River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1903-03-19
A UNIQUE AGENT
OF CRIME
BY MRS. NJ. L. RAYNE.
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NN the outskirts Of Alameda, CAL,
J stands an old-fashioned house of
grand proportions, walled in by
trees and shrubbery so that passers-
by seldom get glimpse of the
dwelling itself. The house has his
tory, the owner being un-American
enough to prefer a residence abroad,
leaving the hOmestead-an heirloom
to fall into disuse under the SLOW
emily care of a 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 home to a
vagrant relative, like herself a 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 Consideration 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
a 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
knew or surmised that he was about,
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 a 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 took little interest
in the musty hangings of the old
house.
d 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.
"No! And if 1 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 thread of gray, seemed
to twist and writhe as she wag-
gled her head and drew her fingers
across her throat in a horribly sug-
gestive manner. Then she gave a
little cacBling laugh and withdrew,
closing the door with noiseless vio-
lcnce.
Later in the evening the old man
and the young parted, after game
of cribbage, well pleased with each
other. The bachelor uncle was as
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 civil engineer
in receipt of a government salary,
and had no need of a dead mans
shoes.
Yet there were not wanting people
to shake their heads and look mys-
FERROUS when on the following morn
ing Mr.. Lugren was found dead in his
bed, and Jack Lugren's grief went
for naught with them, and old Malta
not so old but that her eyes were
bright as beadS-shook her weird
head, and muttered in choice Mexican
argot, and crossed herself with
pious insiStence, while she looked as
if she could tell much if she would.
But the police found no evidence of
a violent death, and the doctors said
the look of horror on his face was
the result of heart disease. And the
coroner's jury gave that as a verdict,
in which case there was no need of
a jury. But the strict letter of the
law must be observed
Jack Lugren was not satisfied. He
felt sure that his uncle's death was
the result of foul play. He had ex
amined every inch of the room il
which the dead man had slept his
last sleep and found no evidence that
it had been entered in the night
Doors We're securely fastened on the
inside Noticing few crumbs OF
the pillow, he had rolled them in his
fingers mechanically, and found then
to be crumbs of a rich cheese which
his uncle was accustomed to eat will
his dessert. He attached no impor
tance to the discovery at first, but
thinking it over, an inspiration cam,
to him, He called in the Mexican
woman