The Press., 1898-08-11
Number 19.

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. It was from north to south, long and narrow, with veranda all the way round. A wide hall ran through from east to west and long narrow one from north to south. The dining room was the front room at the north end, under my room; Georges study at the south, under the room Te- resa occupied. There were 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 this night.
 Now, so far as know and judging from what we made out afterward from letters we discovered in the cottage and in Teresa room, this is what brought about the tragedy that followed:
 Ramon must long before this have made up his mind to marry Teresa. Her small fortune was an irresistible 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 guardian and sole trus- tee. He knew well enough what George would say or do if he once heard of his pretensions. With man of Ramon's type absolutely constituencies - the next idea was simply to get George out of the way. Once get rid of the uncle, and what was there to hinder his mak- s,1rr >fF T,
 Undoubtedly he instilled these ideas iqto Teresa's mind, and she, her sullen temper already afame at the hint of op- position, was soon ripe for any mis- chief. Whether this precious pair had already concocted any definite plan I don't know, but that they were only waiting a chance what follows will prove:
 On this particular evening Teresa had dressed earlier and gone down. For some reason, 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 succeeded the dusk she caught sight of something moving through it, undulating in rus tling coils up from the grass beyond.
 Terrified, she closed the door and stood an instant panting with fright. What was it?
 Suddenly it flashed across her. She had just before seen from her window the men bringing in her uncle's spoil, a great anacOnda, or water boa, the lar gest and most powerful constructor in the world. This was its mate. Her chance had come. Always, before din- ner, her uncle would go to his room to fetch the cigar he lit immediately din ner was over. He would go once more for the last time.
 How can imagine her stealing quiet ly 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 doori
 Closer and closer crept the hands to 8 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 beneath There was the sound of turning latch, an instant's pause, and then-one long, horrible sound, half shriek, half yell, which grew shriller, then untitled, and then abruptly ceased.
 That shriek heard with almost equal distinctness away at the other end of the house. To this day can sometimes hear it, and it comes back to mo in dreadful dreams.
 heard my husband rush from his room and his flying feet down the stair way. Other sounds I heard-cries of terror and alarm, hurrying footsteps and slamming of doors. Then summoned strength to follow. As I ran through the hall two shots rang out ill quick suc- cession. A frightful pounding, like a dozen sledge hammers going at once, ensued, and next I heard a scream of maniacal laughter, and Teresa rushed by me and out into the night.
 The next thing remember is George s voice, ill tones of strong commando: "Keep back, Marian!'' he called. "It is no fit sight for you.'
 stood there in the middle of the passage, while around the open study door stood little knot of our black servants. Their faces were ashen with terror, and the whites of their eyes gog- gled horribly. A thin smoke fioated out of the room, and the keen smell of gun powder filled the air. The throbbing beat had almost ceased, and George passed into the room, while staggered back, and, sinking into a chair in the hall, tainted dead away.
 need hardly explain what had hap pened. The wretched Ramon had come in earlier than usual to dinner; had contrary to his usual custom, gone to the study, evidently to leave the pass book for tho day, and had walked straight into the trap set for another. Those horrible coils had crushed him to death long before even George could reach the spot, while the great snake, in its terrible death agonies, had rent the wretch $ body in a shocking way, leaving it an unrecognizable mass.
 That was what Teresa had seen. The shock no doubt had crazed her. When she ran out, she went straight to the river, at least we suppose so, for we never saw anything of her again. There are alligators ill those waters.
 Since then my husband and 1 have al- most forgotten the tragedy. We are very happy alone together ill our sunny tropic home.
 The Exception.
 "Durn you and your old groceryP' rt~ ,A11