The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-10-12

he owe me thirty dollars But Chonita
she look her father in the eye. She know
he kill him.
~ never speak again. she say, or ]
curse my father
For forsy-eight year she never speak.
She dumb, by d-n, she dumb. Shc called
La Eeata Muda'-the blessed one, dumb.
Plenty man come to marry Chonita,
but She shake the head Then Don Mar.
cos he get angry. He say, by d-n, Cho-
nita, you get married anyhow, and when
you nave baby you speak then, by d-n'
Chonita say nothing; she get up and 70
INTO other room and come back with knife.
The proposer, he change face. He saw
to Don Marcos, i very tired; | go home
and take leetle sleep. He right, rich
wife very good, but wife with knife d-n.
Husband can't keep awake all time. Plenty
come to marry Chonita but all 20 way.
Aiterwhilc no more, by d-n, come
when Don Marcos he see that Chonta
not speak for one year, he go to her and
call her pet name and ask her what he cap
10. She never answer One day she brinp
In d-n piece granite, very fine stone gran.
lite, last all time. She give it to her fathe,
and then she point finger to Campo Santo'
don Marcos understand. He call Don
Miguel, his mayordomo he say to him:
Don Miguel, 80 get stone of this kind
tcNN "i't pun ~ vi grave VI ID utln el HeO1l.'
This Don Miguel do. Hevery patient with
his patron.
~ few days after on the Day of San
Juan, the twenty-fourth June, come
here. see Chonita with hoe cleaning the
ground, round Juan's grave. | run up,
that fifty-onc year ago take hoe and
say: NO, no. do it, She give me Il dol
lar and do it. Poor Chonital Pobrecita,
Then she take hammer and small piece
iron and cut on rock She cut very bad,
very SLOW. She no can see, poor Chonita.
that the reason SO bad cut, eyes all lake of
sorrow, by d-n. Then | say help. She
say mo- with her hand. All day she work,
then see: In memory of Juan I'll Peon.
by n friend All, poor girl, so sorrowful.
HEvcry year she come here San Juan Day
and give me II dollar Then every year on
Todos Santos Day she come here and nut
roses OH Juans grave. Fifty-one year I
clean this grave. Forty. eight year she
give me dollar each year. Then she die
clean the same. lose three dollar, but
clean the same. When man do thing
for forty-cight year, BY d--nn no can stop, no
can 30 on, clean the grave till die
lose dollar each time, but 40 on Ipoor
old man and los; dollar, but go on, by
d-n. lose dollar"
He looked earnestly TT Arthur, straight
at him.
Poor Chonita, she dead now, no one
clean grave but me, three year lose dollar
three dollar, but clean grave all same
lose three dollar, five dollar. ten dollar, l
clean grave all same"
Arthur could not well afford to throw
away money, but the old mans faithful
innocent steadfastness won him, and he
gave the Mexican Il dollar. He was 20
grateful that Arthur opened the leather
case and handed him the flask and cup
lie took three drinks before Arthur could
get them back
"Ah. cognac," he said. "Bueno, you
want to hear more story" he asked
Yes" Arthur said.
Then / make contract, every story, one
drink"
VERY we'll"
He turned around, and pointing to the
grave next to Juans, he said:
This grave Chonita's tell you that
story already. Give me drink
Arthur WAS so astonishcd by his sudden.
ness that he ncccdcd. Then the sexton
moved off three PAGES. Arthur followed
Zone day." continued the old man, "a
poor farmer, Pedro Moreno, lie return, by
d-n, from II trip for lost mule and End his
wife Celsa in bed sick. She look Mt him
d-n sweetly, then turn down the clothes
and show him three little newborn baby
He, very angry with astonishment, say
quick:
"'What you do that for?'
She look ut him, poor Celsa, then turn
and look mt the newborn baby then shu;
her mouth and die. She buried here. Give
me II drink"
1t struck Arthur that this story was
very short, but he gave him his drink.
Her husband, Pedro Moreno, seeing his
wife dead. it broke his heart for cruelty,
and he die, TOO. Here his grave, give me
drink"
Arthur became suspicious. but the Mex
lean said contract" so he gave him his
drink, and the sexton continues:
Poor lectle dear, three leetle newborn
baby, no father, no mother no sister, no
friend. but one old horse mule, they too
die All buried here. Give me drink"
If the sexton had not been generous in
his way, and given the triplets one grave,
Arthur would have broken the contract,
but he weakened and acceded.
These grave here" the old man went
| on, pointing to the mounds to his right,
mo got story, only dead. Fools, by d-n,
to die, and no leave story. Come over
there, / tell you very fine dead story.
| very good. Good enough for two drink.
Give me first now"
Arthur did so.
The sexton sat on the corner of the sar-
cophagus and became buried in thought.
Arthur looked over his head and saw the
| following inscription in old German text
| cut on fiat marble tablet:
| :'...'.''.......'..'...... ...'.............".
SACRED TO THE MEMORY
of
ADOLPHE MEYER
Erected by his German friends In the
Republic Of Mexico.
.........................,:
The old man now lifted his bend
"Ah. pobrecita. such beautiful young
lal. clI l.I,.-i 1.l L.. 1