Virginia gazette. [volume] (Williamsburg, Va.) 1893-192?, 1897-07-31

one Atl tLtn lpiGtU 10 explore n
dark street that plunged downward
from the paved and civilized one. II
was damp and murkv 4 staircase of
stone. with crumbling adobe walls
two and three stories high Across the
street s narrow width huttercd strings
OF washing The women. with their
red petticoats and blue rebozos. made
bright blots Of color. The men loafsd
about, lean and ragged. II reminded
her Of Naples. The doorways swarmed
with babies and dogs-poverty march
ing always side 10y side with those in
nocents
Down she went The street made
an abrupt turn. At the corner she was
startled by seeing. protruding fror.. e.
hole cut n a squalid doorway. severa.
long. black fingers They were with
drawn, and she saw, as she passed the
door, two blood-shot eyes peering out
like beasts ewes.
Nina. ninita, the good mother OF
/ God sent You. and see what gain will
be yours" Turning. Miss Stanley be-
held Rosita AT her heel. She had a
plate 20 sell--a coarse. ironstone
china plate. Clipped and cracked
f There was look of intense agony on
her old face, and her wee hands shook
rs she drew her treasure forth from
under her rebozo. The plate was i'm
possible. and Constance, breaking
that fact very gently 70 the little
dwarf, was astOnished 70 see the tears
gather and fall over her shriveled
cheeks.
For two days. senorita. have not
dared unlock that door" and she
nodded toward the mean portal where
the eyes had shone and the fingers
protruded restlessly Little brother
has nothing 70 eat. except the few
tortillas the poor around here could
give, and many Of these go hungry
from the suns coming up until til,
suns going down"
Constance sent her servant ant
Rosita TO the plaza for some cooked
food, and, while she waited. she talked
IN the doorways with Pepita and Lol.
and Juana. They told her how Rosits
worked and starved for her brother.
How old is he?" asked Constance.
"Quien sabe?" they said
Is he a child or Is he big enough
TO work for her?" she asked. impa
tiently
"Ah. he is grandote, but also he i
loco. I'm maniatico. See. that is Jos,
now who glares from the hole in til,
door"
Miss Stanley listened to them Wit
that rapt attention We all give 10 tale.
OF the mad. He dug deep holes in tn
earth floor, burrowing like m animal
sometimes he escaped in that way an,
then there was fear in the narrow
street, and the police, after blood,
r fight, would drag him shrieking bacl
TO the one poor room Rosita Gale,
r home. She had always put foo,
through the door for him before ven
turing to open IT.
Once, for long time, he had no
} menaced the peace OF the street. Tha
, was when he killed the serene. A 20
+ hceman had leered him as he peere'
from the hole in the door. much a
/ people tease a hyena snarling in cage
E The mad have memories, for Jose, on
night when the moon was big, crep
softly about the dark room, and, find
ing the key Rosita's small cunning
' had hidden, opened the door, crep
= again softly up the street to an adob
| doorway where was sleeping a serene
his head on his knees. The polio
E have a day and night shift, but on
cannot expect mailman to know
everything So it was an innocen
g man who had his neck wrung as tn
5 cook does chickens. They coul
I only guess what then happened. Their
] were only the pulsing stars lookin
4 silently down and the great, cain
g moon. However, il was evident h
l must have dragged and worried an
a and leased that poor piece of alag TO
a God knows how far or hong.
I They found him asleep by the dea
e serene, and, although too polite in tn
Land of the MONDAY Sun" to manacl
r or chain, they took the precaution (
r tie with stout maguey rope jose
c slumbering bulk before six of Ia
e largest policemen would venture I
: carry him to the carcel. Jose's kin
y Of people are treated with Difference i