Year: 1878

/ thrown from his horse and killed and
now suspicion became rife, tor William
had been seen in his company not long
before.


"Still justice, always tardy where the
suspicious person is rich and powerful,
took no notice Of these things, though
private individuals were much excited
over them.


" In this state was the public when
Father Pedro and Philip arrived the
latter feeble and shattered, but still
reasonable man.


As soon IS decency would allow after
the arrival Of Philip, Father Pedro sug-
gested to, William that it was proper FOR
him to resign the house and estate Of the
Man in Armor to it's rightful owner, as
he had heard the conditions of the will
mentioned by many Of the inhabitants.
William cody replied that he believed It
to be in possession Of that person now,
and produced will, signed by his father,
witnessed by the lawyer and Mr.. Agayo,
the principal features of which were
these


"Tbat the two largest estates were the
property Of William, the smaller being
the property of AnnunCiata, no mention
being made of Philip whatever.


Many persons on the island had heard
Of the Originnal will, many had talked
with the deceased gentleman about it,
but still no one had any personal
knowledge of it.


" Father Pedro was not to be so easily
discouraged, and asked several influential
men to 90 with him to the Man in
Armor, confront William, tell him of
their suspicions, aud as ertain what they
could.


civilian received them all in the
most undaunted manner, declared his
determination to maintain his rights and
put al. suspicion at defiance.


"' How do you dare, gentleman, be.
cause one man dies in his bed and another
falls from his horse, to say that have
murdered them, or caused them to be
murdered? Why do you believe that,
because ! inherit. my fathers estates
he believing himself TO have no other
son-that, therefore, | have forged a
will? Produce your proof, gentlemen,
of my guilt produce one connecting
link betwesn me and the death Of these
men, and | will abdiCate in favor
of my brother, feeble aud broken
man, who shall have the care and support
he requires, but who never shall hold
the position of power and proprietOrship
which | hold


A low, fendish laugh was the only
sound which broke the stiffness after
this speech Of Williams, Old Santa
had stolen in as he spoke, and now stood
behind Father Pedro's chair uttering her
| broken and almost uninteIligibe sounds,
| William sprang at her, but an ath-
| letic man near him held him down in his
chair while the old woman spoke, brand
ishing vial in her hand.


"' He kill him he kill Mr.. Agayo
He ask him to drink the night bafore he
die he put this in his cup! He knock
MIN off his horse under de cottonwood
tree. ! watch him! Dere is more like
dis in his dressing case, and something
else, too


The old woman watched him grow
ing livid under her words, and darled
towards him.


"You kill my daughter, too; you
say you love her; you beat her; you
broke her heart. The old woman fell
on the floor uttering wild cries, Like
all her imaginative and savage race, she
could be willy and quiet for time but
the terrible food would come at last, and
now it overwhelmed her


The gentlemen gathered around
William. Father Pedro and one other
were dispatched for the dressing case.
In it were discovered several vials OF
poison, and in secret top the original
will, the contents of which have before
been stated.


William recovered his coolness some
what, begged of the gentlemen to remem.
ber that the word of a slave was not of
value as testimony, but surrendered
himself prisoner, and desired that legal
opinion should be obtained at once. as he
would then clear himself


He went into a small room near the
hall door, from which there was no egress
except the window and door, both of
which were guarded.


Six men remained through the night.
two walking up and down before the
window, two in front of the door, and two
more threw themselves on the couches
in the hall, waiting to relieve their com.
rades.


In the morning the dignitaries of the
island arrived the door of the room was
opened, but the prisoner was gone.


" The men who had guarded the window
had not left their post; the door was
securely guarded; there was no other
opening to the room. 1t seemed as if he
must have entered the stlid wall


However, he was gone. The search
for him proved utterly unsuccessful, and
was given up. Gradually he ceased to
be talked about There were wild
rumors of his having been seen in boat,
pulling for some ship; but nothing very
definite was known.


Perhaps year after this sudden dis
appearance Annunciata came back from
England. She was followed by an Eng
lish gentleman to whom she had
promised her hand, and, finding her
brother Philip much improved in mind
and body, she determined to celebrate
her marriage at his house, and endeavor
to break the chain of dreadful events
which had followed one another under
the root of the Man in ArmOr.'


The marriage day of Annuncista ar
rived, They had deemed it proper to
show their sense of the neighborly kind.
ness of their friends, and invite them to
be present Although the fate OF Will
liam hung over them like dark cloud,
yet their conviction OF his crimes and
his harsh and unbrotherly conduct
towards them had blotted out the love
of kindred, and they had got to look
upon him as something mysterious and
dreadful. and to try to forget him.


The wedding was arranged with great
state, as becoming the wealth end social
position of the parties. The planters, in
their beautiful equipages, drew up be-
fore the superb entrance OF the Man in
AImor.' The negroes, in holiday cos
tune, filled the grounds. Numbers of
them from the other estates, with their
bright colored dresses, came on in pro-
Cessions, bringing flowers to throw before
| the bride,