St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1905-01-14


the struggling settlers gave it a wide
berth. and it was whispered around
tnat there were many dark deeds done
under its roof. There was large els
tern some % feet deep, near the house
and that tapped living spring which
supplied water for the house, and large
domain around 1t; orchard and gar
Gen blossomed and grew under the
careful care OF the servants, and Donna
Ramon should be happy with such a
nome, but she was prisoner and never
was seen on the roads driving except
with the Don.
One day he left her, saying he should
not be back until the following even
ing, as he was going to town to attend
to some business affairs, and Donna
lnez, being left alone, assembled the stair
| TO the cupola, to watch the moon rise
over the far-distant water Oh, how I'M
happy she was, ever since her marriage,
and for six months she had heard moth
ing from her family.
Could it be that Don Ramon de-
stroyed the letters? She sat there she
knew not how long, and 1t seemed to
her the most peaceful time she had
spent since leaving her own sunny
land.
She heard sound that made her
heart beat faster, and faster, and she
leaned far out on the window sill, and
there stood-could it be possible? Oh,
blessed Mother! Yes! it was none
other than her beloved Pedro, singing
the old love song, and looking up to-
ward her
What should she do-she must see
him, but how-how? The old watch
dogs, the servants, were not all in bed,
and what il they should hear? She
would write him a note, and fling it
down from the window
He must go until later She flew
downstairs, and penned the note, and
put it through ring she took from her
finger, and flung it far down in the
grass. Then she watched, and knew |
that Pedro knew and would be still and |
wait-and what joy!
She could see him in the garden and |
Don Ramon would not be there to in
terfere. Would the hours never pass?
At last she stole down. and out to
Pedro, her lost love- She told him of
her misery, and Don Ramon's jealousy;
how she was a prisoner, could 20 no.
where, or see anyone, and how she had
heard Of his hard name among the set
tiers. and all her troubles.
How nice to have sympathy and love
from an old friend from home!
He, in turn, told her of his wander.
ings and loneliness without her, and it
was almost morning ere he started to
depart. But bark! what was that step
she heard over there by those rose
bushes; surely no. servant could be
around now. She was bidding Dop
Pedro a long farewell. when an angry
face, black with passion, and the CLEAN
Of an uplifted knife, was all-and Don
IA Ramon's sorrows were DER, and Don {
Pedro and Don Ramon were in deadly 9
combat, struggling over her dead body {
n the moonlight. One gained the :
mastery, and Don Ramon was left, but q
1ot dead, beside poor Inez. /
When the morning dew reused him, q
Jon Ramon's first thought was how to t
get rid of the grewsome thing there on t
he grass. Surely there must be some i
way; he had done the deed before and u
till was free. II
What could he do now? Something c
must be planned before the servants
nd ho H. |
lntil tomorrow eve. when he was
expected, and then he would join in the
earch for Donna Inez All! there was
he cistern.
He dragged her lifeless body toward
!, and lifting board. plunged the poor
reature down headlong into the water.
Then it was the work of few mo-
rents to rid his hands and clothes OF
lie evidences OF his crime, as water was
lentiful, and he would 60 away, per-
APPS never to return.
Which he did, and the queer house
nd its occupants still remained on the
noll on the hill for many years.
No one asked any questions; il they
ID, all they got for their trouble was:
luien sabe"-and one by one the
rvants dropped out, and the old house
I'd grounds went to ruin 4
But belated farmers, passing by there y
night, say the air is rent with g
oman's screams, and the voices of two &
en- in deadly combat, then a silence. '
splash, and ali is dark as before
Does Donna Ramon come back from
e great beyond, and is the tragedy all
acted over again?
The taxes on the grounds are always
id by some one unknown, to this day
though no one knows who. If they do.
ence is golden. Va
There had been some talk of drag 20 20
ag the cistern, and one night light ~
S seen near; the next day disclosed 90
licences of some one having been --'
ere. What did they do? What did wv
ey find? "a
echo answers - what! - Overland ~,
nthly. ~,
SPANKED nv uANn dS