Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1895-08-03
THE EARTHQUAKE.

BdlOW. IL WIS lAlfiy Crammeu with Gu
riosities from many lands
Jack Norman had not only "been ev-
erywhere and seen everything, as the
raying is--he had brought home q ship
load Of mute but convincing witnesses.
Capital yarns be would spin about his
treasures too, but of one object neither
he nor his pretty Spanish American
wife could DO induced to speak, except
casually.
1.-The Liberator is sacred" he would
say when asked where he got it, or 1.-THE
Liberator has been in an earthquake, "
when its battered appearance was COM
mented upon.
1t was the figure Of satyr in bronze,
about 3 feet high, with tho legs and
hoofs Of goat, short, blunted horns,
huge pointed ears, grinning, lopsided
mouth and o broken nose. Its left eye
had also been in the wars-the metal
was dented as if by heavy blow. which
had changed the figure S original roguish
expression into hideous leer.
Often have l seen Jack put his arm
round its wry neck and talk to it with
all the affection that parent bestows
ON his offspring. But il was Mrs. Nor
man who gave me tho clew to the secret.
Jack had been seriously lila return
Of Jungle fever. His wife came to me in
the drawing room
'Oh, he is so much better, she said,
with her dark eyes swimming. tHe
soon will be we'll All. mel What would
do without my brave, true husband?
think no wife has ever been 80 happy
as /. And"-turning to the hideous
satyr-'you gave him to me, you dear
old thingr'
She flung her arms round the twisted
neck and kissed the grinning mouth. A
dozen times she pressed her warm lips
to the cold bronze.
could not help smiling.
"You laugh" she said, "but it is
true. Some day Jack shall tell You, per
haps. We do not like to speak of it.
There is grave beyond the sea A
mother tenas it who would grieve IL the
truth wee known.
SoCu afterwarl l had the good luck
to T. Norman service.
Il must make you a present." he
sid. Look round and tell me what
You would like. bar the Liberator, Of
course. -
"Iwon't take anything" Ianswered.
"If You'll tell me why you sot snch
store by that old bronze, we shall be
quits.
81 couldn't have done it week ago
concerned is dead " had noticed that
Mrs. Norman was in deep mourning.
He took nude, guardless sword from
the wall. "Do you know what this ISL"
he asked.
"Some sort Of sword l replied.
sit is Nicaraguan machete, carried
by all the men and many of the women
in ,hat unquiet country Look along
the e.,ge.
/ did so and perceived dull stain
near the square point. Jack drew his
finger down long white scar on his
bronzed cheek.
THAT stain is blood II came from
here--some of it, got worse cut on
the head. Now I'll tell you the story. !"
He lit cigar, flung himself into an
easy chair and began.
Some years ago / had an interest in
Segovian gold mine. Segovia, should
say. is in Nicaragua, between the Great
lake and Honduras. firing of the wild
life, resolved to visit Granada. One
night l passed in the hotel. and that
was too long, for / was eaten alive.
Next day sought out vacant house,
found the owner and struck bargain.
1.-THE house rented was an immense
building, erected ON three sides Of "a
courtyard paved with marble. There
was not a pane Of glass in it, but plenty
Of iron bars. The courtyard had bro
ken fountain in the center, waterless, Of
course. and half hidden by rubbish and
shrubs, run wild long since.
1.-THE time hing pretty heavily upon
my hands, SO one morning set to work
to clear away the rubbish that choked
the basin Of the fountain. At the very
bottom of the heap / found the Liber-
ator
II cleaned the statue myself Pepe
dared not touch it at first. He said 1t
was a Carib god. 1t wasn't in its pres
ent battered condition then. and con-
sidered it a great find We set it up on
shelf above my bed. and in 48 hours ]
had forgotten all about it.
"Of course / visited the cafes, where
you may drink bad chocolate and gam
BILE to your hearts contept. Everybody
does both there. and when one is in
Rome'-yon know the adage?
AT gambling house / met Don
Manuel Arguello. BY way of return for
the money he had won Of me he took
me home and introduced me to his moth
er and cousin. After that / called every
day, for had fallen in love with the
Sonora Isabel
1.-THE passion Of my life was returned.
But | was unaware that Don Manuel
also loved her. / did not learn until too
late that be had long looked forward TO
repairing his broken fortunes by mar.
TlHZt VIII ufr COuSlu llc cliAAEi&ttiltti
mel need not describe the scene-and
/ refused TO stand aside. Then he threat
ened TO take my life
'As you know. my wife is capital
horsewoman, and it Was our custom 70
ride daily ON the Los Cocos road. One
morning my darling failed to meet me
at the trysting place. ! dismounted to
wait, leaving my horse with Pepe. Pres
emily he called me. and found him
examining the tracks.
"sSenor, said he in bis grave fash
ion, here is the trail Of thsSenora'i
mare. 1t is fresh. II was made this
morning. He moved on, bent double.
"sOther horses have halted here, have
plunged about and have gone. The Sc
nora's mare went with Them Again he
moved ON.
"sAhr he exclaimed presently, there
is the print Of lasso ring which has
missed the mark There the sonora 4
mare halted suddenly, like the wise ami
mai she is That lasso did not miss,
and she has had fall before maybe
"'What on earth are yen driving at?
cried.