The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1898-07-28

" DelWeeH INC swamp.
6 shores of the Esse
Qu bo, near Ing
GEORGETOWN. where on the quay the
dear fellow was waiting to take us III
to the home he had made for us on his
plantation.
George Haden and l had met veal
before during his visit to the United
States, and the big, quiet, sunburned
man and l, who tell this story, had fall
en- in love with one another almost al
the first sight.
We were to have been married before
he returned to Guiana. but he was re
called suddenly by the death of his only
brother at Rio, and it was arranged
should follow later with mother.
You can-or, rather. you can't imag
inc how delighted | was TO see my
sweetheart again. But l was startled
and good deal troubled by his appear.
ance; he looked thin and worried. Al
first put it down to his grief at Har-
rvs death; but later, after our quiet
wedding, on the way to my future
home | gathered by degrees there was
more than that.
His brother Harry had married a
Spaniard- beautiful woman - who
had died nearly eighteen years before,
leaving him with one daughter, Teresa.
1t was chiefly on this girls account
that George had hurried back, and he
had mentioned in writing to me that
he had brought her up from Rio to stay
with him in Guiana until other arrange
ments could be made. Since then had
heard little of her. and almost. indeed,
in my own happiness and excitement
forgotten her very existence.
Now my questions elected from
George that she was not 4 pleasant
tempered young woman, or easy to get
on with, but my worst antieipasions
did not touch the reality.
We came up the river in a small
steamer, which dropped us at my hus-
bands very wharf, and we three walk
ed up a slope through wonderful trop-
ical garden to where n long, white
washed, grecn-shuttercd house shone
clean and bright in the evening sun.
On the veranda stood tall figure in
n pale yellow gown, her black hair
crowned with crimson hibiscus. A
splendidly handsome woman!
She looked at me in a half-disdainful
way.
$50 you're my new aunt?" she said
on MI 10 IL
GeOrge?"
Her calm assumption of superiority
was unbparable. George-big, steady,
good-tempered man that he was-fiush-
ed with anger.
He whispered to me:
'Never mind, my dear She knows no
better; and it won't be for long"
But it was for longer than we reck-
oned. She was to have been sent to
her godmother. who lived in Madrid
But the old lady was i'll, and begged us
to keep the girl while longer.
1t was trying to a degree. and each
day got worse and worse. Teresa's
temper was something unbearable, and
her general lack of manners only equal
ed by her sweetness when there was
anything TO be gained by it. Still, for
my husbands sake, I bore with her.
Toward the end of the cool weather
our old English overseer died. and. as
a stop-gap. George took on a young
Ramon Martinez.
Ramon was n smart-looking fellow.
but there was something in his black
eyes which repelled me. ! always felt
a shrinking repulsion for tie man. and
George didn't much care for him. Still,
it was necessary to have some one who
understood the sugar. and men who
knew anything We're SO scarce you
couldn't pick and choose.
Teresa. who loved the cheap gayeties
of Rio. had been simply bored to death
all the winter. Ramon was a godsend
to her. and the two used to chat in
Spanish every evening over their coffee
on the veranda.
Sometimes | blame rayself for letting
them bc 50 much together but. to tell
the truth. the relief of getting rid of
her even for an hour or two was very
great. And how could know what a
scoundrel the man was. or what un-
speakablc wickedness those two were
brewing together?
And now must pass over the events
of the next ten months. and tell YOU
what happened on that dreadful day
which 50 nearly proved fatal to all my
happiness.
Old Juan. n half-caste Indian en-
ploge on the place, came up that morn
ing wanting TO see my husband. They
talked for a time and then | saw
George 90 out with gun on his shoul-
der. He saw me at the window and
called out something, but ! could not
hear what he said.
He was a keen collector, and | sup
was after
The day passed. and the short, tropi-
cal twilight was closing over the forest
when saw George returning. He was
followed by two negroes, who slowly
dragged some long, heavy object up the
path to the house This they pulled
along. trailing in the dust. round to the
south end of the house, where Georges
big so-called study, really a sort of
opened by two French win
dOwS on the lawn.
| was dressing for 8 o'clock dinner.
so did not 80 out. Soon I heard
Georges long stride pass upstairs by