The islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1891-1899, 1896-02-13
THE EARTHQUAKE.

Surely no building of its size ever
contained more food for the imagination
that my friend Norman S riverside bun
galow. 1t was fairly crammed with Gu
riosities from many lands.
Jack Norman had not only "been ev-
erywhere and seen everything" as the
saving is-he had brought home 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.
1.-The Liberator is sacred" he would
say when asked where he got it, or THE
Liberator has been in an earthquake,
when it's battered appearance was COM
mented upon.
1t was the figure of a satyr in bronze,
about feet high, with the legs and
hoofs of a goat, short, blunted horns,
huge pointed ears, grinning, lopslded
mouth and q broken nose. It's left eye
had also been in the wars-the metal
was denied as if by heavy blow, which
had changed the figure 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 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
nf II 70
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?
l think no wife has ever been so happy
as l. And "-turning to the hideous
satyr-''you gave him to me, you dear
old thirg!'
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 tends it who would grieve if the
truth were known"
Soon afterward I had the good luck
to do Norman a service.
II must make you a present." he
said. "LoOk round and tell me what
you would like bar the Liberator, of
course.
"Iwon't take anything, answered
eff you'll tell me why you set such
store by that old bronze, we shall be
quits "
Il couldn't have done it week ago
for certain reason. But the person
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, 1 replied
''It is Nicaraguan machete, carried
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. I 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
aSegovian 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 | passed in the hotel, and that
was too long, for l was eaten alive.
Next day l 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 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 hung pretty heavily upon
kuJ hoLuS, 80 O1O uiOIuluS Set 10 WtHk
to clear away the rubbish that choked
the basin of the fountain. At the very
bottom of the heap I found the Liber-
stor
81 cleaned the statue myself. Pope
: dared not touch it at first He said it
was Carib god. 1t wasn't in its pres
ent battered condition then, and I con-
sidered it great find We set it up on
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 one is in
Rome,-5od know the adage?
AT gambling house I 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
or 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. I did not learn until too
late that he had long looked forward to