Caracas and the
Venezuelan Scourge
THE ILLUSTRATED BE IS.
il.'opyrlKht. I'Ml, by Collier's Weekly. )
an old maid who Is still careful of her ap
pearance On her haml she wore a ring
that she might look tho moro beautiful
Hut her face was like the face of tho man.
Her companion was tall and dark-eyed cliar, because the disease was yet with her
and fair to see. Her skin was clear and in the first stages
unblemished. Her figure was neatly cut 'lint tho urriltf'Mt tili'RRlfli? nf nil la (lint
peoplo who wulk utid talk and llvo within nud nho seemed to have taken care with her theru Is no pain," said tho doctor. "This
black pots and pans were collected In a
corner beneath the roof. At the opposite
end from these sat u woman in front of a
sowing id .chine. The skin of her faco was
Tho day wus hot hot oven for Caracas- - tho city. They belong outside. Kven their dress even tho knot of her black velvet
so hot that tho hotel proprietor lemarked houses were built chlelly of mud. Uuo or belt was tied to llo Hat and even. She car-
upon tho heut and wanted to bo back In two, In trying to Imitate thu dwellings ot rled herself with the proud bearing or an
Switzerland, where ho had beun born, llo- thu nioio wculiny inhabitants, were buiu ''leal Queen.
eausu It was early in tho atlernoon tho with stucco walls; only thu stucco was IHhi-iinc AMih-I.n r.reniltl i-'lrni
doctor stood in tho shade ol tho hotel cracked In many places and lined with -Tl0 dlseaso attacks the extremities
poicli and leaned witu one- snouiuer ugumsi streaks of dirt, 'I ho poverty of these dls- Urst," explained the doctor as wo passed l,,uu four ",L,1 lud about a plain board
thu wall. That his eyes might bo guardud trlcls brings forth the appearance of deso- ,y thoso two standing In tho shade of' the lubl Paying cards. One man leaned with
from thu glaru of tho llerco sunlight on the latlon. Hero to tho severest poverty was veranda. "She Is beautiful now but hlcr '"8 'hows on tho table; tho ouo opposite
wniiu wans oi tnu city no nan biiovcu mis mined groat neglect. t Wl como t0 m,p f(u,t, ..
nui lorwaiu, unco iiuwiiwiiru uvui mo imv- j no carriage continued slowly on Its What tho doctor knew th
head, thus exposing tho beginning of thu way, and tho doctor smoked. At limes Hit?
much we know, but little else besides."
A iliiiMll (iiime of (.'Urdu.
We left this woman, sewing always and
her eyes always watching tho cloth which
she shoved benealn tho needle. On our re
turn toward the arch and tho exit wu came
girl also mi-
bald spot behind. Thu city was iUlut. driver Jerked on ihu reins, or spoke to
IJurlng thu hours of thu strongest sunshine ihe horsus, or whipped thuin, but thu horses
most people remain imloois. Tho foot- proceeded as before. Tho nolsu of thu city,
falls of a man walking sounded distinctly, whiih wo had left behind thu nolsu of the
grew rainier, and died away. Now a siring streut wheio tho road had begun, with
of donkeys passed, returning to the country i's hotso tin a and its shops and the people
toward thu east Horn tho lnnrkul piacu; now who walked on tho sidewalk gradual!
ouo of thu horsu cars went by. Thu doctor
pushed his hat still further over his fore
head, lighted a cigarette with his last
match, thruw away tho box, and said;
"Well! It takes llieui u long tlmu to fetch
that carrlagu.
grew rainier, and sounded now only us a
low tumbling.
Ulitll In ill (lie ICikI lit llii' llninl.
Then tho houses became less freiueni.
lleyoml rose a high mountain range, still and
slluni In the sunlight. 'I no carrlagu plodded
"Llo you know," ho continued, speaking on steadily. Tho road luy ahead, u thin
straight into thu streut and looking at uu streak of white curving slightly back and
onu, "foreigners aren't liked huru so uw- forth through tho brown and sunburned
ful much? Last year thu United States plain which reached toward the cast from
consul ut I.u Uuayra was threatened with thu outskirts of tho city. On either side was
death while some Venezuelan olllclala tho barren land whuru grow hero and thero
looked on. And this government did not small bushes or clusters of scrub, all pow-
tako much trouble to make uu apology lu dured with the, dust which had blown across
tho United States. Then, a fow months ago, from tho road. Now, thero were not uvun
tho United States consular agent at Harcu- thu houses of tho poor to mark the dwell
lunu wus arrested without causu utid put Ingu of human beings. All was empty and
lu prison. A year ago thu same consular Hat, with thu white, stilling sunlight ami
olllcur was arrested and uu utluinpt madu tho grand ratine of silent hills beyond. The
by local military authorities to extort cairlago turned around a sharp corner lu
money from him by furco. haul fall u liur- tho road, and before us stood a low, onu-
man murchant at llarculona was arrested story building- all alono lu thu country of
und tortured by tho olllolals thuro uuill thu forsaken plain thu building which had
ho guvu thuiu a largo sum of monoy. In- been reared as un asylum for thu lepers of
sldo of twenty days u U.OOU-ton Uurman tho land.
utulser turned up, gut buck thu money As wu camo nearer to thu placu wo saw
and obtained ample satisfaction for thu a group of llvo or six men lying under the
outrage. shudu of a tree. These men looked up as
"Hut tho worst of all was what happened the carriage passed. Ono of them espe-
i,. two Americans a few weeks ago. They dally, lying on his stomach, had tho look
were men of high character respectable
people, mind you. They weru going down
to lu liuayra uu thu morning train when
they were arrested by one of these kuow-ll-ail
olllclalB and thrown into prison. Thuy
didn't gut especially lino treatment lu Jail,
and they lust tho Nuw York sleamur by
reason ol their detention. Thu uxcuso thu
olllclal gavu was that one of them had
spilled sumo cigarette ashes on thu seat
lu front of him. Oh! thuy'ru a bird gang.
Whuru lu that carrlagu, 1 wondur? Must
havu gut lost in thu shutllu."
Thu duutor crossed ono foot over tho
othur and shoved his bauds lu his pockuta.
Ho was ono of thoso men who will tulle
much and lluuntly at somu times, and at
other times will say nothing. Hu had eatun
wull at lunch, and so, according to thu
custom of tho land, ho talked of thu ull
purvadlng subject of revolution.
"Well," ho said, "thuy say tho alfalr Is
all ovur. This caiuu through thu French
cablo, not from tho governinuut, so thuru
Is somu chuncu to bulluvu It. l'ruslduut
Castro said that If hu caught Acosta, who
was tho louder of tho revolution about
Carupano, hu would shoot him. This Is not
lu his eyes of some wild and languid ani
mal who has eaten well, and so, wishing
to sluep, carefully regards the passing ob
ject. Thu cheeks of thu man were fat and
pully, thu oyes were half closed.
"Are these some of them?"
"Yos," auswerud tho doctor, "somu of
them. Seu that fellow theru lying on his
stomach7 See thu leoniuu east of counte
nance that I told you about? Hu belong!)
to ono of tho early stages."
Then as wo camo to thu building thu
others collected lu a wondering group near
him also leaned oil thu table. Thu thlid
man, curiously enough, wore glusses to
hide his eyes, and tilted backward lu his
chulr. 'Ihu fourth sat erect, carefully
scrutinizing the cards before him.
Tho doctor lolled a fresh cigarette. "Got
a match?" he asked.
"Yes. Hold on a minute. 1 have given
you ii box."
"So yuu did. 1 forgot. .Must have been
thinking of something else."
At last we came lu the open sunlight and
die clean air. According to thu hublts ui
ihosu people, tho silent men and women
and children again gatheted near thu uu
iruuco to thu building und as wu drove
away thuy lifted their hats lu salute.
On thu other sldu of thu runge of moun
tains tho sun wus sinking down to the
horizon. Theru wus a clear, bright glow
in tho heavens, against which tho sky-line
of the mountains stood forth distinctly.
Also uu evening breeze bluw fresh across
tho waste of empty laud. The sumo us be
fore, the carriage swayed from sldu to side,
with thu whujls slumping into the holes in
ihu road and thu dust cloud riding thick
and hanging about thu horses nnd tho car
riage. Once more wo passed through thu out
skirts, strongly marked with thu povori
and neglect of thu people, whuru stood a
child with its eyes full of strange knowl
edge aud a pule wumuu.
Nu ono tulked for a long tlmu. The
uoctor rolled a clgurutte, but ho tore tho
paper; so hu threw It away and rolled
another. Hu struck u match, still lu si
lence. Then between thu tlrst hurried pulls
hu spoke;
"I've got a mutch now," ho said, hold
ing UU a box. "You see. I remembered 1L
durstood the disease would later come tja time, didn't 1?"
to hur fucu. Shu stood thero holding her- slowly 'tho curriagu crawled back toward
self erect, as If proud of what shu still thu city. Thu noise of thu streut cuuld bo
possessed, und wotidrous fair to see, with heard now thu low rumbling which grad-
her arm laid rusting about thu waist ot uully grew louder until It resolved Itself
thu other womau-thls other woman, who ,ll0 distinct sounds, in which thu tinkling
was always present us a living uxamplo tlu horsu car bulls could bo distinguished
of what shu herself would boon become. IIom tho tratllc of heavy wheels. Wo ru-
Euturlug through thu urch wo caiuu to passed another train of donkeys returning
tho opeu place lu thu center of tho build- fro, tilu city to thu country, with tho man
Hi
MISS (SHACK HUNTKH.
March 21. 11)01.
that ho was, tho next query was, "What
line?"
"You look a pretty shrewd lot of fellows
and I'll give you a chance to guess," re
sponded Mr. Smith.
"Jewelry?" wus the guess of the man who
hnd started the conversation, after he had
taken a careful Inspection of the clothes
Mr. Smith had ndornrd himself with.
"Sporting goods," was the guess of the sec
ond ninn. "White goods" followed, and
each In the party tried his hand at It half
a dozen times or more until they had ex
hausted their nhlllllea al guessing nnd wcr
In turn assured that they were wrong.
Finally, confessing themselves stumped,
there enme the query In unison. "What In
the world do you sell?"
"Lighthouses!" wns the thoroughly truth
ful answer that so completely feazed the
traveling men that but one of them was
nblo to continue the conversation for an
liiHtnnt. nnd hp could only gasp, "Where,
In heaven's name, do you carry your
samples?"
Then Mr. Smith explained to the party
that ho wns one of tho few lighthouse ex
perts In the country.
Poem that Won a Bride
Thu February Kalends, the periodical
published by students of the Woman's col
lege, contains a bit of dainty verse by n
Haltlmoru alumnus of 'US. And thereby
hnngs a tale, relates the Haltlmoru Sun.
This young Haltlmoru student had n way of
scribbling verse to such an extent Hint a
young male cousin sighed ns he said if he
could write like that ho might make some
speed in wooing n certain fair Maid Marian.
Immediately tho young poet became a ver
itable Cyrano, and wrote a poem which she
handed over to tho faint-hearted lover.
Tho engagement has Just been announced
and tho mnrrlngo will tako place soon.
The poem follows:
TO MARIAN.
If Oh, would Hint It wcro so,
Marian, tny lady!
I had lived long, long ngo,
Marian, my lady:
In tho days of which wo read,
I should rldo a llery steed
And perform some noble deed,
All for you, my lady.
If but who can ever tell,
Mnrlan, my Indy?
Maybo It Is Just as well,
Mnrlan, my lady.
For tho fairest of tho fair.
Other knights would bravo deeds dare.
And for ino you might not care,
Might not bo my lady.
Though I ennnot bo your knight,
Mnrlan. my Indy,
I can still your battles fight,
Marian, my lady.
I will brave tho world for you,
I will daro nil things to do,
I will bo your lover true,
I If you'll bo my lady.
lug whuro thero were muuy plants somu i soiled while trousers uud soiled uudev-
Iho cutting In thu wall-u hlgh-peuked urch faring colored llowerb-uud a fouutulu of shirt walking In thu dust busldu tho au-
which stood In tho place of a doorway. wulor -"'Hug lit" " earthenware basin. Jmuls. And no ouo spoke. Wo repassed
They camo forth from tho Insldo of the 0u thu CUB of l,,la ljas111 8al u lrl cblld. tho brewery with its slgu painted In black
building, steadily, silently, gathering from uua becuusu shu wus only a child shu letters ucross thu front of tho stucco wall,
tho far ends of tho broad brick veranda Pushud "tick of wood back and forth 1'ueu we caiuu to thu cubblestoncs, where
which fronted tho hospital. Thuy came In through thu watur of tho baslu lu playing the street of tho city begun again, aud wo
twos and threes, or singly, hut always lt represented somu Bhlp. Shu wore a tell tho wheels beneath us rattling haul
with scarcely any noise. Here came a man white dress und blue Blockings uud black 0Vcr thu uneven pavemunt. Here was thu
ilrossed lu all white. Hero came another "hoes. Hur hair was bare to tho sunlight, city, full of life and movement, und peoplu
from out beneath tho archway resting his A Kroeu purouuet luy ugulust her breast, yvho lived und were cleuu. Thu dcsolatu
weight on tho shoulder of a young boy, uml' 113 the Klrl shoved tho stick Urst onu j,uuu 0f sunburned land had passed behlud
whoso faco had nlrundy become horribly way aud theu tho other, tho bird p-.-ckud us. u wus not until then that auy more
marked with disease. Hero camo a man eouBiuuuy ui mo ruiuo oi mco uuoui ner word8 were said
walking close to the balustrndo of the
veranda who, with an outstretched, ilnger
less hand, leaned with each step ho took
ih( way thoy generally do. Capital puu- .. ........ Hlnlla nf im. imluntrndn
Ishmcnt Is seldom practiced huru. When ,,,,,,, ,,,, f()owtMl two women, each
Andrado left ailur tnai ninny imiuu wlt, n nl,out tho other's waist. In-
ueck.
"Aud this ono?" was nuked.
"She also," answered tho doctor,
lu following thu guldu wo pussed along
tho Inner court, where the rooms opened
"And thero Is no cure," said the doctor.
What llis Line Was
F, Hopklnsou Smith, the art critic, uu one
out tuto tho garden. Thu doors were thrown of his trips lust summer hud a llttlo fuu
eleiired with a barrulful of money uud u i.,-,,,!,,.,!,,.. ...im, ,,, r,,ffiu n,,,u., wide. Tho rooms inside weru bare. In with u uarty of drummers that weru occu-
gunboat. Hut ho sunt thu gunboat back clum, Hn(.itly could bo heard the reg- some of them a piece of a looklug-glaas pants with him of tho butfut car ut a train
with his compllinunts to Caatro, who had um(, (nJ)H ()f tJo t,1(lB of (lo cn,tcj,eH f wns fastened to tho fall, but, besides tho bouud for Chicago. Mr. Smith was dressed
kicked him out. Ho thought that Castro ,1()S0 w,oso fcut had fallen from them, hod, this was all tho furniture. Women lu a rather uucouvuutluual fashlou lu a
might llud ubu for tho gunboat. You boo he ,,.jm8 (ll()y K,lthered lu front ot tho open- wuro liiBldo tho rouins, but ihey turnod bull that was noticeable because thu
knew his country. Wull, thu president Bald m(, of nrci, away al thu sound ot approaching foot- llguro was u lurgo plaid. Ho wore u golf
that if ho captured Acosta that would bo ,j.10 min w,m un,u,,i ,, ti10 balustrndo steps. Hiding their faces In tholr hands cup as well aud was smoking a plpu. The
the end. Now tho French cablu said that tood head and shoulders above tho rest, they spoke somo hurried words to tho In- drummers did not know Mr. Smith nor did
Acosta has been captured und shot by tho Tj,0 fn(,0 ()f (j,ls man was unlovely, nnd torpreter. thoy know his many accomplishments ns
president's ordure. So that llulBhus thut yol w,n lle laughed at something tho In- "They hay thoy don't want to bo seen," writer, mathematician aud engineer. Hut
follow. Huro'B that confounded carriage. ior,,r,.tr said that laugh was like a human uxplnlned tho guldu. "Thuy say thoy are they had agreed among themselves that he
Como on." being's, lu tho background stood tho two too ugly." was ouo of their sort and a nuw man to the
Itoiul I.emlliiR from CiirneiiH. women. One of theso wns well on lu years At tho end wo camo to the rear of tho western trade. So when opportunity came
Headed eastward from Curacas thero runs - tho hair had receded far back from tho building, whero thoro wns a back veranda, one of them bronehed the subject by nsklng
a narrow road which takuB Its beginning In forehead and thero wore curia thoro, llko presumably belonging to tho kitchen. Many If he was a traveling man. Helng assured
one of the main Btroutu or mo cuy. uu
this streut, ueueatu tuo glaring buhum" I I III fWlm I SWWi . p ? - W tir. -) '.'TT r" "- : 1 ' k r, mm -'JYfii V
ot tho early afternoon, u carriage drove
languidly over tho rough cobbtcBtonus.
Thero were four persons In thu carrlagu.
Thu other three were the doctor, thu photo
grapher and a negro on tho box seat, whoao
regular occuputlon consisted lu guiding tho
strangers about Caracas, and who Illled lu
his spare tlmu In burying tho dead among
thu people wo had Blurted out to seo.
Tho rond grow nnrrower. After a tlmo the
cobblestones cntno to an end, und tho wuy
becumu llko u country luuo, only empty of
all things beautiful, and desolate. Then'
wore deup holoa lu tho road. Tho carriage
wheels slumped Into theso with a lazy
lurch, and thu negro on tho box-scat swayed
back uud forth uceordlng to tho luruh of tho
currlago, and tho photographor Bwayod, nnd
tho doctor swayed against tho sldu. Tho
horses plodded on steadily and slowly
through the thick dust cloud which rose
from tho ground nnd hung close about tho
moving currlago. Tho doctor was tho Urst
to speak.
"That's tho brewery wo Just passed," he
said, "(lot n match?"
"Yes hero, tnko tho whole box. I've got
another."
"Thanks."
Tho doctor smokod In sllenco. Tho rond
buenmo more barren. On olther sldo wurc
thu houses of tho poorer districts of
Cnrncns. All such districts of a city nro
haro. There live tho peoplo Joyless people
tho hangers-on, so to spoak, of tho othor
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