The new North-west., 1897-02-26
A QUEER ELOPEMENT.

will always give you 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 a hut thatched 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 a
goat, turkey and jardinieres of flow
ers, yet the habitation belonged to the
age Of the cave dwellers, decided, as |
CROPPED my way apparently into the bow
els Of the earth.
After few moments my eyes grew
accustomed to the half light, and could
see quite we'll.
"Wow- -wow-w -wow!" growled heavy
bass voice from the inner room. The
words were indistinguishable.
"What a deep voice that man has!' I
said innocently. Mexican men, as a
rule, have such light voices''
"That's not a man; it's Augusti-
nita,' replied my friend.
I am acquainted with that pleasant
little custom of Mexico which holds to
childhood's tender diminutives long aft
er old age has fallen Oh one. Still, I
confess, Augugtinita-which would be
"dear little Gussie'' in English-was
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 a tropic sky and she
had OH that old countenance a most
shrewd expression. ....-
Augustinita delivered our orders to
some one in the farther cave-I cannot
call it room-in her rumbling bass,
put her long, brown cheroot back in her
mouth and waddled behind mat made
from reeds hung from the ceiling.
She brought out clean, white cloth,
which she spread with care, and OH that
put some American plates and cups and
Guadalajara water bottle. sat Oh a
long bench drawn close to the table,
watching the old woman.
II want you to take a good look at
Manuela when she comes in. She is
4u1to u61Ao Will Iuo uelA WIN cav
here, J" 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 beauty"
said.
''She has a good figure" said my
companion, with assumed Indifference,
"but you get straight look at her, and
you won't think her such a beauty"
If 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 ex-
preston.
She switched her skirts and put her
hands on her hips and her head to one
side, after fashion I had known but
not loved we'll in time gone by.
IT 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.
II mean more slap and dash. She is
so quiet, " exclaimed hurriedly, seeing
the construction he was putting on
chang and hustle. :"
After looking at his watch my COM
panion said: "We have yet an hour to
wait. I'll tell you about Manuela g
elopement.
So, while eating calabassas, chile con
oarne 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 bring.
ing the highly seasoned Mexican dishes
and bestowing soft, furtive smiles on
my comrade, heard of the elopement
of Manuela.
Branscombe, one of the men who
used to eat here, fell i'll love with Man
uela's red braids and buxom figure. II
was reciprocated by her, but 'old man.
ma hated him and never winked hel
little rattlesnake eyes when he was
round. He was a rough sort of fellow,
and, it was said, had wife or so and q
lot of children up in the States, but as
that cuts no ice here i'll Mexico he kept
right on making love to Manuela. He
was greatly annoyed by Augustinita,
who was ever to the fore and would not
etface herself. So one night he got the
girl to run away with him ON south
bound freight-queer vehicle for an
elopement, a freight train!
"Augustinita reached the station
just as the train pulled out. She wa;
almost frothing with rage and went
stamping round the platform, calling OF
all the Aztec gods for assistance.
'sShe calmed down after a time anG
asked the night operators advice, ant
he told her that the only way to catch
her daughter was to hire an engine ant
follow on that
"'Old mamma took fire at once anG
sent 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 a pilao.
Pilao is derived from pilade-peeled,
sithout clothes or anything yiseS They
knew Augnstinita had quite q bit of
money put away, and it is the proper
thing to keep the eaos true to their
Name aud caste-peeled