Santa Fe daily New Mexican., 1897-12-04

Sanchez and Chira had been known as
Diego Bias and that they had made
debts which demanded the checks drawn
upon them by the Mexican bank OF La
Hamidad
Time passed, and Casma and Chira
prospered and eventually disappeared
from the Peruvian mountains and sea- :
port. Their remaining deposits had been
transferred to La Hamidad, and in time
the officials of La Hamidad We're called
upon in person by their unknown pa
irons, Juan Sanchez and Diego Bias,
whose funds had never been drawn up
on for debt. Juan Sanchez and Diego
Bias were introduced by resident OF
La Hamidad, sailor on the ship that
had brought them from the Peruvian
port, and their money was duly paid,
and fortune it was for two men of no
more expensive tastes than these who
left the bank, walked away and were
seen no more in La Hamidad.
In reputable house in the town
where Bal Chico had been a youth and
been forgotten lived two old men to-
gether, two gray haired, harmless look
ing old men of commonplace names
that you have not heard yet, who tend
ed their cactuses and blooming vines and
the green paroquets that hung among
them in a great cage, concocted savory
stews and lived their simple lives
largely in sight of their neighbors in
the outrageous garden behind their
houses, and whose only recreation seem-
ed to be to frequent the plaza
From their garden they could see the
rear of the house Of the high and
mighty Don Pico, which rang with
laughter of manly sons and beautiful
daughters, but the old men We're to all
appearances incurious of the doings at
the great house. It was known at the
plaza, where everything was known,
that Don Pico's Oldest son would short
ly celebrate his arrival at mans estate
and that the betrothal of his eldest
daughter had been announced But the
day before the festivities in honor OF the
former occasion the son, Don Manuelo,
had sat in the plaza with Don Jose, his
sisters betrothed, who had left it, it
was easily proved, with merry party
of grandees, Don Manuelo waving them
a merry goodby. Passersby saw him
sitting there alone, sunken down as if
resting, and there he was found some
what later, dead, evidently by strangu-
lation. There was the usual sensation
and more than the usual search for the
murderer, who had left no clew.
Three months after this event the
little Innocencia, the 4year-old daugh-
ter of Don Pico, was found in similar
condition in the grounds of Don Perez,
the father of the betrothed of Dona
Theresa, Don Pico's eldest daughter.
The residence of Don Perez was but d
block from that of Don Pico. As in the
case Of her brother, the police found
positively no clew.
These calamities caused the postpone
ment for one year Of the. nuptials Of
Don Jose and Dona Theresa, at the enc
of which time they were celebrated with
all churchly and social ceremonies
Upon their return from the wedding
/ Journey Don Jose and his beautiful lady
| took up their residence at the house o1
| Don Perez Scarce a fortnight hat
| elapsed when Dona Theresa was fount
dead in her bed--likewise her husband Z
bed. Marks upon her tender neck show
ed that she had been garroted. All drew
two conclusions-Do Manuelo and lit
tie Innocencia had been garroted, ant
Don Jose was the criminal. His protes
tations, denials and anguish availet
nothing. He was hurried away to prison
An accident saved his life-the shut
ting of window
Dona Maria Theresa, the sorel,
afflicted wife Of Don Pico had becom
the victim of insomnia since these re
peated family bereavements and fancie'
strange noises in their apartment a
night. Don Pico gave heed and listene'
for himself for few nights, but hear'
nothing and attributed the noises to
woman's fears, but Dona Maria There's
arose one night because she heard th
noise and shut the window. As she ap
preached the window, hung with vines
/ one Of the house cats jumped from tn
sill to the thick vines and rustled ava
among them, and the lady was reas
sured and slept-slept all the longe
and more heavily because Of sleeples
nights
When she awoke in the morning. sh
looked at Don Pico. But was it Do
Pico beside her, that purple, swolle
face with awful eyes? The lady reaso
fled in that awful look, and her scream
aroused the household. Investigatiol
seemed at first to offer no clew, but a
length at the back Of the top Of a larg
frame containing an oil painting OF hi
lady in her youth was found power
full snake whose bright eyes watche
the window and all whose efforts wer
toward reaching it, which he never die
| diving as nonresistant as though in
trance.
Don Jose was liberated.
i The old, harmless looking men talke
and smoked next evening and for man
evenings behind their little house all
sometimes boiled their sardines over
coal fire and looked across at the grea
house of Don Pico and talked-as wh
| did not?
Excitement was gradually represse
after the source Of the mysterior
deaths was indisputable. The snake ha
coiled about them all, but Don Pico ha
strength to struggls and had been bite
instead of only strangled Some aske
why snake should discern only men
bers Of the Pico family, but none cou]
guess the reason.
And far away in the divine beauty (
Peruvian cordillera two old men loo
aloft toward the man stunning condo
two old, brown men, grown harmle
and with no uncanny companions--he1