Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1896-12-08
A QUEER ELOPEMENT.

well, yes, that about all it amounts
to-a poems lat. However, Augustinta
will always give you a cup of excellent
coffee. And when the trains are late in
either direction, you have no alternative
but to accept the hospitality OF old
mamma, as the railroad men call her. "
And my pleasant acquaintance Of an
hour or so led me TO the small entrance
OF hut thaiched with tules. The little
mud structure was built against the face
| Of a hill. There were birdcages filled
with variety OF beautiful birds and
such other evidences Of civilization as q
goat, q turkey and jardinieres OF flow
ers. yet the habitation belonged TO the
age of the cave dwellers, decided, rs
CROPPED my way apparently into the bow
els OF the earth.
After n few moments my eyes grew
accustomed 10 the half light. and / could
see quite well.
"Wow WOW. wow!" growled heavy
bass voice from the inner room. The
words were indisiinguishable.
what "a deep voice that man hasv
said innocently. Mexican men, as a
rule, have such light voicesv'
That's not man; it's Augusti'
nita. replied my friend.
| am acquainted with that pleasant
little custom ot Mexico which holds tC
childhood's tender diminutives long aft
| er old age has fallen on one. Still,
confess, Au.. ..Islinita--which would be
"dear little Gussie" in English-was a
sligh, shock. She was Of huge bulk. and
her old face was like withcred, brown
apple for wrinkles; but her eyes were as
bright as stars III u tropic sky and she
had ON that old countenance q most
shrewd exp ssion.
Augustiniia delivered our orders 70
some one IN the farther cave-I cannot
call il rocm-in her rumbling bass,
put her long, brown cheroot back in her
mouth and wGddlcd behind mat made
from reeds hung from the ceiling.
She brought out u clean, white cloth,
which she spread with care, and on that
put some American plates and cups and
q GuadalajaS.. V ..ter bottle. sat on a
long bench drawn close to the table,
watching the old woman.
II want you to take q good look at
Manuela when she comes In. She is
quite q belle with the men who eat
here, =" said my friend. who had told me
his name was Stacey.
Manuela came in and went out again
that moment was almost startled by
her face. "Why, she's q beauty"
said.
''She has q good figure" said my
companion, with assumed indifference,
but you get a straight look at her, and
you won't think her such beauty. "
II 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 h.id and bold her ex-
preston.
She switched her skirts and put her
hands OH her hips and her head to one
side, after fashion I had known but
not loved well in time gone by.
II could weep for very home sick
ness, she is so like the waiter girls in
the frontier towns, il she had more bang
and bnstle. said.
Mr. Stacey smiled.
IL mean more slap and dash. She is
20 quiet, exclaimed hurriedly. seeing
the construction he was putting on
"bang and hustle. +"
After looking at his watch my CON-
panion said: I'VE have yet an hour to
wait. III tell you about Manuela' 3
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 Manueia nirting in and out, bring
ing the highly seasoned Mexican dishes
and bestowing soft, furtive smiles on
my comrade, l heard Of the elopement
OF Manueld.
"Branscombe, one of the men who
used to eat here, fell in love with Man.
uela's red braids and buxom figure. II
was reciprocated by her, but old MAN.
ma hated him and never winked her
little rattlesnake eyes when he was
round. he was q rough sort Of fellow,
and, it was said, had wife or so and a
lot Of children UP in the States, but as
that cuts no ice here in Mexico he kept
right ON making love TO Manuela. He
was greatly annoyed by Augustinita.
who was ever to the fore and would not
efface herself So one night he got the
girl to run away with him on south
bound freight-queer vehicle for an
elopement, freight trainl
"Augustinita reached the station
Just as the train pulled ont. She was
almost frothing with rage and went
stamping round the platform, calling on
all the Aztec gods for assistance.
"She calmed down after time and
asked the night operators advice, and
be told her that the only way TO catch
her daughter was to hire an engine and
follow on that.
"'Old mamma took fire at once and
sent q message to the superintendent
asking for an engine. They wired back,
Yes, if she would pay 500 for the
first hour and $50 for each succeeding
hour. Pretty steep, but, you see, they
cinched her because she was pilao.
Pilao is derived from pilado-peeled,
without clothes or anything else. They
knew Augustinita had quite bit OF
money put away, and it is the proper
thing to keep the pilaos true to their
name and caste-peeled.
"Augustinita was blooded. She bit
her teeth down on her cheroot and said,
Send for il.
"In about two hours the engine came
laundering in from Aguas Calientes'
Tom Haskins was the pilot, and the en-
gineer was one Of the best on the extra
list.
"The road was clear for half dozen
| stations. and they went whizzing along.
| 80 kilometers an hour.
old mamma sat stolidly looking
/ L. onparoufIV mn.