The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1900-10-10

4
! Ooo. Thus, with extra income derived
! from queer sources, he could live il. the
; style becoming gentleman aud gun
| port his hcnchmen quite like on old
tine fcudai barcn and Just rs raspecta-
bly,. In fact, this type of strong. un-
scrupulous aud resoiute men Daralleled
IN the times spoken Of the followers OF
| william the ConQueror. Might MAKES
right till lawyers and notaries come
along with red sealing wax. much tnne
ana stin parchments, You have got to
Degln somewhere ar somehow. Fam.
ipes OF the aristocracy begin like the
Duke Of Argyll's race, by killing of
troublesome property holders and seiz-
Ing what they hive.
And, after all, 1t will be seen Oh due
reflection that Colonel" Marron's
manner Of accumulating capital was
not whit worse than the exploiting Of
the general public by thG modern kings
or finance and the great speculative
manipulators Of Wall street. They
! have the mon ~ thc !ors robes 10 neip
them steer clear Of the awkward points
OF the criminal code and take little
risk. Marron took big risks, spent his
money like lord, and poor people
found him likable. = In fact, q numer-
GUS party in Querendaro would have
mobbed you had you remarked that he
! was red handed Villain. The; wITu
recipients Of his bounty.
The house was ample, like oil old
fashioned Mexican houses, built on
broad and generous principles and suit
ed to the patriarchaI life Of the people
Fifty guests could easily be accommo-
dated there, and in the palmy days of
the Allendes they entertained in baro.
NAL style. Marion, their successor.
was lavish in hjs hospitality. Nobody
outside Of his following lived there.
he was woman hater and allowed
none Of the gentler sex on the prem
ises. His cooks were devoted follow
ers. They would not be tempted to
poison him.
No one knows exactly what went on
in the house and It's great gardens and
enwalled orchards. There were "high
jinks." much feasting, gambling and
pistol practice. Occasionally strangers,
apparently we'll to do, went to the
house, and popular rumor ran that they
did not always come out again. The
1890. Then the Colonel" being old
and worn with excitement and, most
OF all. with high living, fell i'll. and his
spirit departed to unknown regions.
The Mochos, who were unsympathetic,
said he had gone to hell. But as he
had merely lived as other able men had
done In many periods OF the worlds
history and gave OF his substance to
the poor ut all times we may cherish
the hope that he Jared as we'll as any
feudal baron.
The law Of nature is that the long
armed and unscrupulous shall prosper,
and why not in the beyond?
A keen and prosperous lawyer named
Don Nicolas Valdemoro, about 80 years
old, was the next owner. How he mr.
ranged that little matter uf the title
don't know. He probably satisfied for
q song any legal heirs Of the Allendes,
and Marron's estate hnd passed into
the hands Of his only nephew.
The Eicenciado Valdemoro was from
Pue1la and as keen as the Pueblanos
have always been reputed to be. a
Philadelphia lawyer would have had to
take his dust on the highway OF pro-
fessional competition. And he was
hard headed. He had come to Queren-
daro In 1883. two years before Tdarron
died. He liked the place and wnen the
time came bought 1t. His family con-
sisted Of his wife, Elena, and three
children Of between IL and 1S, two
boys and girl. He had perhaps ten
servants, Including the chief gardener,
who had poems under him, and they
don't count.
People talked about Marron's uneasy
ghost walking about the rooms at
night without any regard to locked
doors. Servants staid but few weeks
ns rule and went away with queer
tales to tell. The licenciado grew nerv-
GUS and. finally taking a house few
blocks away, began tearing down the
Allende-MarrOn casa. He confded to
his friends that he had no fear cf any
thing phantasmal; but, his wife not be-
ing able to keep servants long, 1t seem.
ed best to pull down the house and
build new one on its foundations.
and then he would have something
modern, with the up to date conyen.
fences that women like SO well. It was
year and half before the valde-
moros went back to the place, into
house spick and span, brand new and
smelling OF fresh paint and paper, with
q private electric lighting plant and
electric bells oil over tho house, which
was of one story, like the old place.
The parish priest blessed the premises.
and there was grand fiesta and any
amount Of champagne. The ghosts
were surely banis ned. They might
walk in the orchards, said the lIcencia.
DO, and much good would 1t do them.
And the ghosts did remain away un.
III year ago. when they came bnck In
troops and with any amount Of accu-
mulated ingenuity. You would have
said that 1t wns Colonel Marion and
az his desperado gang. The pride Of
the licenciado's heart was his collection
OF oil paintings, many of them selected
by him in Europe and valued at many
thousands Of dollars. He likctl to show
them to his ruoSts and nv ,ot;o+o -,