The Lafayette gazette., 1894-01-13
MEXICAN JoE's WIFE,
she Found the Terrible Courage TO Xiii
Her Husband.

:, ca''ie-sCealer IN tne whOle valley an
the wonder was th'lt his bandsom
brown neck had escabed the halte,
But times had changed in Texas sine
, the days when justice was administers
| summarlly and to the Point-usually
ropes point So about the little ca bi
across the creek, where Joe and Ninit
kept house, there was always hangin.
strings of meat for the sun to dry.
But Joe had always ready way o
| explaining his possession of the mea
; strings and the hides and tallow whicl
kept him in whisky and tobacco. an,
the drovcs that he depleted by his care
full depredations were so far away tina
! there was no means of tracing hi
| roguery.
But, OF course, day of reckonius
| did come for Joe, as it comes for us al
sooner or later, though it was not hi,
cattle-stealing that brought it about.
One day during the summer a mar
| had been found murdered on the Other
side of Flat Top, and the most earnest
! effort resulted in the discovery of nc
clew to the guilty party. The distric,
attorney was a new man, a tall young
fe low, who set his wide trimmed h a,
a little jauntily atop of his over-lone
locks, but the evil-doers knew him fol-
! a ''hustler," nevertheless Nobody
was surprised therefore when, the fol
lowing winter, the murdered mans
watch and knife were found in pawn
at the secondhand store on the corner,
and Mexican Joe was arrested.
The trial created great stir in quiet
little Lampasas. and the courthouse
was crowded with spectators. There
was some difficulty in impaneling a
jury, and the case began to draw itself
out, but the interest did not vvaver
The only listless figure in the whole
crowd was Ninita. Never once, as the
case dragged, and witness after wit.
ness rose for testimony, did she turn
her big, beautiful eyes toward the
prisoners box. With the shawl still
pinned up about her pretty brown.
skinned face, she sat not moving, save
now and then to dispense the little
shuck-rolls from her basket to the hun.
cry people about her, slipping the
nlckc1s carefully into her bosom. When
adjournment came she would swing
her basket over her arm, and, moving
with the crowd, call out Hot tamales!':
with sweet-voiced Indifference.
But finally the last day came The
district attorney made a strong case,
telling off a string of Joe's evil deeds,
which were, as he said, ''too numerous
to mention The attorney for the de-
tense, young fellow whom the court
had appointed, did the best he could
with the material in hand. At the end
OF his howcry speech he made an ap-
peal in behalf of Ninita, pointing to
her with IL mighty flourish of his long
arm, and calling her Il poor. heart
broken wife,
But she. the ''poor heartbrol<e n !;
wife, sat dry-eyed and stolid through !
it all, and the solcmn-lool<ing jury filed
out to return almost immed iatelv with
4 verdict OF guilty.
Then, and not till then, Ninita looked
1t Joe, and a glance that puzzled those
who saw it, flashed back at her from
lis great dark eyes. It might have
been a challenge; it might have been
question; was it a command, or was it
l farewell? -
She got up when all was over, slip.
,ing out through the crowd, but
fingered in the square without till the
heriH came leading the prisoner to the
title stone Jail across the way, whence
he was to be taken next day to Austin. !
n Il little while Joe's face was seen be- !
''nd the bars in one of the upper win
o"s, but Nlnita seemed scarce to
office him: Without speaking she
ulled her shawl close around her and !
asscd quickly down the street and
cross the bridge.
That night a typesetter going home
ate from the Office saw a woman fit
v him in the moonlight and crouch !
own in the shadows of the prisons
-al. He, too, crossed over and waited.
idden by the darkness
BY and by the crouching figure arose, ,
pebble ratified against the window | .
verhead, and Joe's face appeared be- .
ind the bars, all lit up in the moon .
ght.
rs it you, Ninita?" he said
1T is |, my JOSE she answered soft ,
:, in her swcet-voiced Spanish. .Is !;
here no other >vay?'
NO other way" he said, quietly ~ ,
m ready
Holy mother of God intercede for y
lee and me-" she prayed, kneeling and
tossing herself.
'Amcn,' came Joe's deep-voiced re. -
ponse.
Pull yourself up by the bars, INV v
ose, that l may not touch your beau
ful face, and close your beautiful lids ::
lat ! may not look into your dear -
ycs.'' $,
He did as she had hidden him, hold. 81
g on to the stout bars. lam readv."
said.
'Adlos, my Jose"
'Adios, my Ninita.'' m
She put her hand to her bosom. there a
as a little Gleam of steel in the moon. u
Int, Il pistol shot rang out clear and -
arp on the night air, and the voman|
rncd and fled into the darkness.
Ihe released hands loosed hold OF "
e bars above, there was a heavy fall az
on the floor within and Mexican Joe &C
IS ree-Philadelphia Timea CT
Amazonian women IN
he Sudees are band of African ~ ~
men who have gone to India in great <
IN bers, and have found employment =,
StOkerS and sailors m tho Sfean, rs 81