The Cairo bulletin., 1910-10-04
THE CHA
MONSTER
By DAVID WALTER CHURCH
Copyright. 1910, by American Press
Association.

girl saw while engineering In the
northwest, was II merry child df she
had been born In the north she would
have been Al child; but. being Next
can. she was woman she might
have been anywhere from fourteen to
sixteen. She played the guitar and
sang with little birdlike voice. jub-
berei Spanish mnsicaly, danced. and
her face wore perpetual smile. which
was for every one But II any person
attempted to guy her she would knit
her brows aud shrink away as though
terrified. And once her confidence
was lost by Il bit OF banter her good
will could never he reganed.
There WIS Il young engineer engaged
ON the same work as myself out there, at
the time fresh from one Of the "Teck n
schools Of the northern states. He
was twenty years old, handsome MS a
picture and as bright as new brass
button. What must he do but make
love to lnez with all the recklessness
Of youth regardless Of the conse-
quences both to himself and her. |.
who was older. saw his danger and
warned him. ! knew what was up,
for In the evening when the days
work was over would hear on the
Basquemento vernnda the twang OF
-Inez's guitar. her little tlute voice. her
merry laughter mingled with sounds
which l recognized as coming from
Ben Eggleston. the. young man who
was sowing the wind TO reap the whirl-
wind
"You little fool" would say to him.
don't sou know that the girl Is min
Cling OF child and woman-child in In
experience, woman In development:
that she will fall In love with you and
then
I'm break II off at once" would be
the young fellows inyariabie reply.
The hoy fully intended to keep his res
olution when 1t was made. but gave up
trying to do so when 1t got cold. The
next night ! would hear the same
pleasant sounds on the veranda and
knew that they were breeding the
same storm.
This went on I'LL the work on that
division was finished aud we were
about to move Eggleston assured me
there wouldn't be any trouble. The
girl was such a child that he couldn't
believe she had been attracted to him
as she might have been II more of
woman. He was going away and
would simply bid her goodby as be
would any other girl OF immature
years whose companion he had been.
My advice TO YOU" / said. lis to do
no such thing. Go without saying any
thing about your going"
He didn't take my advice. The day
before leaving he told her in a care
less way that the engineering party to
which he belonged was going to move
Its headquarters.
And | viii not see you againg' said
| the girl. her smile vanishing.
perhaps not" replied Ben. not think
| Ing 1t wise to leave her to look for
ward to meeting him again. You'll
grow up soon and get married. Then
you won't want any young men friends
| like me-"
In order the better to kill In her all
expectation Of getting any nearer 10
| him he told her he had girl in the
north
That evening | met Inez carrying q
cudgel In one hand and canvas bag
| In the other She wore the same inno-
cent look she had always worn. but |
| noticed peculiar glitter In her eye.
There was something incongruous In
| little girls carrying bludgeon, and,
naturally fearful for Ben Eggleston.
could not help vaguely connecting
the act with the jilting be was giving
her She passed me without looking
back. and. taking position behind q
| tree, | watched her.
She went along. looking about her
on the ground as II searching for some
i
| way. following her. taking new po-
| sition now and then where would
| not be observed by her, Presently |
| saw her hit something with her weap-
on Then she picked up what looked
| to me from short distance like a
baby alligator She held 1t by the tail,
dropped II into the bag. closed the
mouth and went away.
| didn't know what II all meant; but.
still timorous about Ben. told him he
had better not wait for the moving OF
| the party. but get out at once. He
| laughed at me and said there was
nothing to fear and II there were ne
wouldn't run from little Mexican
girl who had scarcely given up her
doll.
| We engineers slept In a long tenn
porary building one story high. That
night was startled by an unearthly
yell. Springing out Of bed. | ran along
to a room where Eggleston and rod
man slept. The window was open.
and Eggleston had just struck light.
His roommate was holding one leg
and writhing with pain.
"Kill 1t" he yelled
Then saw little alligator looking
thing on the floor.
"Kili II. It's the CHA monster and
has biitea me. I'm gone up"
Inezs actions We're explained. She
had dropped the repfile In through