Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1900-10-31

proper IN tropical regions. IL you EN-
piO! 50 vSs'f.wa!ly strange thing az
"h- fadcd but ample rug was
stretched az one side OF the bed 80 that
arist""iabc feet need not touch the
vulgar brick tilrs on getting into led
at night or OH Iising I'm the morning
when the yellow sunlight filled the
room. from the big patio. The room
was pleasant. and one would no. inag-
mo II had had 80 sinister a history.
" ithin six yeHIs three people had oc-
cupi"d II and had been found dead I'm
'ne morning. and lao one could say
whht had "Atinguished the lamp Of
their life. There was Ion Carlos Aris-
pe, who wns plnnter. living % miles
away. and who had been lodged IN the
room or the cauOpied bed as a due trib-
ute To his social consequence. He WAS
" years old. and II was believed that
he died of heart disease Then cune Il
lawyer from the city OF Mexico. from
the faron city of palaces. on his way to
Acapulco to arrange some business.
surely SO grand Il parsonage as a n-
c"nciado of the capital OF the fedora
ton must be lodged I'm the grand rooml
lie. too, died in the night. lnexplicnblv
sui he was fragile and had been ex-
posed to the sun great deal. nnd the
transition from his Somber. cool and
smoky office In the capital TO hot roads
ana coarse fare was believed TO have
affected his brain The servants saSsi
II was case Of cerebral congestion
que TO 'insOlncion." or Ovcrexposure TO
the sun For ten months nobody WIS
In h..
spring afternoon. robust young man,
"a surveyor for foreign company. ac-
companied 10y two mOzos He was a
man OF consequence. for he wore n
pearl handled Massachusetts mnde re-
NoiVer. and so. without giving heed TO
the grim history OF the room Of the
c1nOpied bed. ne wBs placed there. and
rs he undressed that April night he
whstlCd as only Ii happy German may
and sang songs Of the fnthcrland
When old POncianO. a house servant
went 70 call the surveyor In the morn
Ing. he was cold I'm death His mozos
viewed the remains. and I'm hnste they
rode of 70 bring the judge. who lived
70 miles away. lie barely got there In
time for IL the TERRA cnlicnte burial
nounced II a case OF sudden death lob.
legal Sopi"ncy9 due tO organic cardiac
arrangement at least that Is what his
high sounding phrase implied. and the
sOnorOus sound OF the words satisfied
the dead mans faithful servants and
nll the onlOokers. There was 10 sign
Of wound on the fair body OF the
young man. He was buried that night
out In the little cemetery where had
preceded him two other victims OF the
fatal bed.
Nearly six years had elapsed since
the first OF these sinister happenings
when. just after the close OF the rainy
season. the roads having hardened.
there arrived from Acapulco Il young
married couple Oh their way 10 the
City OF Mexico. They were accompa-
MED by six armed mozos. and all were
well mounted. The young man. the
Captain Felix Dclmonte, and his bride
were most charming people. The ofH-
Ger had just taken to himself a wife.
having received news OF the death OF
an uncle. IA wealthy man In the federal
capital. who had made him his sole
heir. 1t was a somewhat unusual thing
TO marry at the very root of kins-
mans death. but Soledad Marquee was
an orphan. and the officer was madly
In love with her and hoped 10 make ar
rRngements To leave the service and
settle down with this lovely young wo-
man In the City or Mexico, there TO en-
JOY the new wealth. Soledad was a
tropical beauty. n daughter of the sun
and the sea, girl of the Pacific coast
and with eyes deep. dark and dreamy.
fit to fascinate king. They asked ac-
commOdations for themselves and their
escort for the night, and Don Diego
and his wife were only too glad OF their
company. There were grand supper
that night and much merrymaking,
and all the news Of the great and IA
nous port OF Acapulco was retailed. to
the intense interest OF Don Diego and
his household
How II came about that the young
couple were assigned 10 the room OF
the cGnOpied bed is told thus: They
were first shown TO a small room in
which two cots had been placed for
them and expressed their thanks for
the lodging In the gracious Mexican
wifely pride I'm the fact that she had u
grander room to show. remarked. II
could give YOU another recamera. BUT
But what?' inquired Captain Del
monte. and he added: "For myself !
don't mind. but this little woman Is
very tired. and perhaps you have n
mattress on which she could better
rest. Excuse the trouble I'm giving
you"
The married pair were shown the
grand room. and Maria exclaimed,
What very pretty bedy' The good
wife dared not relate the story OF the
room. being ashamed. as she after
ward remarked, and then, too, she re
fiected that the mattress was a new
one and the room had been cleaned
and newly whitewashed. The young
couple seemed so radiant with happi-
ness. so strong and full or the Joy OF
life. that DOna Maria told them to take
the room and to say well their prayers
on retiring. They laughed and prom
ised to do so. Then she went to Don
H..