Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1897-08-19

ln, A/4h SS=ssSIsS-ST' 'o4 gu O"u 'ISii
Ss.y Nh IN carriages if they
had block to
go, used to look upon her with amaze
ment as she tramped down their steep
streets with fine, swinging, heel
nnd-toe gait.
She was picking her way one day
among the vendors in the plaza, stop
ping once in q while to give some
whining beggar or tattered monstrosity
a centayo, when she felt her skirt
pulled Looking, she saw a tiny hand
held out, and childish voice piped
the usual formula for aims. The little
creature was no taller than a child of
four. But the face! 1t was old and
withered. The eyes were sunken and
so old! Miss Stanley pulled back the
rebozo-the hair was gray,
"a dwarf, she thought, with lit
tie feeling of repulsion. GLOW old are
you?'
Fifty-four," pipel up the wee
thing Then, true to her sex, "The
priest will tell you tifty-eight, but I
am not; am only fifty-four. " She said
her name was Rcsita.
Rosita, it appeared, did nearly any
thing for living, begging preferably,
although that is somewhat over
crowded profession in Mexico. Some
times she sold chickens or vegetables
on commission. She had another
source of income, being pensioner on
the bounty of young mana centavo
a week-but she confessed sadly he
made her jump for the coin, and if he
held his arm out straight she might
jump in vain, she could not reach it.
''Ihe brute" said Miss Stanley.
Rosita did not know the meaning, but
she looked up, pleased. That was
good, the English lady was taking an
interest in her, for the expletiye
sounded profane. and profanity from a
feminine source indicated strong emo
ton, which she construed favorably.
The poor in Mexico are always hun
CRY, and Miss Stanley, knowing this
failing, took Rosita to n little one
room restaurant. The menu was con-
fined strictly to Mexican dishes.
Miss Stanley noticed that Rosita put
half her dinner to one side, wrapping
the carne and frijoles in tortillas.
When she came to dulce of some
tropic fruit, boiled in syrup of cane
sugar, her little wrinkled eyes looked
wistful.
GLOW can take some to my little
brother?" she asked
Miss Stanley asked another ques
ton: ''Is this food you have put away
for your brother?"
Yes" answered Rosita, in he,
squeaky voice, 81 take all the care o.
him. We are alone, and l work fol
him. He is locked in the room now
see, and she held up the massive key
peculiar to Mexican doors.
"Why is he locked in?" asked Mis-,
Stanley, as she directed the mozo tc
put the dinner in couple Of ollas fol
Rosita to take to her brother.
He has combats with the childrer
In the street, and | am afraid some one
will get hurt, she answered.
Miss Stanley watched her trot away
laden with the dinner for her brother
So little and so old, unlike man,
dwarfs not bulky-indeed, pitifull,
thin. 1t was not until she reached
her home that Miss Stanley remem
bered she had not asked how old tn,
"little brother" was.
She often met Rosita after that
sometimes in the Jardin, where til,
roses nodded overhead, and violet
bloomed underfoot, and the ban,
played softly and sweetly, as Mexican
bands do. Rosita would dart from
the circling stream of pelado into tn,
inner circle, where the quality walked
under the trees or sat on the irol
benches. Miss Stanley could seldom
resist the little, dirty, badly worked
square of drawn-work held out by tht
tiny hand.
Constance Stanley had no father o.
mother, and, living with a brothe
who was endeavoring to effect tn
drainage of ''the richest silver min,
in the world" she wandered un
checked through the crowded, marrow
streets of the old town with a youny
criada her only safeguard
She had often longed to explore
dark street that plunged downwar,
from the paved and civilized one. |
was damp and murky. A staircase o
stone, with crumbling adobe walls
two and three stories high. Across tn
streets narrow width huttered string
Of washing. The women, with thei
red petticoats and blue rebozos, mad
bright blots of color. The men loafs,
about, lean and ragged. It reminde,
her OF Naples. The doorways swarmet