding; his fac
was smeared with sweat and dirt. Iii
eyes shone like smoldering Goals. Tn
dust which had accumulated for centur
on the roof swirled in a cloud about then
and it was impossible 10 discern anythin
below But gradually the dust settled
and slowly-how slowly the air cleare
and the two men kneeling on the verge
the opening they had made gaze dow
into the apartment beneath them.
.
its CRIME. His eyes were CLASSY and dul
"Virgen santissiua" he whispered, SLOW
ly making the sign Of the cross; "MothS
Of Cod what do | seer Dos Esqueletos"
Below them, in narrow chamber
mere cell, not four feet wide, without vii
dows or doors-on floor paved with squai
brick tiles, lay two skeletons, the skull
resting close together.
Looping his lariat around a rafter whic
crossed a hole 10 che roof, Severson Low
cred himself into the cell Craven
Spanish upon a tablet in the wall, he rea
this legend:
Here, shut in a living tomb, with b.
Z lover, is Don Federico Miramonte's faitl
less wife. Accused be her soul. Am
/, Elizabeth Leigh in Argouaut.
! Sturgeon as a Milkman.
Rev. Newman Hall saw a cart with NJ
. Sturgeon name painted on it-"Charl