Evening star., 1897-01-02

part openly in revolution.
Il pushed over this problem tin my head
dad and told him the difficulty was In.
He solved 1t at once by telling me that he
would send his particular friend. Lieut..
Partagas, to do the firing from the palace
was a man who could be implicitly trusted.
Il did not particularly like the plan. but
as 1 could not suggest ANYTHING better l
agreed to 1t, hoping that Partagas would
have sense enolgh not to shoot any OF the
attacking force in real earnest.
There was one more thing to be settled.
Intimidad insisted that two men must be
killed in the attack. and that their corpses
must be left lying on the front steps OF the
palace, where every one could see them the
morning after the revolution.
He said that two men were always
killed in a Central American revolution,
ard that he doubted If a revolution in
which nobody should be killed would be
strictly constitutional. He was as anxious
that everything should be conStitutionally
managed as was Don Villar Villar him.
self
Il saw that there was force in what he
said, but I wasn't willing that any human
lives should be sacrificed, and unfortunate
ly there were no Cinnamon in the country
who could be passed off soldiers slain in
glorious revolution. l suggested that two
dummies be dressed in the uniform Of the
Guard of Honor and shown to the public as
the two regulation victims of the revolution,
but Intimidad said that dummies would not
be of the slightest use AT last l had to
leave the matter in his hands, the agree
ment being that none of his soldiers should
be killed.
Monday evening 1 said good-by to Don
Villar Y Villar, and had a final interview
with Intimidad. He told me that he had
two corpses all ready, and that he would
put them on the steps Of the palace before
beginning the assault.
When l insisted upon knowing how he
had obtained his corpses, he exclaimed that
there were two men in gaol awaiting exc
cUtion for murder and that the governor
of the gaol, being an intimate friend of his,
had kindly shot the men, and placed the
corpses at his disposal Naturally, 1 didn't
like this. but inasmuch as the men would
have been garroted in another week If
they had lived, their premature death
wasn't a matter of any great consequence.
Il sat up that night till l o'clock, when
the revolution punctually began. There
was a tremendous lot of firing, and 1 could
hear people all over the town slamming
their shutters, as was their habit when a
revolution broke out.
Early the next morning I put on my
uniform and started for the palace to con-
graduate the new president. When 1 en-
tered the palace gates / was astonished and
Mortified to discover about dozen corpseS
lying On the grass and on the steps, and
saw at once that Partagas must have made
a terrible mistake.
The sentinel at the door admitted me
as soon as had convinced him that was
a member OF the dipomatic corps, and
sent up my card to the president begging
the favor of an immediate interview.
Il was shown into the reception room
and presently a man wearing a generals
uniform came in. and expressed his thanks
that l had been prompt in calling to
congratulate him. AS I didn't know the
nan 1 didn't at first understand what he
meant, ard 1 replied that had called to
see President Intimidad.
Ihere IS no such person. replied the
general. am President Partagas and I
trust that your government will make no
difficulty in recognizing me as the only le-
gitimate president of Zargueia.'
But where Is Intimidad? I asked 4
thought he was to be the new president
Capt. 1ntimidad recently in command
OF the guard of honor, was killed last night
In ar attack upon the palace. in which 1
had Just installed myself as president I
am at loss to understand why you should
nave supposed that he was president or
why you should have suspected that your
friend, the late President Vilar Villar
had been overthroWn. Let me suggest to
your excei!ency that a foreign minister is
rot supposed to interest himself in the
domestic concerns OF the government to
which he is accredited, and I am sure that
Don Smith would never under any circum-
stances De guilty of such an impr rudence'
said good morning to the president,
and l went back to my lodgings and wrote
dispatch to Washington, asking to be re-
called at once. You see, Partagas had
come to the conclusion that he might as
well have the presidency for himself. So
he had fired on the attacking force so
rapidly and skilfully that he had killed at
least third Of the men. including Intimi-
dad, and had driven the remainder away.
There was no one to dispute his claim to
the presidency, and when he issued a
overthrown the tyrant Villar Villar and
had liberated the people from a crushing
yoke of despotism, he settled down to the
work of filling the empty treasury and
Paris W hon
term of office should come to an end
Il have always felt sorry for poor Intimi-
dad, for he was an honest man who tried
to DO his duty. ] suppose that I was a