Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1897-02-03
A QUEER ELOPEMENT.

"Well, yes, that about all 1t amounts
to--a peon's hut. However, Augustinita
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 hut matched 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
goat, turkey and jardinieres Of flow
ers, yet the habitation belonged to the
age of the cave jewellers, decided, as I
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-wow!" growled heavy
bass voice from the inner room. The
words were indistinguishable.
"What deep voice that man has!" !
said innocently. Mexican men, as a
rule, have such light voicesH'
"That's not man; it's Augusta
nita, replied my friend.
I am acquainted with that pleasant
little custom Of Mexico which holds to
childhood 3 tender diminutives long aft
er old age has fallen on one. Still, I
confess, .Augustinita-whioh would be
"dear little Gussie'' in English-was a
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 tropic sky and she
had on that old countenance 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 oheroot 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 on that
put some American plates and cups and
a Guadalajara water bottle. I sat on
long bench drawn close to the table,
watching the old woman.
~ want you to take good look at
Manuela when she comes in. She is
quite belle with the men who eat
here" 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 a beauty" ]
said.
''She has good figure" said my
companion, with assumed Indifference.
"but you get straight look at her, and
you won't think her such 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.
~ 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.
~ mean more slap and dash. She is
30 quiet, exclaimed hurriedly. seeing
the construction he was putting on
chang and hustle"
After looking at his watch my COM
panion said: I'VE have yet an hour to
wait I'll tell you about Manuela's
elopement.
So, while eating calabassas, chile con
carne 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, I heard Of the elopement
Of Manuela.
sBranscomhe, one OF the men who
used to eat here, fell In love with Man
uela's red braids and buxom figure. II
was reciprocated by her, but odd mann.
ma hated him and never winked her
little rattlesnake eyes when he was
round. He was a rough sort Of fellow,
and, IL was said, had wife or 80 and a
lot Of children up in the States, but as