A TRAGEDY LESSON FROM LIEE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2523, 23 July 1902, Page 82

A TRAGEDY LESSON FROM LIEE.

HOW CLARA MORRIS LEARNED THE WAY MEN DIE. At the ranch house, sitting over our late and lazy breakfast, we had been discussing a melodrama then being presented at a San Francisco theatre, and the doctor of the p.u'ty — there was always a doctor in any party of mj gathering in those days — had been severely criticising the actor who played the villain, because of his bad death scene "But." said I, "according to the papers, the audience liked the performance." "Oh, yes," replied the doctor, "the gallery enjoyed the scene greatly, but there weie a good many in the parquette who were laughing quietly over that death. I daresay it would be accepted east of the Rocky Mountains, but heie — well, when a man "passes in his chips with the aid of a gunshot wound or a knife thrust he doesn't, as a rule, clutch and gasp and cavort, aud die a little bit on one side of the room, and then waltz over and die a lot more on the other side. Neither does he squirm about the floor on his stomach for a few chanters."' ."Ah, well," "said I, "I have been dying unnatural deaths from my tenderest years. I have been shot often/ stabbed oftener, .poisoned oftenest of all. I have died, too, of consumption, insanity, and heart disease

"Still. I am a teachable peiaon. with a mind open to conviction. So if you will kindly kill .some superfluous young man this afternoon I will try to profit by the opportunity, and leain how to die properly." And I remember that we all laughed. Then came the superintendent or resident managei of the ranch to ask about our plans- ior the day, and, knowing we had had enough of the saddle for that morning, he remarked : "I'm afraid I haven't anything special to show you to-day, unless you'd like to dY.w towards the mission and take a p«ep at our man-killer." "What's that':" I asked. "Do you mean a bear? ' "No." put in the doctor. "He means 'the quick Alfonso.' who has stabbed, or, in local pivinncc. knifed, four men in 16 month-, but has never seen the inside of a cell." "Bur why," I asked, "did not someone kill hnn?" * "Oh." <"iicd the superintendent, "his name answers your question, 'the quick Al-fon-o." IMadre' de Dios ! but he is quick and sure. Ah. he nevc-i strikes twice, does. 'tliP nuick Alfonso.' " "Kill!" I s-aid. "Your slayer of men mu-t he a wretch! I don't want to see hnn. Bat i>st week you piomi^od to show me an almond orchard. Why can't we see th.it to-day?" "We i.v." replied the supeiintondent chiei fully, and as he went to order the cut the doctor laughingly added: "And as old Alfonso lives ju-t thi- side of the oichaid, urn will prubab'y f^e him in spite of yourself. And horn the fnlnefs of folly I made an-vrer: "Peihaps your quick Alfonso may ht-ab at Xo. 5 this afternoon, and s-o give me a. chance to learn how to. die ;>fter California fashion."

Thus, with laugh and jest, we drove down through the ugliness and the beauty of the orange orchard to the white road, winding amonc vineyards and giain fields, past wild land, where the tall mustard plant flaunted its yellow banner of blossom, in sign of the richness of the soil, ai.d approached a long, low adobe hou-c. in front of which an uncertain old watering Ixmjrh stood, or rati.er leaned against the trunk of a big popper tiee. A rude gallery, made beautiful by its clambering gr.ipeviiic, ran along the adobe's length, and several men were lounging in its shadow. One of our horses must have been quoting t i the other that famous speech made by the Governor of North Carolina to the Governor of South Carolina, for they both moved as one horse towards the drinking place, and the doctor leaned closer to me and whisptied : " The (|iuck Alfonso' is among those nicn. See if jou can pick him out."

I nodded a sort of general salutation tn th. 1 men .md glanced them over. One come stumbling forward to uncheck the horses, t. <Hillon, swarthy fellow, wearing .Mexican tr niseis slashed to the knee, inghhecled boot-, a, net silk sash tight about his narrow hips, while from beneath a wide si mbreio his quick, snaky eye- darted such swiit side glances that I shiank hick, w hi* pei ing .

"That is your 'quick Alf>n«o ' "'

But the absolutely criminal joy I sawin my companions' face, told me I had encd. I immediately u>Mimed that wide but mirthle-s smile peculiar to the cultiv. ted person who ha*» blundered— the uncjitivitcd person, under like circumstances, very properly commits as-ault or battery — butbefoi,? I cf-uld more thf.n produce that -mile a gill came from the and, pausing in the doo-way, ipokt to a fat, la/y, half-dres-ed nun tilting back hi- chair upon its two tear leg--. H»> turned Ins •-■n-aithy f« ce - ami opening his half-closed lids-, shot at her one swift, tuting glance from a pair of pale blue eyes, the effect of whicnt wa- Mailing. There «<is Midi a, cold irenace in that pale, quick gl.mce, coming Horn the leatlur brownness (ii a hue that promised a smouldering black eyt. th.it J f,",i:ly -hi\ered at it. The giil tarn.- dow a th«- path, and I drew in the hoi-es to let her pass. She was a handsome, -i n-ele-- thing of the quickblooming, rjiii' k-i.idinjj vanety, and as «he sent a boldly challenging smile towards, the men of our* p.uty. a. bitttr onth left the hps of the man m the Mexican raiment, «nd 1 exc-ldimeil .

"All, the old. old Mory." But that persistent doctor broke in with .

"Did you notic that fat man tilted back by the door?"

man without most, of his clothing, without vest, coat, and collar, with sarpet slipped hanging half oS his feet, and with a pale eye in a dark face ; if you mean him, I saw him. But," I added aggressively^ 'I did not see your precious 'quick Alfonso.' " Then they all laughed, and the doctor patronizingly remarked : "That's just the gentleman you did see, my dear young lady. The swarthy, fafc man with the pale eye is our 'quick Alfonso,' fnd that young damsel is his niece."

"Well." I replied, "the niece is welcome! to her famous relative, who will probably remove any admirer who proves obnoxious to her."

Surely the gift of prophecy was upon my laughing lips that lay. We saw the orchard, and were returning, when, seeking an excuse to give the horses a little rest, I proposed that we stop at a small wayside inn or sort of restaurant, and get some ice cieam or lemonade.

The house was wide open, the windows opening to the floor, like doors. A few small tables stood oute-ide, after the Frenctn fashion. Everything was spotlessly clean. Passing a few loungers we entered. As I seated myself by one of the open windows I observed a large man leaning against ib outside — a man who had two or three people about him. We gave our orders, and then I noticed that Alfonso's niece and our Mexican friend were seated very near us. At the same moument a tall young fellow entered the room.

He was very well dressed, and very American. As he hesitated at the door, the girl gave him that quick, challenging smile I had already seen, and the young fellow answered it in kind, and seated himself at the table next to her.

She was very «kver, encouraging .the newcomer to flirt without letting the Mexi-" can's eye catch her at it. 1 could not quite decide whether the young American was just a wee, wee bit in liquor, or whether he was a silly practical joker. At all events, lie laughed nearly all the time. But if the girl evaded the Mexican's glances there were other eyes, near, sharper than his.

The waiter came in, and on his way to oir table he paused to place a saucer of ice cream before the laughing young man. He was still rattling spoons behind us, when I saw the young fellow's face light up with a gleam of mischief. He diew the spoon from the frozen <ream. wiped it on the napkin, and leaning forwciid. laid the bow of the cold spoon against the side of the girl's cheek. She gave a cry at the icy touch, and sprang to her feel, as did the 3'oung American. Then a heavy form sprang past me from the window, an arm flew high in the air, something flashed as the arm came down with terrific force, and I heard the thump of the knife's handle striking against the bone. A savage wrench at the knife, an awful sound as of a bottle too quickly filled, and then, oh, God! out from the boy's throat there spurted clear and clean n. bright red stream that arched slightly in the air, and then fell in a hideous, everspreading pool oi blood upon the white tablecloth.

For half a second the tall man wavered, then he sank back into his chair, limp. limp! His hand* might have weighed ton--, so heavily they seemed to drag hie aims clo-.ui from the shoulders. His head sank weakly back, hi.s eyes gleaming white between hi.s half-closed lids, and hi.s mouth still smiled a death-stricken smile, the lips drawn back across the teeth, and a little froth gathering at their corners. And I thought, "Why doesn't he cry out or groan. or moan? And, Mother of God! why doesn't he stop smiling? ' And all that time I heaul that bubbling.

An arm passed quickly about my waist, and I was lifted backwards from the window, and then into the cart, and I dully asked :

"When the last trumpet calls him to rise, will he still smile like that?"

Then I heard a voice afar off say:! "Hold her! Give me the reins — quick!"

Weakly 1 turned my head, and saw a large fat man coming down the street, and as he walked he elowly wiped a knifeblade on his sleeve. I gave a dry, cackling laugh, and cried out:— "Look! Look! The 'quick Alfonso' — bis No. s—and5 — and my lesson!" And then I knew no more^— Claba Mourns in the New York Sun.

— The captain of a recruiting \c»sel recently adopted a novel mothod of getting natives to enter into contracts with him. on the Island of Malayta He secured a phonograph, and befoie leaving Queensland had a native already engaged on a plantation talk into it, telling of the good time he was ba\ing. Tins was taken to the native villages and exhibited. The natives fiockedl to the recruiting ship.