The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-09-21

or mother, and, living with a broth
er who was endeavoring to effect
the drainage of "the richest silver
mine in the world" she wandered
unchecked through the crowded.
narrow streets of the old town. with
young criada her only safeguard.
She had often longed to explore a
dark street that plunged downward
from the paved and civilized one.
1t was damp and murky, a stair
case of stone, with crumbling adobe
walls two and three stories high.
Across the streets narrow width
ftuttered strings Of washing. The
women, with their red petticoats
and blue rebozos, made bright blots
OF color. The men loafed about,
lean and ragged. It reminded her
of Naples. The doorways swarmed
with babies and dogs, poverty
marching always side by side with
those innocents.
Down she went. The street made
an abrupt turn. At the corner she
was startled by seeing, protruding
from a hole cut in squalid door
way, several long, black fingers.
They were withdrawn, and she saw
as she passed the door two blood
shot eyes peering out like beasts
eyes.
nina, ninita, the good mother of
God sent you, and see what gain
will be yoursI" Turning, Miss Stan
ley beheld Rosita at her heel. She
had plate to sell-a coarse, iron
stone china plate, Clipped and
cracked. There was O look of in
tense anxiety on her old face, and
her wee hands shook as she drew
her treasure forth from under her
rebozo. The plate was impossible,
and Constance, breaking that fact
very gently to the little dwarf, was
astonished to see the tears gather
and fall over her shriveled cheeks.
"Eor two days, senorita, have
not dared unlock that door," And
she nodded toward the mean portal
where the eyes had shone and the
fingers protruded restlessly. IS Lit
tie brother has nothing to eat, ex-
cept the few tortillas the poor around
here could give, and many of these
go hungry from the SUMS coming
up until the SUMS going down."
Constance sent her servant and
Rosita to the plaza for some cooked
food, and while she waited she
talked in the doorways with Pepita
and Lola and Juana. They told her
how Rosita worked and starved for
her brother.
"How old is he2" asked Con-
stance.
"Quien sabe9" they said.
"Is he child or is he big enough
to work for her7'' she asked impa-
tiently.
'Ah, he is grandote, but also he
is loco. un maniatico. See; that is
Jose now who glares from the hole
in the door,
Miss Stanley listened to them with
that rapt attention we all give to
tales Of the mad: He dug deep holes
in the earth floor, burrowing like
an animal. Sometimes he escaped
in that way, and then there was
fear in the narrow street, and the
police after a bloody fight would
drag hin. shrielzing hack 20 the one
poor room Rosita called home. She
had always put food through the
door to him before venturing to
opon it.
Once for long time he had not
menaced the peace Of the street.
That was when he killed the sereno.
A policeman had teased him as he
peered from the hole ia the door,
much as people tease hyena snarl-
ing,in a cage. The mad have memo
rieH, for Jose, one night when the
moon was big. crept softly about the
dark room and, finding the key Ro-
sita's small cunning had hidden,
opened the door, crept again softly
up the street to an adobe doorway
where was sleeping a serene, his
head on his knees. The police have
a day and a night shift, but one can
not expect a madman to know every
thing. So it wac an innocent man
who had his neck wrung as the cook
does chickens. They could only
4 uees what then happened. There