Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1895-11-22
THE EARTHQUAKE.

Surely no building Of fits size ever
contained more food for the imagination
that my friend Horman's riverside bun
galow. It was fairly crammed with Gu
fiOsities from many lands.
Jack Norman had not only ''hsen ov.
erywhere and seen everything, - as the
saying is-he had brought homo a ship
load Of mute but convincing witnesses.
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 earthquake, "
whom its battered appearance was COM
mented upon.
It was the figure Of a satyr in bronze,
about 3 feet high, with tho legs and
hoofs Of a goat, short, blunted horns,
huge pointed ears, grinning, lopsidcd
mouth and a broken nose. Its left eye
had also been in the wars-the metal
was dented rs if by heavy blow, which
had changed the figures original roguish
expression into a hideous leer.
Often have I seen Jack put his arm
round its WY neck and talk to it with
all the affection that a parent bestows
on his offspring. But it was Mrs. Nor
man who gave me the 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. He
soon will be we'll. All, mel What would
1 do without my brave, true husband?
1 think no wife has ever been so happy
Us !. And'-turning to the hideous
satyr-''you gave him to me, you dear
old thingP'
She flung hor arms round the twisted
neck and kissed the grinning mouth. A
dozen times she pressed her warm lips
to the cold bronco.
l 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 il.
There is a grave beyond the sea. A
mother tends it who would grieve if the
truth were known"
Soon afterward / had the good luck
TO do Norman q service.
II must make you n present." no
said. Look round and tell me what
you would like. Thar the Liberator, Of
course"
"Iwon't take anything" Isnswered.
"If you'll tell me why you set such
store by that old bronze, we shall DO
quits"
II couldn't have done it a week ago
for n certain reason. But tho person
concerned is dead" 1 had noticed that
Mrs. Norman wa in deep mourning.
He took nude, guardless sword from
the wall. "Do you know what this ISL"
he asked.
"Some sort Of sword, " I replied.
'It is a NicaraguRn machete, carried
by all the men and many Of the women
in that unquiet country. Look along
the edge"
I did so and perceived a dull stain
near tho square point. Jack drew his
finger down a long white scar on his
bronzed cheek.
THAT stain is blood IL came from
here-some Of it. 1 got a worse cut on
the head. Now I'll tell you the story. "
Ho lit a cigar, flung himself into an
easy chair and began.
Some years z 1 had an interest in
aSegovian gold mine. Segovia, I should
say, Is in Nicaragua, between the Great
lake and Honduras. firing Of the wild
life, I resolved TO visit Granada. One
night I passed in the hotel, and that
su.u 10 n.wr. e. wn.a 49,. Ill
NoXt day / sought out a vacant house,
found the owner and struck a 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 1t, but plenty
Of iron bars. The courtyard had a bro
ken fountain in the center, waterless, Of
course, and half hidden by rubbish and
shrubs, run wild long since.
The time hung pretty heavily upon
my hands, 30 n morning I set 20 work
70 clear away the rubbish that choked
tho basin Of the fountain. At the very
bottom Of the heap I found the Liber-
ator.
II cleaned the statue myself. Pope
dared not touch it at first He said 1t
was q Carib god IL wasn't IN It's pres
ent battered condition then, and / SON
sidered It a great find. We set Il up on
q shelf above my bed, and IN 4S hours ]
had forgotten all about It.
"Of course / visited the cafes, where
you may drink bad chocolate and gam
BILE to your hearts content Everybody
does both there, and when ono Is in
Rome'-you know the adagel
AT q gambling house ! met Don
Manuel Argusllo. BY way Of return for
the money he had won Of me he took
me home aud introduced me to his moth
or and cousin. After that 1 called every
day, for / had fallen in love with the
Sonora Isabel
1.-THE passion Of my life wa returned
But I wa unaWare that Don Manuel
also loved her. ] did not learn until too
late that he had long looked forward 70