Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1903-04-08
A UNIQUE AGENT
OF CRIME
BY MRS. NJ. L. RAYNE.

ON the outskirts of Alameda, Cal,
stands an old-fashioned house of
grand proportions, walled in by
trees and shrubbery SO that passers-
by seldom get a glimpse of the
dwelling itself. The house has his
tory, the owner being un-American
enough to prefer residence abroad,
leaving the homestead-an heirloom
to fall into disuse under the SLOW
emily care of Mexican half-breed,
who had come into its service in her
youth and had grown old in the
place. The most of her days had
been passed there alone, but of late
years she had given a home to
vagrant relative, like herself half
breed and as worthless as the mix
ture usually is when of Mexican
graft.
Now word came that Horace
Lugren, the owner of the house, was
coming home, bringing with him on
his way his nephew, Jack Lugren,
who was also his heir-at-law. There
was CONSERVATION then on the part
of old Malta, for it meant that she
would be turned out of home that
had sheltered her since early youth,
when she came from the foot of
Mount OriZaba, which she had never
again beheld. The half-breed rela-
tive was sent out of the way, for old
Malta did not desire to have Manuel
meet her employer, who was master
in his own house, so she kept him
apart from Mr.. Lugren, fearful that
quarrel might arise at any time
between the two men, for the des-
potic spirit of the one and the sullen,
insolent disposition of the other
were temperamentally antagonistic.
So in his brief visits at his own
dwelling Mr.. Lugren saw nothing of
the swarthy intruder. And if he
he asked no questions. There were
reasons why on this subject he did
not care to stir up dissension.
1.-THE house seems to have been
stripped" the uncle had remarked
to his nephew after close inspec-
ton; you must remember those
tapestry hangings-not a shred of
one is left"
"Have you asked Malta about
them?" inquired young Lugren, in
differently-he took little interest
in the musty hangings of the old
house.
% Malita!" said the older
man, savagely, and as he spoke the
door opened and the head of the
woman in question was thrust in.
''Yo call, senor?" she asked, in
rasping tones.
mo! And If I catch you listening
again at that door I'll wiring your
neck as if you were a parrot-you
hear, Mexicat?"
Malta looked at him with an evil
eye. Her malignant black hair-un-
softened by a thread of gray, seemed
to twist and writhe as she wag.
gled her head and drew her fingers
across her throat in horribly sug
gestive manner. Then she gave q
little cacking laugh and withdrew
closing the door with noiseless VIC
lence-
Later in the evening the old man
and the young parted, after a game
of cribbage, well pleased with each
other. The bachelor uncle was a.
fond Of his nephew as it was possible
for him to be of anyone, and the
young man liked his uncle without
any greed of possession coming be
tween them. He was a civil engineer
In receipt of government salary
and had no need of a dead man.
shoes.
Yet there were not wanting peopl,
TO shake their heads and look mys
terious when on the following morn
ing Mr.. Lugren was found dead in hi
bed. and Jack Lugren's grief wen
for naught with them, and old Halit,