The record-union., 1894-11-08
CONOLIPA.

written Tor the REcoRD-UNIoN by Elwyn
Irving Hoffman.
When Conolita l. came out into the
| little, dirty backyard and looked UP to-
+ wards the window of the clearinghouse
it was purely from curiosity. She would
have told you so had you asked her, and
Conolita was always truthful. I say
FIRST" because it came to pass that she
| looked up and smiled almost every day
that summer.
And this is how it all came about:
Perhaps l couldn't tell this little story
so glibly had not Conolitas old uncle,
Jose, let IL slip to stranger who came
into his shop one evening for hot tamale.
Jose's tamales were famous; Josa's Ia
males bad real chicken in them, and
Jose's coffee was always of the best. So
there was great deal of custom, and, as
the fame of the little place grew, it kept
Jose and his wife very busy-too busy
almost.
And so when Joses brother, Antonio
Moraga, died and left little orphaned
Conolita to his care, Jose accepted the
| charge gladly. Conolita could wait on
the tables and help in the kitchen. Not
that Jose didn't love the lonely wait.
!
loved her dearly. So ConoliLa-lnnocent-
eyed, gypsy-faced little Conolita-came
to Moraga's and waited on the tables and
smiled ShyIy on the customers and helped
feshy Mrs. Jose wrap the cornhusks
around the chicken and cornmeal that
made the tainales, and was altogether a
delight TO the patrons and an adornment
TO the shop. And she was happy, too.
Her uncle and aunt were so atfeclionate,
ana the patrons were so kind! And
then there was the Americana. For one
day, as have said, Conolita came out into
the little yard back OF the shop, and, rails
ing her eyes, glanced at the windows ofthe
lodging house that turned it's great red
back towards her. Only for an instant
did her dark eyes remain raised, for an
other pair OF eyes looked down full into
hers, and Conolita, with a little flush on
her brown cheek and a strange thrill in
her little body, turned quickly away and
disappeared in the kitchen. Bnt she did
not forget those bold eyes and the hand
some face behind them. All the rest of
that day they looked into hers. and droop
her dark lasheS as she would she could
not shut them away nor forget their look
of admiration. And when evening came
at last-and o, how slowly, slowly land
Jose and Mrs. Jose came out into the
yard to get a little OF the summer even
ing air, Conolita came with them, and
hidden by the dusk looked up furtively
at the window. There was no one there,
but the window was open, and Conolita's
| voice sounded very sweetiy as it tloated
up on musical little laugh.
So presently there was some one there
Conollta felt 1t when he came, and her
voice had little trembie to it as she
sent little song-laugh floating upward.
Presently Mrs. Jose went inside TO bed,
| and Jose, feeling dreamy aud poetic,
asked ConoIita TO play for him. No,
| Mi MI a
olita was very tired-Conolita was sleepy
and her fingers were clumsy-but Jose
would not be put off. Jose coaxed and
coaXed, and finally Conolita, with pout
for Jose and little glad tremble for the
Americana, got her guitar. Now Como
| lita was not very sleepy, nor We're her
slim. brown fingers clumsy, for Jose, as
he sat leaning back in his chair sending
| the smoke from mis- cigarette in unseen
| rings up into the dusk, thought that his
| little niece had never played more pref
| tily. And someone else thought so, too
| for when Conolita had finished playing
| he clapped his hands softly. Jose did not
hear it, but ConoliIa did: and Conolita's
| foolish little heart went all a-tlutter, and
| Conolita's gypsied cheek that the cool
night air had made damp, grew suddenly
warm. Ah foolish little soul was Con-
olita-a very foolish little soul.
! For presently, pleased by Jose's praises
and emboldened by the concealing dusk,
she struck a soft accompaniment upon
the guitar and began to sing tender lit
| tie Spanish love song. And Jose, as he
| listened, went back to the dreamy time
| when he had serenaded Mrs. Jose, and
the Americana, looking down into the
dusk with vision of a little dark-eyed
| Spanish girl before him listened en-
| tranced and was conscious OF a thrill as
strange as had been Conolita's. And
Conoiita herself-fooIish little Conolita-
dreamed that it was all for him and sang
on softly, tenderly.