, 1896-11-20
A RAILROAD LOCHINVAR.
How His Intentions were Side-Trackel
by Manuela's Mother.

well, yes. mat about all |
mounts to-a poems hut. However
Augustinita will always give you a cuI
of excellent coffee. And when thu
rains are late in either direction Won
nave 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 &c
the small entrance of a hut matched
with tules. The little mud structure
was built against the face of a hill.
There were bird-cages, filled with a
variety OF beautiful birds, and such
other evidences of civilization as a
goat, a turkey, and jardinieres of flow
ers: yet the habitation belonged 10 the
age CT the cave-dwellers. | decided, as
CROPPED my way apparently into the
bowels of the earth.
After a few moments, my eyes grew
accustomed to the h%alf-light. and |
could see quite well.
"Wow-wCw-wow." growled a heavy
bass voice from the inner room. The
words indistinguishable.
What a deep voice that man has"
| said, ~innocently. Mexican men as a
rule have such light voices"
That's not a man. it's Augustinita,"'
replied my friend.
I'm acquainted with thai pleasant
little custom of Mexico which holds to
c~hildhOod's tender diminutiyes long
after old age has fallen on me. Still,
confess, Augustinita-which would
be dear little Gussie" in English-was
a slight schock. She was of a huge
bulk, and her old face was like a with
cred. brown apple for wrinkles. but her
eyes were as bright as stars in a troDic
sky, and she had On that old counte-
nance a 0 shrewd expression.
Augustinita delivered our orders to
some one in the further cave-I can
not call it a 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 a clean,
white cloth, which she spread with
care. and on that put some American
plates and cups and a Guadalajara wa
ter-bottle. | sat on a long bench,
drawn close to the table. watching the
old woman.
Il want you to TAKE a good look at
Manuela when she comes in: she is
quite a belle with the men who eat
here" said my friend, who told me his
name was Stacey.
Manuela came in and went out again
thai moment. | was almost startled
by her face. why. she's a beauty" |
said.
She has a good figure said my
companion, with assumed Indifference.
'but you get a straight look at her. and
you won't think her such a beauty"
If long. red braids. soft, brown skin.
and limpid, gray eyes a make beau
ty. then was Manuela beautiful. Or
closer examination, however, her face
lost much of its beauty. so coarse was
her red mouth and so hard and bold
her expression.
She twitched 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 home-sick-
ness. she is so like the waiter-girls in
the frontier towns, if she had more
bang and bustle," said.
Mr.. Stacey smiled.
Il mean more slap and dash. She is
so quiet" | exclaimed hurriedly. see
bang and hustle"
After looking at his watch. my COM
panion said: I'VE have yet an hour
to wait. I'll tell o about Manuela's
elopement."
So, while eating calabassas, chile con
carne. and f~rijoles 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, f~uritive
smiles on my comrade, l heard of the
elopement of Manuela.
"Branscombe, one of the men who
used to eat here, fell in love with Man
uela's red braids and buXom figure. 1t
was reoiprocated by her: but old Mann
ma hated him and never winked her
little rattlesnake eyes when he was
round. He was a rough sort OF fellow,
and, it is said, had a 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 IN a south
bound freight-queer vehicle for an
elopement, a freight-train.
"~Augustinita reached the station
just as the train pulled out. She was
almost frothing with rage, and went
stamping round the platform, calling
on all the Aztec gods for assistance.
She Gained down after a time and
asked the night operators advice, and
he told her that the only way to catch
her daughter was to hire an engine and
follow on that.
"'Oh Mamma took fire at n and
~ 49, zrA |