Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1898-10-08

Temp and sugar When MS glauce nap
,ened to fall on Miguel, pensively
at the punka-cord, and he
stopped arguing with an abrupt
'Wah- -pia!"l the Chinaman's usual ex-
of surprise.
Then, with an apology to me, he
'ose, waddled across the room and
leld out his hand to Miguel, saying,
'Como va,-how goes it,-Senor
Ortiz?"
Miguel took the proffered hand
with stately bow, and replied, quiet
y, "Muy bien, gracias, s,--very well,
thank you, trust it is well
with your grace, also?"
All this was very much out of or.
der. How came a high-class Chino
and a mandarin OF the blue
button at that, to be greeting thus
cordially an old punka-coolie, infinite
ly beneath him in that social stand
ing which the Chinaman holds so
sacred?
My bewilderment was probably Wis.
ible in my face as Quin Leng resumed
his seat, for he smiled like yellow
and said, in his queer
Spanish:
"That man, Miguel Ortiz, years
and years ago was the chief clerk and
'maiordomo' of Augustin, Ramon y
Ca"-a famous old Spanish house in
Manila, long since failed and gone.
Did YOU know that?"
I shook my head, and he went on:
"He was discharged for stealing
money, they said. What a pity! l
never believed it. All, Miguel and !
were good friends in the old days!"
Chow did it happen?" I asked.
ct cannot say" hereplied, "but the
story was that Miguel was left alone
in the office all that afternoon, and
afterward could not account for three
hundred silver dollars which had been
brought in. 1t is strange, also," he
added, looking around. ''This is the
very same office they had then"
"How long ago was it?" l asked.
"Let me sect was the third OF
June of the year 49,, 1 have reason
to remember it we'll, for it was the same
day that my godown--warehouse-was
sadly damaged by all earthquake, and
I had to pay eighteen pesos for the
three coolies that were killed in il"
Our business was soon concluded,
and as Quin Leng went out he laid his
long-nailed hand on Miguel's shoulder
and said, smiling, "Back in the san
old nest, old bird, eh?" And Miguel
replied with quiet, Isl senor."
So this was the story of my queer
punkero, I reflected. Surely he had
been amply punished by all these
years of poverty end degrsdation-re-
duced from position of trust, with
comparative wealth, to living in nipa
hut among the lowest class of natives.
How lie had managed to live in the
meantime never knew but it troubled
me a good deal during the next few
days to see the patient old fellow at
his mechanical, ill-paid labor-with
that crippled son to support, too, re-
fected.
1 could not pay him more than other
punka.co received without getting
all the other business men down on
me. Although wanted to give him
some employment more worthy OF his
ability, I was only the agent of great
house at home, and my responsibilities
were too heavy already to justify my
placing in position Of any trust a man
accused OF theft. I knew none of the
other houses would take him, for
could not conscientiously recommend
him, and younger clerks were to be
had in plenty.
So punkero he remained, till one
day, during a rush of business, another
clerk was needed at the godown to helr
check and tally weights. As no one
else was available at the moment,
sent Miguel down. In the Afternoon
he brought back his tally-sheets, sc
accurately and neatly made out that
concluded after all to keep him at thai
work, for there would be no possible
opportunity for dishonesty of any sort
and it would enable me to raise his
wages slightly.
So a new punkero, considerably less
remarkable in aspect, was established
ON the one-legged stool, and Miguel
spent his days in the godown, report
ing at the Office late every afternoon
He displayed little or no appreciation
of his promotion, and when on pay day
I handed him the additional pesos, hi
merely thanked me gravely; but thu
next morning I found his sonora wait
ing for me, and she was so overpower
ingly demonstrative in her gratitude
that she demoralized the whole offic,
force for time.
One day in July, the worst season
of the year until the rains come
Miguel had appeared as usual will
his tally-sheets, and spread them ou
for my inspection on the big tabl
which was built into the wall in on
corner, like a shelf. 1t had been
handsome table in its day, made O
some dark, polished native wood, Gu
in heavy slabs. A massive, carved lei
supported the corner which extended
out into the room; but its days o
beauty were past.
The thousands of big silver dollar
that had been ratified and counted o.
its surface had sadly dimmed its pol
ish; earthquakes had cracked it, a
well as the Office walls and ceiling
and some great convulsion had cause'
the walls in that corner to settle, 8
that the old table tilted rather awk
wardly. and everything deposited O
it had tendency to coast rapid
down into the corner.
The day had been hotter and su
trier than usual, with that ominou
stiffness in the air that always seem
to forebode some strange event, ard
f.,lt t;,aJ and akunid oa 1aonNd Ovp