Avenged At Last

'.COPYRIGHT, 1890.1 [ CONTINCED. ] CHAFTEB IL Mario Delaro, tho man whoso dead body had boor. found, was, as his name indicates, an Italian who had emigrated to Amorica immediatoly aftor tho close of the civil war, whilo ho was stiU a youth. His parcnts had been woll-to-do, but bis father met with reverses in consequenco of a patriotic endoavor to establish some largo f actories noar to Naples, which had turnod out a failuro. Young Mario, f uil of pluck and spirit, determinod not to becomo in any way dependent on hi3 fatoor in his straitened circumstancos, so with praiseworthy energy ho resolved to try his luck in California. Liko rnany others, before and sinco, ha was doomed to meet with some bitter disappointments, but as ho had made up his mind to battle in earnest with tho world, thero was little foar that ho would starvo. He first tried tho mining districts, but thero met with indifferent success. Still, by hard work ho managed to got a littlo monoy ahead r.nd drifted to San Francisco, whero hu opened a fruit store. Thero lio ivas moro successful and soon saved several thousand dollars. Growing tirod ei Co busy, yet humdrum lifc of tho city, ho resolved on trying his hand in lbo winc-growing districts, anti bought a fuw acres of land in the fertile Sonoma valloy. Owing to his imperfect knowledgo o] tho business ho at first lost a great dea' of money in tho venturo, and by the time that ho bad rnastered all tho necossary points and was turning out satisfactory wines, ho found that tho poor winos which many of his competitors wero putting on iho market had caused tho pcoplo to spca!; Jisparagingly ol domestic wines, so that tho trado in them was considcrably fallen oft. Ilowever, ho continued to persevere in tho face of ill fortune, and was at last rewarded with success. Elated witb bis good fortuno, ho conceived tho idea of becoming part owner and manager of one of the largest winoLrowing concerns in Sonoaia County, and i:i an ovil hour took into partnership a Portuguesa namoi León Velasquez. so that he raight havo the means to purchase some noighboring vinoyards Velasquoz brought quito a large sum of money into thé business, thoughhow he came by it was often aftcrwards a thomo for spsculation in tho mind of Mario. For nearly a year all went well anc tho prospects for tho next year were quite brilliant. But before the end oi twelvo raonths' partnership Velasquea bogan to show signs of lessoning personal interest in tho business. Ho took oft-repoated trips to San Francisco and made frequent demands for money, which at first Mario invariably met without quostioning; but when ono day Velasquez propoaod to considerably overdraw his account, a quarrel ensuod, causod by Mario's refusal. Thereupon Velasquez displayed characteristics whtch told that he was not quite tho polishsd gentloman he pretended to ho.. But Mario's rofuial servad a goo-l purpose; for, aftor this, Velasquez was not so importun it'3 in his domands on the flnancial resource3 of the ilrm. Matters went on with comparativo smoothness for a timo, but Mario was not well satisñed with his partnor and often wished that he had kopt alonj alono in bis old quiet way. As yoar followed year the Posada proporty continued to incroaso in valuo and Sonoma wines found a roady salo at all timo3. Both Mario and his partner wero makinff large sums of money every yoar. Mario was a careful man and invested his money very cautiously as fast as he made it: but Volasquez was given to rash specuiation, and frequently lost large suins of money dabbling ín mining stocks in San Francisco. This and his frequent absence from the Posada ccllars gave Delaro good cause for complaint, and ho suggested to Velasquez the purchase of his sharo in the business. To this Velasquez would not listen. He was always suro of a good thing, as ho know full well, so long as horotained his interest in tho vinoyard and the wine-cellars and he knew enough to stick to his partner. Mario Dolaro had built himself a pleasant homo on tho hillsido a little below San Paola. To this homo ho took alovely wife, by whom ho had one child, a daughter, who was at tho timo of her father's death about eigbt years old. Tho child, Armida, was a bright littlo brunette, combining in herself the beauty of her handsomo fathor and the sweotness of her lovely mother - tho latter a daughter of a wealthy Spanish merchant in Santa Rosa. Mario had been vcry proud of his lovely wifo and child and was the tenderest of husbands. Leon Velasquez, on tho other hand, possossed a history which was quite obscuro up to tho time when ho made hia first bow in San Paola with a profusión of money and tho appearanco of one whoso path in lifo was particularly smootb and easy. As related, he soon bocamo tho partner of Dolaro, and at tho time when the partnership was forme I be uppearod to be a man of about thirty-livo years, though none ever know his exact age. If any ono had followed him on hia frequent trips to San Francisco they uuld have discovered that ho went tbere to particípate in all kinds of Tices, and, as men whose deeds are evil love darkness rather than light, they would havo found that he did Bot expose himself much during the day. He acted like a man who was afraid ol were placas wnere it requlro3 a peculiar knock on the door as woll as a planee through a peep-holo beforo the applicant was admittod. It looked as tbougb nis soclusion in tho quiet Posada vineyard was a forced one, though he had not apparently enough discrotion or forco of will to keep ontirely f rom the outside world. He was, in short, an invetérate gambler, and would rosort to any means in order to pain tho matorial with which to tampt fortune's cards. Ho had jogged elbows with tho worst classes of thieves and villains in San Francisco, and any ono aware of his history would have known that it was not the flrst timo ho had assooiatod ftith questionablo characters. The f act of the matter was that Velasquez had walked in crimo from an early age. [lis parents had aftorded him a good education, and at the age oí sixteon he had entered a large morcantilo houso in Lisbon. Ele took advantago of the first opportunity which presentod itself to steal quite a large sum of money, and, failing in his efforts to fasten the crime upon a fellow clerk, ho eludod the vigilance of the Lisbon pólice and secroted himself on a sailing vesscl bound for America. The captain being susceptiblo to a bribe ho managcd toland safely in New York. Velasquez lost no time in improving his knowledge of the English language and after perfectinji himself as far a possiblo he started across tho conti nent. At Chicago ho found his way into a ring of gamblors who soon fleeced him and ho then sank into every kind o vico imaginable. From Chicago h drifted West, but ho ftlways, howover managod to koop his photograph out o the various rogues' galleries. A short timo beforo ho foll in with Delaro he had boon implicated in a stage-coach robbery in Nevada, but be ing now in that business theauthoritios did not suspect or oven know him an( ho thus got clcar with his sharo of the booty liecoming soracwhat scared, and fear ing lest his phenomenal luck shoulddo sert him and loare him at last in the hands of justise, he concluded to try a few years' seclusion in the valley of tha Souoma. With tiio exception of his toa frequent absonco and calis for money all went well with him aftor ho enterec into partnership w.ith Mario Delaro. Indeed it soemod as though Volas quez had at last settled down to a civil, reasonablo kind of life, and towards the beginning of 1ST5 Mario had so restoroc his confidence inhisPortuguese partner that he sometimes listened to his propositions of a joint investment in mininjj stocks, at which for a timo they both made money, so much so that tho deals continued to increaso in amount until one day Velasquez induced Delaro to invest twenty thousand dollars with him in a mine which ho had privately hoard was going tobe "boomed" for all it was worth. Tho speculation turned out to bo a success, and, elated at his lucky hit, Velasquez became greedy for more. He invested in other mines and lost heavily; then he gave his notes for largo sums, and a day or two beforo settling time with Delaro for the successful deal ho found himself noarly flfty thousand dollars in debt, with no immediato prospoct of being ablo to moet his obligations. He had realized on his own share of tho deal in which Dolaro was interested, but Delaro had not yet cashed his certifica tes. Vclasquez was In a bad mood, and ready to meet any emergency with fraud or violenco when ho started back to San Paola tomeet Delaro. He reachod Delaro's house, where he had always been a guest, about seven o"clock on tho evening immediately preceding the morning on which Delaro had been found dead. After dinner he and Delaro ropaired to the library, and commenced to discuss matters of business. Velasquez, as we know, was in no very pleasant state of mjnd, and Delaro was in an equally bad mood, owing to the fact that a quantity of wino had been spoiled at tho ccllars that day, tho result of negloct on tho part of one of the workmen. Tho conversation was quiet enougb. at first and üelaro calmly signed tho transfer of tha mining stock so that Velasquez might complete the negotiations on bis return to San Francisco. After this Volasquez told Delaro that ho had been speculating further and had lost considerablo money: a.nd that in oraer to squaro himself, lio must borrow at least twenty thousand dollars. Delaro refuscd to lend the amount, and angrily proposed that they should at once dissolve partnership, offoring to pay Velasquez iïfty tiiousand dollars for bis share in tho business. After a long discussion Velasquez consented on condition that Delaro would give him a note for the amount then and thcre, for whieh ho would make over a recoipt. Tho papers ol dissolution to bo filled out and signed in tho courso of a day or two. On his part Volasquez gavo Delaro a note for tho vr.luo of tbo mining stock, which ho held to realizo on, and the deal was endcd. It was nine o'clock beioro the businoas was sottlod. At that hour Delaro ruiia a bell, and the cali was answered by a colored servant. "I'm going out, John, may not be back till late, so you noed not wait up for me; but seo that all lights aro put out except tho ono at tho head of tho stairs, and the one in my bedroom," said his master. "All right, sir, " responded the attendant; "but is thero any thing you want beforo you start, sir?" "Yos, you may bring in somo claret and ico andcigars." After each had lit a cigar and drank somo of tho wino, Delaro aroso to start. "If you caro for my cotnpany," said Velasquez, "I will walk with you." "I have no objoctions," was tho response. "We can finish talkinj over the matter on the way." During these few moments a great deal was passing in Velasquez's mind. He was meditatiflg on committing a deed which would place him in comparativo easo for awhilo at least. He rapidly weighed tho chancos of detection and made up his mind what he would do. iio was a man whoso nature n was not to rost unloss his hands wero steeped in crime, and he hesitated at nothing when a chanco carne within his reach to secure a good round sura of money. Dolaro had not pleased him with his carefulness; besides he was exasperated at his ropeated lossos by spoculation and ready for any kind of a deed as a means to escapo his difficulties. "Excuso me for a moment," ho said, bef ore thoy started. "I w.sh to step up to my room." He was only gono for a lew moments, but it was long enough to g2t v, Uat he wanted. Thero was not much said botween tho twomen on thuir walk towards thotown and on beyond it to the cellars; thoir difterences wero settled and only ono or two minor matters were lef: to discuss When thoy wort? about two hundre-i yards from the entrance to tho collars, Velasquez stopped and geatod liimsolf on a log, saying tha'. ne would rrmain there until Mario returtred Mario Üolaro proceede ; 'ovard ' iu'Cn trance and vvas soon ms: i rot tako him moro than i ■■ oncludo his Inapnclioii did not wait, but at once started down the road toward wbero be had left Velasquez sitting. He could not seo Velasquez whore he had loft him, but supposed that he had walked on a little way. He whistled and shoutotl: "Velasquezl Volasquezl" Uut no answcr carne. Suddenly he heard a slight noise behind him, but ho had no timo to turn. A blow, a grom, and Mario Dclaro was in the dust. IIo had roceived nis doath wound and Volasquoz was tho murdorer. Tho blow bad been aimcd too sure for tho victim to retain consciousness more than a seeond Valasqucz draed the body in betweon tho vincs, and, after making sure that the deadly blado had dono its work woll, ho loft his victim todio Shortly afterwards Anton Reyman passed by, followod in thoccu-so of half an hour by tlirco of tho cellarmon, who had boon helping him with somo work that had causod a great deal of trouble and worry in tho cellara of lato. Velasquoz was at tho Dclaro home by this timo. Uo bad entereü tho study, picked the lock of tho desk and taken outhisown nota and tho receipt ho had given Delaro for the fifty thousand dollars. After that ho retirod to hia room, and slept as soundly as if ffuilt and crime were perfect strangers to him. L TO BE CONTINUKD. I