The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-01-19
POISON LOVE.

It was siesta at the mine of La Esperan
IA. Andrea was pruning her calico fiounoe
preparatory to stroll past the offices, os
tensibly to take some drawn work to th
well, Andrea was both q coquette and hat
musical laugh by the grace Of God, fo
II those talents are not heaven sent It il
hopeless to attempt to graft them.
1t was very warm and the air was Shin
mering before Jimmy Averys eyes as h,
came out Of the cool dusk of the big adob,
room and stood looking up the slope An
drea was coming down. There was great
humming of yellow jackets around hear
of red tuna skins. Once Jimmy Avery wa,
innocent, good and young. That he was
any Of the three now was doubtful. Yet
he was much younger than he looked, and
possibly his face was more weak than evil.
1t was still handsome face, though the
fiery Mexican liquors had burnt 1t dull
red. He was puffy under his eyes, and
his eyes were clouded
Andrea's flounce struck the little blood
red pile of skins rotting in the sun. In q
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 and staring up the red clay
road at her.
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 on chair
before-rubbed the swollen bite on her
round, brown throat with ammonia, sooth-
ing her tenderly, for Jimmy Avery was
tender to all women until they crossed
him. Then his savageness and brutality
were such as to make a mere ordinary
man who knew nothing of tenderness
stand aghast
Andrea's black eyes were very full and
lustrous with the Mexican sun in their
dusky depths, and there was a dimple at
the corner of her poppy red mouth.
II never see you In Leon" he said to
There's lots of music and the paseo. This
is 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 Co. 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 floor, to
listen to praises Of ones beauty there and
here to the naked, brown baby, crying and
crying on its heap Of ragsSby the wall
When Limpy appeared In the low door
way, be knew BY the back of Andrea's
head there was a storm brewing. Mmpy
was the limpiador-engine cleaner and
night watchman He was also limpy by
nature, dragging one foot heavily after
him.
Andrea cast look of scorn upon him
as he knelt by the rags trying to quiet the
baby-he was so black and SO dirty. He had
had smallpox, and each pit was Drumming
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 90 his
homely face. The men al, loved Limpy.
and they said g: him, lies white inside
anyway
1t was after the scanty meal had been
eaten that the lowering clouds broke.
Limpy listened In patient amazement
while the Spanish ratified round his ears
like hailstones on a tin roof.
But why do you want To go to Leon!
The baby is here, and am here, and"--
lyon and the babyl' And Andrea cried
and tore at her rebozo with her sharp,
white teeth.
She used the sane arguments that Eve
probably used she was not feeling well,
che needed "a change, and there was no So
ciety and no amusement for her--all WON.
en- say the same, In different languages per-
haps.
When your wages are $l1 a month and
corn is cents pound, 1t is hard having
wife who pines for change Limpy put
it to her fairly and squGrely. There were
the pigs at Marfil, where his brother was
tending them. II 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 bo expected
against the pigs Faithful, honest Limpy
faltered when he thought Of them, for the
pigs were the core OF his heart But An.
drea was his God. So let the pigs starve.
The day Andrea went to Leon In the old
diligence was an eventful one. The women
eooAsoAVu IA iieeAo Sroups anu put unen
heads together, whispering Of her warily,
for Andrea's temper was notable She was
burro, they said, and her mother was
burro, and her grandmother, and also were
they pigs to the third and fourth genera
tion. And their wrath had foundation,
for when In the memory Of man had
peon woman travelled to Leon by coachs A
woman with feet. There were much flut
tering Of rebozo and silvery Ginning OF
laughter, and at last the old coach rumbled
away down the winding mountain road
and out Of the radiant blue air rippled An.
drea's laugh.
That night at dinner Mrs. Orton lookc,l
the young secretary full between the ey,
after her wont and said very softly: IL
saw that pretty Andrea starting Off on TIC
coach today. Did you ever notice her, Nj.
AyeryS'
Jimmy helped hmselft to some vile com.
pound or other from the big silver dish tho
mozo was holding. "Yes--that Ia, no
which one do you meang"
take very little stock in that wife OF