Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1898-08-04


speakable 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 so nearly proved fatal to all my
happiness.
Old Juan. a half-caste Indian en-
Move on the place. came up that morn
ing wanting to see my husband. They
talked for time. and then l saw
George go out with gun on his shoui-
der. He saw me at the window ana
called out something. but l could not
hear what he said.
He was n keen collector. and l sup
posed 1t was some rare bird or beast ne
| was after.
The day passed. and the short. tropl-
chi 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
museum opened by two French win
dows on the lawn.
l was dressing for 8 o'clock dinner.
so did not 80 out. Soon heard
Georges long stride pass upstairs by
l my door to his dressing-room. which
lay beyond my room at the extreme
north end Of the house.
To make you understand what FOL
lowed I must partly explain how the
house was built 1t was from north TO
south. long and narrow, with a veranda
all the way round A wide hall ran
through from east to west, and n long
narrow one from north to south. The
dining-rOO was the front room ut the
north end. under my room; Georges
study at the south, under the room
Teresa occupied. There We're two stair
cases. one at each end Of the house. A
couple of hundred yards away, higher
up the slope at the back Of the house.
was the cottage where Martinez lived.
He. Martinez. generally dined with us,
and was to have done so that night.
Now. so far as know and judging
from what we made out afterward
from letters we discovered In the cot
tace and In Teresa's room. this Is what
brought about the tragedy that fol-
lowed:
Ramon must have long before this
have made up hhis mind to marry
Teresa. Her small fortune was an ire
sistible bait to the indolent Southerner.
The only thing that troubled him was
that she was not Of age for another
three years. and George was her guard
ian and sole trustee. He knew we'll
enough what George would say or do
II he once heard Of his pretensions.
With man of Ramons typealmost
conscienceless-the next Idea was SIM
ply to get George out of the way. Once
get rid Of the uncle. and what was
there to hinder his making Off with
Teresa and her money?
Undoubtedly he instilled these ideas
into Teresa's mind. and she, her sullen
temper already af1ame at the hint Of
opposition. was soon ripe for any mis-
chief. Whether this precious pair had
already concocted any definite plan
don't know. but that they were only
waiting chance what follows proves:
On this particular evening Teresa
had dressed earlier and gone down. For
some reason-I don't know what-she
went to the study and opened the door.
A French window was open. and In the
moonlight which had already succeed
ed the dusk she caught sight Of some
thing moving through 1t, undulatfng in
rustling coils up from the grass be-
yond.
Terrified. she closed the door and
stood an instant painting with fright.
What was 1t?
Suddenly 1t flashed across her. She
had Just before seen from her window
the men bringing in her uncle's spoil.
n great anaconda, or Waterloo, the
largest and most powerful constructor
In the world. This was Its mate. Her
chance had come. Always before din
ner her uncle would 60 to his room to
fetch the cigar he lit Immediately din
ner was over. He would 60 once more
for the last time!
How can imagine her stealing
quietly away from the door back with
stealthy footsteps up the stairs to her
room and sitting there watching the
clock. counting every moment till the
gong should summon her uncle to his
fate behind that closed door.
Closer and closer crept the hands to
s o'clock. and still she sat and watched
Suddenly in the hall below sounded
footsteps across the polished boards.
Unnaturally loud they seemed as they
passed slowly down the passage be-
meath. There was the sound of turn
Ing latch. an instant's pause. and then
one long. horrible sound. half Shrek.
half yell, which grew shriller. then
muffied. and then abruptly ceased.
The shrek I heard with almost equal
distinctness away at the other end Of
the house. To this day can sometimes
hear 1t. and 1t comes back to me in
dreadful dreams.
heard my husband rush from his
room and his flying feet down the
stairway. Other sounds l heard-cries
of terror and alarm. hurrying footsteps
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