Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1899-03-14

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in the black meshos. Many a man forgots
the fat, richly dressed Mexican wife at
his side and goes back in heart to Just
such a girl, whether Of Andalusia, of Sc
Vile or of Madrid. And seated alone in
his box the prince Of bankers, old Fran
quillo, drops his glass and signs. Perhaps
if a girl like that one yonder had lived in
stead Of passing away from him during
the first poverty stricken month of their
married life there in Barcelona he would
not now be a lone, triste man, without
home, chick or child-only the money
for, though money is good, it doesn't al
ways fill every chink of the heart.
Dona Lolita, in spite Of that sweet, shy
occurrences of hers, has noted the effect of
her costume a La Espanola. ''She ~rejoices
within herself, even though she is begin
ming to tremble a wee bit, and wishes that
it were not yet time for her husband to
kill the bull. She again measures the dis
lance between herself and the ground. 1t
is seven feet-quien sabel
She is trembling from her dainty head
down to her tiny, pink bowed Spanish
slippers all the time that Ell Largo is tor
turing the furious, paving bull with his
sharp bandcrillas. She clasps her hands
tightly together as finally, firing of the
banderilla work, which, in fact, has been
somewhat long drawn out ION account of
the matadore Ell Chatto's sudden sickness
and faintness," the public of the sunny
side begin to clamor for Gel m~atadore!
Mate ell torol Que venga ell matadore! Ell
m%atadorel'
The gate swings open at last, and Ell
Largo still leases the bull as Ell Chatto
moves forward slowly and bows first to
the president and then TO the public. In
spite of his magnificent silver and violet
costume, the gold lace and real bullion
trimming, with capa Of gold brocade, he
looks deathly i'll. His face is white and
drawn, and under his eyes great black
rings show that extend almost half way
down his face. Every one remarks it, and
a foreigner who has looked keenly at the
bullfighter says sharply: "That fellow
ought~to drop out and go home. He's in
no condition to fight"
But Ell Chatto is game if he is sick.
Perhaps the presence of his wife inspires
him with fresh courage, for he unsheaths
his bright, keen sword, mods briefly to FL
Largo, who gets out of the way, smiles
once at Lolita, who is beneath her mantil-
Ia far whittier than he, then makes a tan
talizing movement at the bull.
That animal, n Of the huge, fiery An
dalusians that are the very terror of Mex.
lean bullfighters, comes On with a roar Of
fury, head swinging low to the ground
and the angry foam flying. Ell Chatto
lodges and places himself nearer the wall
to meet the bulls return rush. On he
arpni,, with nj, ,,rp b,11rx,, o,,J
Ell Chatto shakes the sword playfully in
the brute's face, as is the Spanish custom,
six or seven fancy passes, and then the
kill!
After all, no one Can fight a bull as does
the Spanish matadore. At least during Ell
Chatto's splendid work Of the next seven
minutes that is what the people think.
All Of them are on their feet, shrieking,
some breathless with delight. Silver dol
lars and hats and flowers rain down into
the ring, but Ell Chatto has not time to
bow his thanks. He is too busy parrying
the plunges Of the Andalusian; ''furiouser
and %furiouser," as Alice in Wonderland
might say, the beast is making it quick
work for the matadore.
On her feet, as is everybody else, for
that matter, Lolita is watching every mo-
ton, her heart beating in great leaps and
SO excited and wrought up now that she
has forgotten to feel afraid. Bull and
matadore are just underneath her, and
twice her husband has glanced at her sig
nitlcantly. She is watching with her
heart in her eyes. One pass of the sword
before the bulls eyes, one leap over his
back, one pass of the sword, backward
over the shoulder-now then, Dios help
a-h-h!
In the t%winkling of an eye there goes
up from the thousands of people a loud
groan of horror, pity, terror. They are all
ON their feet watching.
For all in a second it happens. The mat
adore, suddenly reeling after a fancy pass
at the bull, has cast one agonized look up
at his wife and fallen prone Oh the ground.
The bull does not see, for the furious i'm
petus of his last charge has taken him sew
eral feet beyond the matadore. At the lat
ter's side on the ground is the bright
sword that now will not save him. The
man was sick, unable to fight.
But before the people have well seen
that, however, there is a quick leap and a
flash. A slight, childish figure is in the
ring, her mantilla is cast back, the pink
rose has fallen into the dust, and her tiny
white hands have caught up the sword.
As the bull swings madly forward she
meets him. He is an enormous beast, and
to be on a line even with his shoulder she
has to rise OH tiptoe. She does it. Her
face is white and calm as the brute PUSHES
at her, lowering his head. She springs
forward and upward. The sword sinks
out of sight in the bleeding shoulder-no
fancy passes for her-and the bull topples
over on his knees, the blood gushing out
in torrents. He is d~ying-deadl
The mantilla is trampled into the dust,
the pink rose is now a faded, Redeemed
scrap, but the woman, her hands blood
stained and her face white as death, knows
nothing about that. On her knees, Sob
bling like a baby from overweight passion
and nervousness, she is holding her hus.
bands unconscious head in her trembling
arms.
As for the populace, they have passed
from horror stricken silence and terror in
to hysterical shouts, screams, applause
and even tears. Every woman in the au-
dience is weeping copiously, every man
is shrieking and stamping and applauding
at the top of his voice, in his heart envy
ing the matadore, as the girl, who has in
some mysterious way revived her husband,
rises to her feet and the two stand to-
gether for q moment, bowling.
Then comes the exciting part of 1t. Out
come purses and dollars, and even jewels
from the rich ladi ~ present, and masses
of flowers. Amid shouts of "Bravo!'
down it all pours into the ring. As for
the great banker, Franquillo, who Is so
excited that he can hardly move-down
goes his footman with a message to STA
Espanolal"
Not waiting to bow or to thank the peo-
pie, SO overcome Is she with her tremen-
dous success, Dona Lolita flies from the
ring, leaving Ell Chatto to bow and place
his hand over his heart and bow again.