Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1902-05-03

eoCus k1drla, VINO naQ returned TO ner
table as placidly as II nothing unusual
had happened and whom Wyndham
had warmly thanked for her part In
the scene so lately enacted, had turn
| ed her back to them and was gazing
out through the window at the car
!, fiages that were constantly passing to
and fro.
"Now, Carmen" said Craig at last,
"war is declared. I DO not know what
4 Escudera has got up his sleeve
"a knife, doubtless" she interpolat-
! ed, and Craig smiled and continued:
| -''but do not doubt that he has
something. We have forced his hand,
and have not a doubt that he win at
! once endeavor to fix this crime that we
know he committed upon me. Still
have considerable time to act, so we
need not make unnecessary haste.
There are several things that 1 must
know to complete the knowledge 1 al
ready have, for 1 already know more
about the history OF your father and
Burr than you think do. think the
best way to get at what require now
will be to ask you a few questions. II
will save time. and In that way we can
get directly at the important points"
"I will reply TO any question you will
ask IL 1t Is one that / am Informed
about
Under what name did your father
: first visit MexicoT
Bridge. That is why my cards are
inscribed Del Puente-of the bridge"
! "Did your mother know his true
name when they were married?"
I "Yes. He never deceived her"
! do you know why he went to Mex
leo under an assumed Manner
Yes. Pancho. who was his servant
and Is now mine. has told me. A syn
dictate that had been formed by my IA
Their In New York met with disaster OF
some kind at the hands OF the then
Mexican government. He was known
to the Mexicans by name only. and he
went among them to investigate the
affairs Of the syndicate. In order to
accomplish the task better he assumed
name at random. Bridge happened
to be the one he selected. The govern
ment Of Mexico was very unstable at
that time. Life was not valued at a
very high price-not much higher than
their bonds, which were then worthless.
There were national complications OF
some kind which do not understand,
but
l II know about that, Carmen. and
Will tell you In a few words enough so
that you will know what a really great
| man Robert Pendleton was. An Ameri-
( can officer OF the government was
| grossly insulted by the Mexican gov
| eminent. Your father might by IN
/ forming his own government OF all he
knew, have brought on difficulties be-
| tween the two nations. which would
! probably have resulted in the downfall
| OF Mexico, at that time torn by internal
| conflicts. Your mother plead for her
country, and for love of her he not only
kept silent, but he voluntarily relin-
| pushed q fortune, or what they would
| call there several fortunes. He did not
return to Mexico for the same reason,
because his life would not have been
safe for a moment and because she
begged him not to do SO. She prom
tsed TO come here to him, but she died.
| That much / have learned from docu-
ments that found In Burr's safe. And
ghere let me add: Burr knew that his
| father had married again In Mexico
( and that his wife had died. He did
not know that there was a child, but
he believed 1t probable, and that is
why he left the property In trust to me,
with private directions what to do.
Now, Carmen, were you the only child
Of that marriageT
4 ''No." She cast down her eyes SO
! that he could not meet her glance. at
had twin brother"
3 you had twin brother7 he Is
dead, thenP
mo; he lives, but Will not recog-
nize him. Captain Romero, with whom
Burr fought the duel is my brother.
He was born at the same time that I
was born"
"My God! Brother against brotherl
What fortunate thing it is that the
duel did not terminate fatally! Did
you know about it at the timer
Eyes, and tried to prevent. But for
PanchO, my old servant, I would have
done so. But for once in his life, and
only once, believe, Pancho betrayed
me. But he hates Ignacio for his own
sake and because he has been unkind
to me. After Burr left Mexico he came
to me and confessed what he had done.
1t was Pancho who drove my carriage
yesterday, so you may know that I
still trust him. He came to New York
/ once with a message from my mother
to my father, and he remained here a
month. Now you understand how it is
that he knows his way about the city"
Then in few words she related to
Craig how she, having learned that
there was to be a duel, determined to
prevent 1t; how she sent a messenger
to Burr requesting him to meet her In
the garden at jerks" how, failing to