Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1897-03-25
An American Don Juan.
His Experience in a Mexican Mining
Camp

spontaneously DIS d MEADOW lark 5 note.
broke the sleepy quiet
1t was siesta at the mine of La Espe-
rama, and the poems, sitting asleep.
wrapped close in serapes, their backs
against the cool side of the long adobe,
their knees drawn TO their chins
reused slightly at the sound.
And the women indoors, lying curled
upon petates, also reused and plucked
impatiently at their rebozos and shifted
I-sniffed as ladies in higher circles do
AS they heard the frolicking notes die
away. Their thoughts, translated into
English, would have been: There's
Limpy's Andrea showing off for the
benefit of the manager and his secre-
tary." 1t is grievously true that Andrea
laughed little, and, it was said. often
laughed at nothing but the pleasure of
hearing herself.
bndrea was pruning her calico
founces preparatory to a stroll past the
office, ostensibly to take some drawn
work to the much bored wife of the
manager. but-well, Andrea was both a
coquette and had musical laugh by
the grace of God, for if those talents
are not heaven-sent, it is hopeless to
attempt to graft them.
It was very warm, and the air was
shimmering before Jimmy Avery's eyes
as he came out of the cool dusk Of
the big adobe room and stood looking
up the slope Andrea was coming down.
There was a great humming of yellow
Jackets around heap of red tuna skins.
Once Jimmy Avery was innocent, good
and young. That he was any of the
three now was doubtful. Yet he was
much younger than he looked, and pos
sibly his face was more weak than evil.
It was still handsome face, though
the fiery Mexican liquors had burnt it
a dull red. He was puffy under the
eyes and his eyes were c1ouded,
Andrea's f1ounce struck the little
bloodred pile of skins rotting in the
srn. In a moment she was the center
of the fercely-buzzing insects. One
stung her on the neck and she ran
crying to the secretary, whom she saw
in front of the office, rolling his cigarette
The yellow jackets went back to their
feast, and the young secretary led in
the peon woman, and, placing her in
his big leather chair-she had never
sat in a chair before-rubbed the swollen
bite on her round, brown throat with
ammonia, soothing her tenderly. For
Jimmy Avery was tender to all women
until they crossed him-then his savage
ness and brutality were such as to make
mere ordinary man, who knew moth
ing Of tenderness, stand aghast.
Andrea's black eyes were full and
Iustrous with the Mexican sun in their
dnsky depths, and there was a dimple
81 never see you in Leon" he said
to her. Sometimes I go. Why do you
never? This is a lonely place for a
pretty woman"
Andrea hung her head and twisted
her fingers together. Jimmy, in some
disgust at her stupidity, signed for her
to go, and settled himself back to the
slumber that had been broken by the
clear vibrations of her pretty laugh.
That evening Andrea sat on the mud
floor, sullenly stirring the ola podrida
simmering over the fire of sticks in the
corner. 1t is not good for ones temper
to sit on soft leather chair in the
afternoon and come home to sit on a
mud f1oor-t0 listen to ones beauty
there, and here to the naked brown
baby, crying and crying on it's heap
of rags by the wall.
When Limpy appeared in the low
doorway, he knew by the back of An
drea's head that there was a storm
brewing. Limpy was the limpiador-
engine cleaner and night Waterman
he was also limpy by nature, driving
one foot heavily after him.
| Andrea cast look of scorn after
him as he knelt by the rags, trying tc
quiet the baby-he was so black and so
dirty, he had had smallpox, and each
pit was trimming with dirt. He was
fairly coated clothes and all, with coal
dust and grease. He had a wide
mouthed, friendly grin, and goodness
shone from every line of his homely
face. The men all loved Limpy, and
they said of him: '"He's white inside,
anyway"
| It was after the scanty meal had been
eaten that the lowering clouds broke.
Limpey listened in patient amazement
while the Spanish ratified around his
ears like hailstones on tin roof
'But why do you want to go to
Lean? The baby is here and am here,
and
'You and the baby!" and Andea cried
and tore at her rebozo with her sharp,
white teeth
She used the same arguments that Eve
probably used. She was not feeling
well, she needed a change, and there
was no society and no amusement for
her-all women say the same, in differ
ent languages, perhaps.
When your wages are 81 month
and corn is cents a pound, it is hard
having wife who pines for a Change -
Limpy put it to her fairly and squarely:
There were the pigs at Marfil, where
her brother was tending them; if she
went to Leon, the pigs would be on
short rations, and already the corn doled
out was not keeping pace with the
appetites Of the unfortunate swine.
Andrea decided, as was to be expected,
against the pigs. Faithful, honest Linn
py faltered when he thought of them,