Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1900-10-31
THE OEHTH CHAMBER.
A Strange but True Tale.
By Frederick II. Guernsey.


There used to bc. perhaps, it still
stands. an old hacienda house down in
the state of Guerrero which for nnuv
| years, held an evil repute as . plnce ~
sudden and incxplicablc death.
The state Is now undergoing tho
process 80 familiar In Mexico known
9s opening up 10y railway construc-
ton Few people used 10 20 down into
that region OF heat and mystery: few
came UP from IL "a the capital city
Tor intercourse WAS diiicult. n matter
OF stage riding over mountain ronds
| literally strewn with rocks, OF ols.. i'm
the lower country. deep with dust IN
/ the autumn and winter anG. later ON. "a
| the rainy season advanced. there ,yas
mud mud w 20 the bellies OF the
horses. To many parts OF the state
| one had 10 go on horse. on. better. on
mule back. There l. 10 benst ns safe
/ ns mule. except Tor the fallen rider.
/ 70 whom the unholy hybrid. before
bolting. stops 10 administer a parting
| kick
| The house ] have mentioned was on
large tropical CStnte devoted To SUGAR
cane. out of which much ngunrdiente
was made. and to various hot country
products OF local consumption. for the
bad roNds placed a prohibitory charge
on transportation. You approached the
house through great fields green with
the cane. over n rOud which. though a
| Private way, was none OF the best. and
/ tnHlly YOU reached IN avenue OF orange
md pepper trees and saw near at hand
| the low, one story white stone house
and the plantation buildings. stables.
sugar mill, poems quarters. etc Back
| of the house rose fringe OF lofty
| palms, whose clash during gale was
as OF the sails of windmills allowed 20
run at win The house seemed 80 calm
and cool and wholly denghtful The
Traveller. weary OF the long ride gazcd
/ with delight on the whitoneSs, palm
! shadowed. Ii was an oasis of comfort
IN desert OF binding sunshine. 1t
| gave promise OF rest for man and benst,
\ OF cool water and rural plenty.
Such was the hacienda OF NalVerte.
/ The saints in heaven know that IL was
Il pleasant looking place Don Diego
| Prado and Marin Naranjo. his wife.
were quiet, hospitable couple OF 45
and 40 years respectively. with sever
]
age which means much in such soli-
/ tary place
Travellers were welcome at Waiver
| de; they brought the news Of the outer
world. and months after thcir depart
! ure their peculiaritics Of facc and iig-
ure. dress and gesture. even their
Qunintnesses Of speech were subjects
for conversation over the dinner table,
or when the family gathered I'm the
| inner patio for an evening chat, the
master Of the house TRANQUILITY smok-
ing-a large. gOoI natured man. quiet
| for lack of themes to set his tongue
a-cOing. Maria Narnnjo was vOluble,
fond OF company. and enthusiastically
| hoSpitable: SO much 50 that Don Diego
used TO say that she would welcome
| a blind mule gone astray on the roads.
| There were several gucStrOOms uSu-
ally furnished with the proper and
decent simplicity of the hot country,
cot beds with just the canvas To lie
on, thick "frazadas" for the cool nights,
ms IL Is often very chilly In the terra
! cnlienta after the sun goes down aud
night advances. chair or two. a
| bureau and n small German looking
| glass warranted 10 make one wish he
had never contemplated his features
therein. One could hardly use the
glass for shaving without danger OF
cutting OFF an ear. The floors of broad
red tiles. unglaZed; the walls white
washed SO you could see. even with the
feeble light OF q candle. II there was
q scorpion crawling about suggesting
| how inscrutablc are the dccrecs OF
Allah who embodies one intelligence
in a horrid. creeping thing. and anOth-
er In that strange biped. man, thHt Is
as IA god walking the earth, aud. as
we all know. always and everywhere
the glory and Justification of the i'm
| mcnse time given To his evolution.
The room OF honor for distinguished
people was n large one with two iron
grated windows looking out on large
courtyard and door which you closed
at night. and then placed across IL. the
ends resting In each It's hole. n great
beam for perfect security against In
! truders. There We're ut least six chairs
Of Austrian bent wood. light colored.
| two Of them comfortable "mcccdorcS,"
| or rocking chairs. and there was even
a sofa OF the same material. one OF the
| finest products of human ingenuity.
The bed was n masterpiece of brass.
with a great canopy surmOuntCd by
| some sort OF carved crown, nS II de
| signed for an emperor happening by
| and asking lodging for thc night. The
bed foundation. as u syrrr. wnS com
posed Of boards pnintCt green and laid