The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-07-07
THE HORROR OF THREE SANDALS
BY CHARLES FLEMING EMsREE.
The Argonaut.

The Argonaut.
The old monster of revolution, long
since drugged> to sleep, some think to
death, yet sometimes stirs. Its move
ments are dream movements, its snake
| like convolutions are harmless. 1t is
merely the habit of the dead past, When
Diaz was not yet Power, which causes
the beast to heave its lethargic signs and
! open up, from time to time, a red orb
devoid of meaning.
Up over the Cuernavaca railroad
| comes now the military detachment late
| ly sent into Guerrero. The little COM
pany eats dinner by the Cuernavaca sta
ton. Five lank soldiers in sandals sit
at distance on the ground; and, where
as all the others are gay, these five sit
depressed with gloom, recalling a
strange thing.
The heart Of Guerrero, state OF golden
miracles, is not yet opened to
the world Mountains and mysteries
! shut it away from modern life.
Away down SOUTH 200 miles from
the railroad, is the town of Three San
dals. Into it came, five years ago, an
American named Stirge. He bought a
mine and worked 1t all alone, and they
said ne stacked up gold in an adobe
house as high as the roof. He was tall,
with silken beard, feline grace, mild,
deep, unreal eyes. Gold turned his head;
gold made his house an empire, Three
Sandals the center of the universe He
dreamed Of severing this southern land
from Mexico, and insane ideas of a mon
archy came to him.
The chief of police was fat and flabby,
and often full of pulque. He lived in a
large house on the plaza by the palms.
His sister was a beauty, aged nineteen,
named Otilia.
planned the chief. drinking three quarts
of pulque in the patio, while she lounged
languid under those enormous yellow
flowers called "cups- Of gold" MAN
jarrez killed himself for you. Elias slew
Negrete for you. Olivares robbed
the hacienda to buy you a ruby and
was shot. The governor at Chill
pancingo made a fool of himself for
you. Bah! what good is all this If you
can not find out the revolutionary
schemes of that cursed American and
save my reputation. I want to kill him,
and, alas!-Wtth a comic shrug, Spilling
pulque-"there is no way
Hang MIN by his sweet, soft beard,
Pope, my love- said she, with a smile.
"But!-the shadow Of an excuse!
know he plots, but never a finger can [
lay on him. Make him fall in love with
you, witch; worm 1t out Of MIN. Our
reputation Is at stake"
She dreamed, lying there graceful,
beautiful, mischief in her languid eye.
Il will" she said, and plucked a cup
of-gold, and buried her flushed face
therein.
She was shrewd She was not of the
dashing type. She was leisurely re-
served She had watched Stirge for
months. She knew him slightly; she
had smiled at him. Into her deep think
ing came the knowledge that there was
something of the mystic in his nature,
that mystery might win him where
other means would fail.
Every evening ut she wrapped her
self in black rebozo SO that eyes glow
ing and portions of a face artificialIy
pale were seen beneath lustrous hair.
Then, solemn, sad, a moving statue. she
walked to and fro. to and fro, before
the Americans house. When he stood
In the door stroking his silken beard and
| gazed on her she nodded slowly.
as though unseeing, and sighed
a heavy sigh. At dusk, having
walked to and fro for an hour. she
| sighed more heavily still and went away.
After one week of this mystery. the
form Of Otilia began to haunt him. She
was very beautiful, said he There were
lurking in her eyes vast dreams, rest
lessness, towering armbitions-ah! ike
his own, like his own. He tossed in the
night somehow drawn to her. After all
was 1t good to be lonely? With such a
mate to what grand heights might any
man not soar! So, from seeing her by
chance, he came to watch for her, and
when she passed his hand was frozen
on his beard, or burned with fire that
ran in all his blood. Meanwhile a plan
to overthrow the towns authorities. to
gather men, to march on Chilpancineo.
took form. Two officers nearest the per
son or the chief were Stirge's fellow
plotters.
On the eighth evening of this moving
to and fro, wrapped in mystery, she let
her reboZo wave little wider OPEN He
was devouring ner with his eyes. He
was like god, strong and full of grace
her sweet lips were pinkish; her neck
was white. She sighed, but she looked
on him with quick flames bursting from
her eyes, The street was lonely. He
stepped out and laid mis- exceedingly
long slim fingers on her arm. She
paused, and they gazed at one another.
Otllla, some dread thing haunts you"
Yes, senor" Her eyes were down.
"Otilia, great weight is on you L
am one used to speaking out. When God
puts nre into mans heart, the man
should never hide 1t lest it burn him.
Otilia, seem to see myself in your eyes
Heart OF my heart, I love YOU
She, exceedingly white. raised her eyes
Just enough to see his chin; and with
startling mixture of mischief and emo
tional upheaving, she remembered her
words: Hang him by his sweet, soft
beard, Pepe"
He kissed her as the dusk came. She
went home, bewildered to find that her
eyes seemed blind When she put her
rebozo to them it came away wet. She
walked statelily, looking at all the low,
barred windows. She entered her
brothers patio and sat down under the
great cups-of-gold. At supper she could
not eat. In bed she could not sleep.
| In the night her little bare feet went