Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1918-08-09

open moonlight; then he sighed with
relief: "Ah-h! Now seei 1t Is my
stepmother. She Is asleep"
For a moment or two they watched
the progress of the white-robed figure;
then Esteban stirred and rose from his
seat. "She's too close to that we'll
There is" He started forward a
pace or two. "They say people who
walk at night go mad If they're awak-
ened TOO suddenly, and vet"
When the somnambulist's deliberate
progress toward the mouth of the well
continued he called her name softly
Donna Isabel" Then he repeated 1t
louder. Donna Isabel Wake up"
The woman seemed to hear and yet
not to hear. She turned her head to
listen, but continued to walk.
Don't be alarmed" he said, reas-
suringly. 1T is only Esteban-Donna
Isabel Stopw Esteban sprang for
ward, shouting at the top of his voice,
for at the sound of her name Isabel
had abruptly swerved 10 her right, a
movement which brought her danger
ously close to the lip of the well.
"Stop! Go backl" screamed the
young man.
Above his warning there came a
shrek. shrill and agonized-a wall of
such abysmal terror as to shock the
night birds and the insects into still
ness. Donna Isabel slipped, or STUN
bled, to her knees, she balanced briefly
clutching at random while the earth
and crumbling cement gave way be-
| meath her; then she slid forward and
disappeared, almost out from between
| Esteban's hands. There was noisy
rattle of rock and pebble and a great
splash far below; a chuckle of little
stones striking the water, then a faint
bubbling. Nothing more. The stepson
stood in his tracks, sick, blind with
horror; he was swaying over the open
ing when AsensiO dragged him back.
Pancho Cueto, being heavy sleeper,
was the last to be reused by Esteban's
outcries. When he had hurriedly
slipped into his clothes in response TO
the pounding on his door, the few serv-
ants that the establishment supported
had been thoroughly awakened. Cueto
thought they must be out of their
minds until ne learned what had be-
fallen the mistress of the house. Then,
being a man of action, he too issued
swift orders, with the result that by
the time he and Esteban had run to
the well rope and lantern were ready
for their use. Before Esteban could
form and fit q loop for his shoulders
there was sufficient help on hand to
lower him into the treacherous abyss.
That was a gruesome task which fell
to Esteban, for the well had been long
unused, its sides were oozlng slime, its
waters were stale and black. He was
on the point of fainting when he finally
climbed out, leaving the negroes to
hoist the dripping, inert weight which
he had found at the bottom.
Old Sebastian's curse had come
true; Donna Isabel had met the fate
he had called down upon her that day
when he hung exhausted in his chains
and when the flies tormented him.
| The treasure for which the woman had
| intrigued so tirelessly had been her
/ death. Furthermore, as If in grim
NEST irony, she had been permitted at
the very last to find It. Living, she
| had searched to no purpose whatso-
| ever: dying she had alaost grasped
| ii in her arms.
Once the first excitement had abated
and a messenger had been sent to
town. Cuato drexZ Esteban aside ano
questioned him.
"a shocking tragedy and most pc
culiar.p said the oyerseer. Nothing
! COLD amaze ma mere. Tell me, how
did you come to be there at such an
+! hour. ek?'
! Estebnn saw the malevolent curios-
/ ity in Cuetos face and started. =
/ That is my affair. Surely you don't
think"
"Come. come You can trust me-
The overseer winked and smiled
81 had BusTness that took me there,
stiflv declared the younger man.
Exactly And a profitable bush
ness If proved" Cueto laughed openly
now. "well, 1 don't miDd telling you
Donne Isabers death is 40 disappoint-