The Press., 1898-02-03

Time passed, and Casma and Chira 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 were 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, a 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 a reputable house in the town where Bal Chico had been 8 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, conceded savory stews and lived their simple lives largely in sight of their neighbors in the umbrageous garden behind their houses, and whose only recreation seem- cd 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 were 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 a 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 m murderer, who had left no clew.
 Three months after this event the little Innocencia, the 4-year-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 Picos eldest daughter. The residence of Don Perez was but a 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 end 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 of Don Perez. Scarce @ fortnight had elapsed when Dona Theresa was found dead in her bed-likewise her husband s bed. Marks upon her tender neck show ed that she had been garroted. All drew two conclusions-Don Manuelo and lit tie Innocencia had been garroted, and Don Jose was the criminal. His protes- tations, denials and anguish availed nothing. He was hurried away to prison. An accident saved his life-the shut ting of window.
 Dona Maria Theresa, the sorely afflicted wife of Don Pico, had become the victim of insomnia since these re- peated family bereavements and fancied strange noises in their apartment at night. Don Pico gave heed and listened for himself for few nights, but heard nothing and attributed the noises to 8 woman's fears but Dona Maria Theresa arose one night because she heard the noise and shut the window. AS she ap- preached the window, hung with vines, one of the house cats jumped from the sill to the thick vines and rustled away among them, and the lady was reas- sured and slept-slept all the longer and more heavily because of sleepless nights
 When she awoke in the morning, she looked at Don Pico. But was it Don Pico beside her, that purple, swollen face with awful eyes? The lady's reason fled in that awful look, and her screams aroused the household. Investigation seemed at first to offer no clew, but at length at the back of the top of large frame containing an oil painting of his lady in her youth was found a power full snake whose bright eyes watched the window and all whose efforts were toward reaching it, which he never did, dying as nonresistant as though in a | trance.
 Don Jose was liberated.
 The old, harmless looking men talked and smoked next evening and for many evenings behind their little house and sometimes boiled their sardines over a coal fire and looked across at the great house of Don Pico and talked-as who did not?
 Excitement was gradually repressed after the source of the mysterious deaths was indisputable. The snake had ooiled about them all, but Don Pico had strength to struggle and had been bitten instead of only strangled. Some asked why a snake should discern only mem bers of the Pico family, but none could guess the reason.
 And far away in the divine beauty o1 Peruvian cordillera two old men look aloft toward the man stunning condor two old, brown men, grown harmless and with no uncanny companions-herd with Indian women and brown babies and drink from rude golden bowls and go down to the sea no more.-A. F. Kalfus in San Francisco Argonaut.
 In . Chicago Art Gallery.
 ''It seems to me the perspective 1T this picture is faulty"
 "The-er-what?'