Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1894-11-14

the street with the latter, turned cor
ner, went two blocks more, then into
lane, where the sexton, stopping in front
of an open door, directed Arthur to en-
ter, then followed him.
"Senoritas,r said the sexton, bowling
low to some women who were seated
around the room; "senoritas, mi amigo,
my trent"
"Do these ladies speak English" asked
Arthur after he had bowed.
"No, not dam word"
"That's too bad"
"Oh, never mind, trent. talk enough.
Take the trouble to sit down." said Gar
cha. "These ladies my wifes."
"Your wivesl''
Eyes; what's matter"
why, there are six of them!"
"Oh, forget one. Inez, my daughter
other five wifes."
"Why, that's bigamyp
"Oh. yes, very happy; all love me very
dam much very good man bydam
Wait moment, open bottles, then we
take drink
lOW III IHuuQcI 10 ~, bCAeOhy hohou
Arthur, surprised to the utmost limit
chat you have five wivesT
"You want to hear that story-how !
get marriedT'
81 should say SO. Five, by thunder!'
Eyes, five bydam. | tell you story.
You see that lady in corner, that Marco
lima know herlong time. She widow
when | marry. She have house, she
have money. go to see her. | say,
Good days, Marcelina.' She say, Good
days, Don Vicente say, You very
pretty, you very nice, you got very fine
forms'-all that say. She say, Much
thanks Then say she lovely encanta-
dora She say, Much thanks Then
one day say, marry me, beautiful
woman And she say, with much
thanks, mister. go to priest. | say,
Padrecito, want to marry He say,
Fifty dollars answer him, oh,
padrecito, she dam ugly, only thirty dol
lars. He make me no condensation.
81 go to Marcelina and say to her,
oh, beautiful woman, lend me fifty dol
lars She want to marry very much
Just like widow, all time want to marry
quick She lend me fifty dollars. l
make count of money, put thirty dollars
in one pocket, twenty in other; then l
go to priest and count out thirty dollars
and put him OF table. All white money
one, two, three, four, thirty dollars
beautiful money. The padre bydam he
look very hard at that beautiful money.
When see that | put it in my pocket
and say, Padre Seratino, you got any
cognacY He say Yes, got leetle.
Then we take drink, wait while, take
two, three more. Then tell him: Pa
drecito, don't think bydam get mar
ried. drink thirty dollars cognac.' He
say that very wrong, very hurtful; he
marry me for thirty dollars preference
to see me drink so much white money
That make me think when he drink he
like money more. Then say, Got any
more cognac, padrecitoY Got leetle.'
He more generous now after have take
drink. He bring out half bottle; we
drink and finish bottle.
"'Well,' he say, Son Vicente, you
good boy; suppose marry you for
thirty dollars say to him, No, padre
cito, she dam ugly; you marry her your
self. What you say that forY he say,
angry; don't you know priestY Yes, l
know | say; you not got thirty dollarsY
He look very sad and say he no got
dam cent. Then take out from other
pocket twenty dollars and count very
slow-one, two, three, four, twenty.
He very astonished. That only twenty
dollars, he say; other time you have
thirty dollars.
"'No,' l say, very serious, very truth
full face, i never have thirty dollars.
count five dollars two times, make sound
like thirty 'Madre de Diosr he say,
how you astonish NET Then he make
big groan. 'Bueno, give me the money,
and marry you for twenty dollars, and
he have water in eyes when he pick up
bottle of cognao and see all gone.
You see very good merchant, very
good beezness man. You lend me hun
bred dollars and bydam astonish you
quick. That way | marry la encanta-
dora Marcelina.
Hat Aot NOultth oNCi tuClc. ou6
ugly bydam. but she have house and
money, and feed herself and me and
daughter and other five wifes, so it does
not Importance me so much dam ugly
fat treat her dam fine; she have most
money of all"
By this time the sexton and the women
were about finishing the second bottle.
Arthur was very much interested by
this insight into Mexican life. He had
read his Bible, and remembered that in
the early times men had many wives; so,
though surprised, he was not shocked at
the idea of a man in a foreign country
having five wives, all living in harmony.
The Mormons in Utah even have many
wives. The faces of the Mexicans seemed
oriental to him, and, in addition, the
sandals that the mass of the population
tln 4. -