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

~ $3.50 EASIc'Ap pDiSLO pSiOA0
the Mexican public, !" there was dire dis
may, owing to the low state-the very low
state-of the family excheqner. This sad
state Of affairs is common to many people
among the members of the bullfghting
fraternity, who are not esteemed now as
they once We're. This is, however, only in
Mexico. Whatever else may come and go
in Spain, b%ulltighting is always with
them.
Ell Chatto Qmcaning "the snub nose")
had just finished taking his morning choc-
olate and pan dulce," assisted by his
pretty wife, bona Lolita, who also had
been a member of the noble army of bull
fighters-in fact, first female espada in the
big ring at Seville-but this was a secret.
A career that might possibly have been
glorious had been cut short by the selfish
ness of Ell Chatto, who had loved her, mar
ried her and taken her away from the old
world to the new, the rich country of
Mexico, where a bullfghter was as a
prince. But that was several years g
Successful, feted and honored In Cuba and
afterward in Mexico, Ell Chatto's prosper
ity had not lasted long, for soon had come
the edict that bullfghting in Mexico
must stop. A few desultory fights were
still allowed, through which a torero could
not make an actual fortune.
This morning, the day before the bull
fight honoring the fiesta of San Marcos,
Ell Chatto, needing some spare silver for
the furnishing up Of his costume, had
turned out his pockets, with the assist
ance of Dona Lolita, who, Of course, was
already fully informed as to their contents,
being but IA woman. Investigation re-
vcaled one big silver peso, one so cent
piece, one 10 cent piece and IA copper
centavos. Not enough to pay coach hire
even!
Carrambas! Here was a pretty mess.
No wonder that Ell Chatto leisurely and
calmly spoke every naughty and lurid
word that came to his mind during the
next half hour, the while Dona Lolita
TRANQUILITY drank her chocolate and then
lit a cigarette, her dimpled face very seri-
Gus all the time, as though in deep cogita-
ton.
At last, out of breath, Ell Chatto paused
and glared about him, us though in search
of some one to fight. Dona Lolita smiled
at him sweetly, removing the cigarette
from hiHer lips as she murmured, Have
you finished, little Snub Nose?''
A shrug of the shoulders was her hus-
bands reply.
"Then listen, oh, most worthless hus-
band, for l have a plaza plan most mag
n%ificent. Thereby we will make a fortune
sufficient for the voyage once more to
Espana."
She stopped tantalizingly and pulled at
her cigarette, while FL Chatto looked at
her unbelievingly.
'This is how it is" she pursued, blow
ing a ring of smoke into her husbands
face. "The enpresario pay you little-very
little-only a hundred silver dollars. Is
it not SOP
Isl, that is all-the pigs!" growled the
torero, land after this there will be no
fight until holy week-no more money!"
"Pues, then we will make more out of
them-much more. But first, friend of
my heart, will there 60 many ricos to this
flght-the president with his wife, tho De
la Matas, and those other rich ~Espanoles!"
Eyes, all of them" replied Ell Chatto,
who vas as yet mystif1ed, not understand
ing the subtle workings Of his wife's
brain, ''but, por Ell amor de Dios, what
lave they to do with that wonderful plan
Of yours?"
Dona Lolita smiled again and playfully
pulled her marido's nose. "They have
much to do-muchl" she whispered, scat
ing herself on the arm of his chair and
pulling his moody face down to hers.
Listen, marido milo; this is the plan.
But cuidado that no one hears us?"
No one hears, not even ourselves-it is
whisper, whisper, whisper, and finally a
loud shout of delight from Ell Chatto. 1t
must be something good. What a shame
w are not let into the secretl
The gloom clears away from the house
Of the matadore; there continues rejoicing
all that day. Ell Chatto and his pretty
wife have a most joyous comida and after
ward lay their heads together on the sub
ject of the morrow s fight and a special
Spanish costume that Lolita is to wear
one of old Sevilla-an rose pink and Span
ish mantilla, with a pink rose in her blue
black hair, this latter being another of the
mysteries. In Mexico few ladies ever wear
the costume Of old Spain. 1t is as much
worn out, passe, hero as the patches and
powder and hoops of the Revolutionary
days are in Anglo-Saxon lands. But out
of an old box she drags the dress and
shakes and brushes and sews it until even
the critical Chatto %pronounces it ''muy
bonita" But why is she wearing it to-
morrow, unless indeed it is because
fully 10 enormously rich Spanish families
have taken boxes and will be there? Per-
haps that is it. Lolita wishes to be patri-
otto; that is what is the matter.
Tomorrow seems such a long time in
coming, but finally it is here, all baliny,
blue sky, with never a white cloud to maj
it; soft, warm breezes, laden with the per.
fume Of the roses and lilies that are just
beginning to bloom, the violets over and
done with for this year, the silvery pealing
and Ginning of the hundreds of bells that
are vainly calling the faithful to prayer.
Every one is either in the great bull ring
in Colon or getting there as fast as he or
she can. It is the first fight for a month,
and there will not be another one for yet
a month to come.
white g%armented poems, with big SOM
breros, choke up every inch of space and
shout and yell loudly during the perform
ance. As for the shady side, 1t is we'll
filed, with rich Spaniards at that, for
which reason the heart of Dona Lolita re-
joices; the more Spaniards the more di-
nero. "Ojala that there were nothing but
Spaniards, " she links.
She has purposely taken a seat just be.
hind the first barrier Of the bull ring, not
seven feet above the ground where her
husband will kill his bull, $50 that she
can see him better, ns she lisps to an ad-
miring Mexican fighter, who wishes her
to go into one Of the boxes.
In her Sevillian costume, the silk a