The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1900-03-08

rawlings, tneD more weeping put n'U
N bed and gave him an opiate. 1t had
DO earthly effect; SO, frightened and
puzzled out of my wits, Sat in the tent
all that evening and night. listening to
the raving and pitifui crying OF ~hst
was evidently crazed man.
Well, if sou will believe me. that same
thing was repeated every Gay for
week. Fortunately. was arfe 10 firish
up The remaining few days work. and
we entered Pueblo de Maria on time.
thereby completing cur contract
Kirby was still in the .aEe my Atertous
condition, save that now he would sit
motionless for hours brooding. over
taken by fits of aw full melancholy. and
oftentimes crying Ia piitu;. Mailing
fashion that nearly drove me Wild.
There was Mexican doctor in tn
eblo de Maria. and had him come over
and examine Kirby. who wer, and
moaned during the examination.
could see that the Mexican was fright
encd, but he merely shrugged bis
shoulders. ard. having poeketed his fee.
and said brief ard heartfelt "Quien
sabe," the investigation ended. So far
as he could see. the senior ingeniero
"waa suffering from bad attack of the
sun; with care anc perfee, quiet be
should be over the illness within few
days."
A day or two later left the poor fell
low in Juana's care. aud rode over TO the
pueblo TO get some opiate; wanted h'm
to haze one nights rest. anyway. for
next day intended TO take him. as best
| might be able, back to civilization
and doctors.
The trail which ] was following led
along the slopes OF the hills anc Sierras
all covered at this time of the year With
dank. dense shrubbery and tropical
vegetation. There vas no sign of life
anywhere about, and ! was thinking
sadly about poor Kirby. when sudden
~ l saw a woman slip noiseless!y into
one OF the dark glaces just ahead OF me
on the trail. 1t was, if not Consuelo.
very much like her, and ! wondered
what was up. She was supposed to be
many days travel away from our camp;
what, therefore, could she be doing
here, speaking about In the mountain
glades? | began to suspect mischief;
she had not seen me, felt sure, and
would proceed 10 find out what she was
after.
tied my horse, loaded my revolver
{for was taking no chances With saw
age of Consue 10 S sort }. and crept noise
lessly on her track. Soon | caught
glimpse of her. kneeling with her back
to me. Her occupation seemed inno-
cent, for she was merely plucking the
brilliant red blooms that grew densely
around on the mountain side, ap6 talk
ing to herself as she did -. Wondering
what she could be saying. l stsalthfly
slipped closer and closer, hidden by the
shrubbery. Nearing her, saw that her
face looked years older, lined. wicked
and hideous-the face of crazed woln-
an or devil! Over and over again she
murmured, as she tossed the little red
flowers into her rebczo: "Flor de los
locosl Fiorecitos de los locosi" GLOW
ers Of the crazed-little flowers of the
crazedl') Then understood. She had
been giving the deadly. Grazing flower
(made into some sort of tea, no doubt.
through old Junana's arts) to poor
Kirby. With the wish to torture him
beyond belief. she was gradually Graz
ing him; it would have been too merci-
full to kill him outright.
drew my pistol and called 10 her.
With the spring Of wounded tiger she
was at me. and, before she caught sight
Of the pistol. had buried her sharp
teeth In my arm. Then. seeing the re-
volver, and before had time to make up
my mind 10 murder a woman. she was
off like flash. the red flowers Of the
crazed" strewing the ground. fol
lowed on a dead run; mo1nted my horse
and galloped back to camp. hoping to be
in time to circumvent her further evil
work. But she had evidently hidden
herself somewhere on the mountains.
and. though search party worked dill.
igently to fnd her. we meter saw her
again. You may rest assured that did
not again leave Kirby's side until the
Mexican police from the Pueblo de
Maria had arrested ard locked up old
Juana, AFTER had forced her 10 confess
As had thought. Consueio had never
some mountain cave. whence she had
come to our camp at night, bearing At
each visit fresh supply of the flowers
OF the crazed." These our cook hao
faithfully made into tea. which was
given daily to Kirby. 1.-THE first cose.'
TIE old wretch stated, calmly. "had
been little too strong" for which rea-
son II had 80 seriously effected the
poor senor!"
We carefully conveyed Kirby FIRST to
! the City Of Mexico. where every imagin.
able scheme was tried to restore bis
sanity. Nothing did any good. He still
remained In the same melancholy, mo
rose. weeping condition. refusing food,
and fighting furiously when we endeav.
ored to give him nourishment. The
physicians were unanimous in saying
that nothing could be done for him;
the maddening flower had eaten too
deeply into his brain and blood to be
eradicated, and they declared he would
never again be sane man.
took him to New York and placed
him 10 a private asylum. after which
called upon Miss Dorothy Kent. auo
told her the whole truth Of the case.
That was long time ago. Often, -xhen
am In New York. / 60 to St. Marks
hospital to see Kirby. He Is still there
aud 10 the same hopeless condition, ne
does not know me. and II Il djfylcult 10
recognize the stopped, gray-hairc;a.,
melancholy man a. my friend Of by
gone DAYS. He receives ali the care IA