Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1892-09-22

"I give 500 20 know who kill my pcon;
he owe me thirty dollars But Chonitn
she lool, her father in the eye. She know
/ he kill him.
| "'l never speak again., she say, or
! curse my father
"For iorty-ciGht year she never speak.
! Sh" dumb. Ivy d-n, she dumb She called
| LA Bcata Muda'-the blessed one. dumb.
PLENTY man come to marry Chonita,
! hut She shake the head. Then Don Mar
cos he get angry. lie saS, 'By d-n, Cho-
nta. you get married anyhow, and when
/ you have baby You speak then, by d--n.'
"Chonitn say nothing; she get up and 20
into other room and come back with knife.
| "Thc propo.cr, he change face. He say
to Don Marcos, q very tired; 90 homo
/ and take a lcctlc 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 90 way.
! Aftcrwhilc. no more, by d-n, come.
"Whcn Don Marcos he see that Chonita
not speak for one year. he go to her and
call her pet name and ask her what he can
| do She neverunSTcr One day she bring
! In d-n piece granite, very fine stone gran
itc, last all time. She give it to her father
! and then she point finger to Campo Santo'
Don Marcos understand. lie call Don
| Miguel his mayordomo, he say to him:
"Don Miguel, 90 get stone of this kind
rock aud put it on grave OF Juan cl Peon.'
This Don Miguel do, Ilecary patient with
his patron
- few days after on the Day of san
Juan, the twcnty-fourth June, | come
here. see Chonita with hoe cleaning the
ground, round Juan's grave. 1 run up.
that llfty-onc year ago. ! take hoe and
say; no, no. do it, She give me dol
lar and do it. Poor Chonita! Pobrccita!
"1hen she take hammer and small piece
iron and cut on rock. She cut very bad.
very slow. SIZE no can see, poor Chonita,
that the reason so bad cut, eyes all lake Of
| sorrow, by d--n. Then / say | help. She
say no with her hand. All day she work,
then ! sec; In memory of Juan ell peon.
BY friend All, poor girl, so sorrowful.
Every year she come here San Juan Day
and give me a dollar. Then every year on
Tcdos Santos Day she come here and put
roses on Juans grave. Fifty-one year
clean this crave. Forty. eight year she
give me dollar each year. Then she die
I clean the same. lose three dollar, but
! clean the same. When man do thing
for forty-eight year, by DINO can stop no
can. ! 90 on, clean the grave till | die
! lose dollar each time, but 20 on. Ipoor
| L
d-n. ! lose dollar
He looked earnestly at Arthur, straight
at him
Poor Chonita, she dead now, no one
clean grave but me- three yearI 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 dollar. He was SO
grateful that Arthur opened the leather
case and handed him the flask and Il cup
lie took three drinks before Arthur could
get them back.
"Ah, cognac," lie 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 Juan's, he said:
This grave Chonitas. | tell you that
story already. Give me a drink"
Arthur was SO astonished by his sudden
ness that he acceded. Then the sexton
moved OF three PAGES. Arthur followed.
"One day" continued the old man, "a
poor farmer Pedro Moreno. he return, by
d-n, from Il trip for lost mule and find his
wife Celsa in bed sick She look at him
d--n sweetly. then turn down the clothes
and show him three little newborn baby.
lie, very angry with establishment, say
quick;
"'What you do that for"
"She look at him. poor Celsa. then turn
and look at the newborn baby, then shut
her mouth and die. She buried here. Give
ma 1riply
IT. strucL ArtLur that this eto,,, ,r,s
~ wa"
very snort, put ne gave MN ms drink.
Her husband, IcdrO Moreno seeing his
wife dead it, broko his lrort fn, cr,,uIi :,
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