The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1895-08-09
TIE EARTHQUAKE.


side bungalow. 1t was fairly crammed
with curiosities from many lands,
Jack Norman had not only "bcen
everywhere and seen everything as
the saying She had brought home a
shipload of mute but convincing wit
nesses.
Capital yarns he would spin about
his treasures too, but of one object
neither he nor his pretty Spanish
American wife could be induced to
speak, except casually.
"The Liberator is sacred, he would
say when asked where he got it, or
1.-The Liberator has been in an earth
quake" when its battered appearance
was commented upon.
1t was the figure of satyr in bronze
about three feet high, with the legs
and hoofs of "A goat, short, blunted
horns, huge pointed ears, grinning
left eye had also been in the wars
the metal was dcnted as if by heavy
blow. which had changed the figures
lllSIl tNIlTtSSlon lDlD u DlNltouS itti'
Often have | seen Jack put his arm
round its wry neck and talk to it with
all the affection that IA parent bcstows
ON his offspring. But it was Mrs. Nor
man who gave me the clew to the
secret.
Jack had been seriously i'll 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.
+" He soon will be we'll All, me! What
would | do without my brave, true
husband? think no wife has ever
been SO happy as L.. And turning to
the hideous satyr-"you gave him To
me, you dear old thing -
She flung her arms around the twist
ed neck and kissed the grinning
mouth. 4 dozen times she pressed her
warm lips to the cold bronze.
| could not help smiling.
You laugh, y she said, "but il is
true Some day Jack shall tell you.
perhaps We do not like to speak Of it.
There is "A grave beyond the sea. a
mother tends to it who would grievc
if the truth were known.
Soon afterward | had the good luck
to do Norman service.
- must make you a present. he
said. Look round and tell me what
you would like. | bar the Liberator,
of course.
4 won't take anything" | answer
ed. IF you will tell me why you set
such store by that old bronze, we shall
be quits.
II could have done il a week ago for
a certain reason. But the person con
cerned is dead. = had noticed that
Mrs. Norman was in deep mourning.
He took nude, guardless sword
from the wall. "Do you know what
that ISL he asked.
Some sort of a sword, - replied,
1T is a Nicaraguan machetc, ear
ried by all the men and many of the
women in that unquiet country. Look
along the edge, =
| 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 1t came from
here some Of it, | got worse cut ON
the head. Now III tell you the story"
He lit a cigar, flung himself into an
easy chair and began.
''Somc years ago | had an interest
in a Segovian gold mine. Segovia,
| should say, is in Nicaragua, between
the great lakes and Honduras, firing
of the wild life, resolved to visit
Granada. One night passed in the
hotel, and that was too long, for |
was eaten alive. Next day | sought
h,
and struck bargain.
THE house | rented was an immense
structure, erected on three sides Of a
courtyard paved with marble. There
was not pane of glass in ii, but plcu-
ty of iron bars. The courtyard had a
broken fountain in the center, water
less. of course, and half hidden by rub
bish and shrubs. run wild long since.
THE time hung pretty heavily upon
my hands, SO one morning | set 10
work to clear away the rubbish that
choked the basin of the fountain At
the very bottom of the heap | found
the Liberator.
II cleaned the statue myself. Pepe
dared not touch it at first He said ii
was Carib god. 1t wasn't in its
present battered condition then, and
considered it great find. We set it
up on a shelf above my bed, and in As
hours / had forgotten all about it.
"Of course | visited the cafes, where
YOU may drink bad chocolate and
gamble to your hearts content. Every
body does both there, and when one is
in Rome'-you 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
mother and cousin. After that | call
ed every day, for | had fallen in love
with the Sonora Isabel.
1.-THE passion of my life was return
ed. But | was unaware that Don
Manuel also loved her. | did not learn
until too late that he had long looked
forward to repairing his broken for
tune by marriage with his cousin. He
enlightened me- need not describe
the cene-and | refused to stand "a
side. Then he threatened to take my
life.
"As you know, my wife is a capital
horsewoman, and it was her custom to
ride daily on the Los Cocos road. One
morning my darling failed to meet me
at the trysting place. l dismounted to
wait, leaving my horse with Pope.
Presently he called me, and | found
him examining the tracks.
Senior, he said in his grave fash
ion. "here is the trail of the sonora s
mare. 1t is fresh. 1t was made this
morning. He moved on, bent double.
Other horses have halted here,
have plunged about and have gone.
The senora's mare went with them.
Again he moved on.