The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1896-11-28
A RAILROAD LocnlNvAR.
ny EDITH WAGNER

are late in either
direction, GU
haye no alternative but to accept the
hospitality of old Mamma as the rail
road men call her" And my pleasant
acquaintance of an hour or so led me to
the small entrance OF a hut matched
with tules. The little mud structure
was built against the face OF hill.
There were birdcages. Allied with va
riety OF beautiful birds, and such other
evidences of civilization as goat, a
turkey, and jardinieres of flowers; yet
the habitation belonged TO the ago Of
the cave dwellers. / decided, as I
CROPPED my way apparently into the
bowels Of the earth.
After few moments my eyes grew
accustomed to the half-light, and
could see quite we'll.
"Wow-wow-wow," growled heavy
bass voice from the inner room. The
words are indistinguishable.
"What deep bass voice that man
has," said. innocently. mexican men
as rule have such light voices"
That's not man, it's Augustinita,"
replied my friend.
/ am acquainted with that pleasant
little custom of Mexico which holds
TO childhood's tender diminutives long
after old age has fallen on one. Still, 1
confess, Augustinita--which would be
'dear little Gussier in English--was n
slight shock. She was of huge bulk,
and her old face was like withered,
brown apple for wrinkles, but her eyes
were as bright as stars in tropic sky,
and she had on that old countenance
a most shrewd expression.
Augustinita delivered our orders TO
come one In the further cave-I cannot
call IL room--in her rumbling bass.
put her long brown cheroot back in her
mouth, and waddled behind a mat made
from reeds and hung from the ceiling.
She brought out n clean, white cloth.
which she spread with care, and on that
put some American plates and cups
and Guadalajara water-bottle. sat
on long bench, drawn close TO the
table, watching the old woman.
81 want you to take good look AT
Manucla when she comes in; she Is
quite n belle with the men who eat
here" said my friend, who had told me
his name was Stacy.
Manuela came in and went ont again
mt that moment. was almost startled
by her face. ''Why, she's beauty"
said.
"She has n good figure" said my com
panion, with assumed indifference.
shut you get n straight look at her and
you won't think her such beauty"
III long. red braids, soft, brown skin,
and limpid, gray eyes can make beauty,
then was Manuela beautiful. On closer
examination, however, her face lost
much of its beauty, so coarse was her
red mouth and so hard and bold her
expression.
She switched her skirts and put her
hands on her hips and her head TO one
side, after a fashion / had known but
not loved well in time gone by.
II could weep for very Inconsistencies,
she is so like the waiter-girls in the
frontier towns, IL she had more bang
and bustle," said.
After looking at his watch, my com
,nnion said; "We have yet an hour to
wait. I'll tell you about Manuela's
elopement."
So, while eating calabassas, chile con
carne, and frijoles fritos with "Old
Mamma" sitting in the corner, her gilt
tering eyes the only live thing about
her, with Manuela flirting in and out,
bringing the highly-seasoned Mexican
dishes and bestowing soft, furtive
smiles on my eomrade, / heard of the
clopement Of Manuela.
"Branscombe, one of the men who
used to eat here. fell In love with Manu-
elias red braids and buxom figure. II
was reciprocated by her; but old Nam