River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1901-08-22
he Horror of
Three Sandals.
By Charles Fleming Embree.
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Stirs. It's movements are dream-moye-
ments, its snake-like convolutiCns are
harmless. 1t is merely the habit Of
the dead past, when Diaz was not yet
Power, which causes the beast 10
heave its lethargic signs and open up,
from time to time, a red orb devoid
of meaning.
Up over the Cuernayaca railroad
comes now the military detachment
lately sent into Guerro The little
company eats dinner Wy the Cuerna-
vaca station. Five lank soldiers in
sandals sit at distance on the
ground; and, whereas 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, two hundred miles from
the railroad, is the town of Three
Sandals. Into it came, five years ago,
an American named Stirge. He bought
q mine and worked it all alone, and
they said he 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 sever
ing this southern land from Mexico,
and insane ideas of a monarchy came
to him.
The chief of police was fat and
iabby, and often full of pulque He
lived in a large house on the plaza by
the palms. His sister was beauty,
aged nineteen, named Otilia.
"Otlia, call you a failure" com
planned the chief, drinking three
quarts of pulque in the patio, while
she lounged lanquid under those enor-
nous yellow flowers called "cups-of-
gold" "Manjarrez killed himself for
you Elias slew Negrete for you
0iivares robbed the hacienda to buy
you ruby, and was shot. The gov
ernor ut Chilpancingo 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. |
want to kill him, and, alas" with a
comic shrug, spilIing pulque-"there
is no way"
Hang him 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
j lay on him. Make him fall in love
with you, witch; worm it out of him.
Our reputation is at stake"
She dreamed, lying there graceful,
beautiful, mischief in her languid eve.
II WILL she said, and plucked a cup
ofgold, and buried her flushed face
therein.
Every evening at six she wrapped
herself in a black rebozo so that eyes
glowing and portions of face arti-
iicially pale were seen beneath lus-
trous hair. Then, solemn, sad, NOV
ing statue, she walked TO and fro, to
and fro, before the Americans house
When he stood in the door strolling his
silEen beard and gazed on her, She
nodded slowly, as though unseeing
and sighed heavy sigh At dusk,
hnving 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.
restiessness, towering ambitions ahi
like his own, like mis- own. He tossed
in the night, somehow drawn to her.
After all, was it good TO be lonely?
With such mate to what grand
heights might any man not soarl 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 of
his blood. Meanwhile plan to over
throw the towns authorities, to
gather men, to march on Chilpancin-
SO, took form. Two officers nearest
the person of the chief were Ssrge's
fcllow-plotters
On the eighth evening of this NOV
ing " anu io, Nidpptu IN my SIctN,
she let her rebozo wave q little wider
open. He was devouring her with his
eyes. lie was like a 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 layed his long slim fingers on
her arm. She paused, and they gazed
at one another.
"Oulia. some dread thing haunts
you"
Yes, senior" Her eyes were down.
''Otilia, a great weight is ON you. |
am one used TO speaking out. When
God puts fire into mans heart, the
man should never hide it, lest il burn
him. 0tilia, seem to see myself in
your eyes. Heart of my heart, l love
you"
She, exceedingly white. raised her
eyes Just enough to see his chin; and
with a startling mixture of mischief
and emotional upheaving, she remem.
bercd her words: Hang him by his
sweet, soft beard, Pope"
He kissed her as the dusk Games. She