The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1894-05-10
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dro and his friend the priest were sit
ting together on bench just outside
the shop. The place was not directly
on the street, but somewhat back. and
a gate opened before one reached the
building which contained the work
shops and the owners residence in one.
The street lamps were not lighted. A
norther was coming on, for the wind
blew cold, titful blasts, chilly with the
fog of the sea- The priest had just
lighted a cigarette and was about to
say something, when he looked at Pc
dro's face
\ stranger, a sailor seemingly from
his garb, had passed, then half turned
and was looking at the cutler. Pedro's
face was like that of a man dead nine
hours. 1t was quivering, white and
drawn mis- -shapenly, with terrible an
agony. The fit, if fit it was. lasted
but minute He leaped into the shop
seized a long Catalan knife, his parti-
cular weapon, and dashed after the
sailor, but the man was lost in the
coming and going throng. But the
priest observed that as Pedro sat down
he made the sign of cross. His
friend knew the ways of his country
men too we'll to attempt to question
him. SO, after a few moments, he
gravely bade him goodnight and de
parted.
But the neighbors, curious as neigh
bors usually are, remarked that Pc
dro's shop was not closed until far
after the accustomed hour that night
and little eight year old Ninetta. the
child of the widow living near, came
in, half crying. to tell her mother that
the Senor Pedro had not responded,
but just looked angry at her when she
uttered her usual friendly, "Buenas
noches, Senor."
Forgive me, Ninetta, Mia" he said
in Spanish, when the widow herself
surprised and fearing he was i'll, ven
tured to call at the gate and see what
was amiss. THE truth is, Sonora (the
widow spoke his own tongue,l l am
not very WE'LL" and with a kindly kiss
he made peace with the appeased MIN
eta.
There is something wrong with Pc
dro." the widow said to herself, as she
went away.
He had befriended them often and
he helped to rent at periods when the
TIMES were bad to the poor-and when
are they not, God help them?-and
she felt kindly toward her brawny
neighbor.
Just four weeks. thereafter. on Sun
day it was noticed that Pedro's shop
door was not opened. He did no work
on the seventh day, but always open
ed his outer door. so that the market
man might leave him his usual Sunday
! dinner, which the priest was to par
take with him that day. for on Sun
day Pedro regaled himself, and occa-
sionally his friend, with a dinner cook
ed in true Spanish style and bottle
of red Catalonian wine. At noon the
vegetables, fish and meat were still
untouched. The neighbors congre-
gated on the opposite side of the
street and wondered what was the
matter. Little Ninetta ran around to
the church and told the priest that
her mother feared that Senior Pedro
was i'll, for his door was unopened.
| As soon as mass was ended the priest
went around. Pedro's place was 81
lent. With the aid of locksmith and
the sergeant of police for the district
the door was broken in. Nothing in
the shop seemed to be disturbed. They
went into the further bed room in
which the cutler slept, and where he
kept his great iron bound sea chest,
his clothes and some other belongings.
The police sergeant entered first.
My Godm he said. The priest went
forward. And the sight there he saw
never left him until his dying day.
The bed was swarming III blood.
The head of Pedro had been severed
from its body, aud the wide-open eyes
full of horror. stared at them from
the table by his bedside. Physicians
were called in at once. There was no
signs of wounds on the head or trunk.
Then how had the decapitation been
effected? 1t must have been done
while life was almost in the body and