Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1899-07-22
A Western Romance.


Il tltldlc III You uon KNOW what u
tamalc is and YOU don't unless You
have been in the far West or south
west it would he better to allow it To
20 unread.
OF course, you'll say you know all
about tamaleS Maybe So. But there
are tamaleS and tamales I'm Eastern
tamalc is Frankfurtcr in the middle
of roll; ; \ Western tamalc. the kind
YOU buy from dusky dark eyed Span
lard. or "a Mexican boy, who stands by
The side of his little wagon on a cold
night, and shivcrS i'll the glimmering
light uf Il dim lantern until the thcatcrS
are out and his stock disposed of-that
is quite different thing Paste is not
more widely different from diamonds
than are the Eastern Sausages rolls from
the steaming cornhuSkS wrapped around
Il mixture of meal and butter and
chicken and olives and red peppers.
with special reference 10 the red pep
perS.
has to he appreciated and the story
cannot be imagined, SO it will have TO
bc told
Ii all happened i'll California. The
The hero's name was Frank. just plain
American youth, rather inpresSionable,
il must he admitted otherwise he
would not have fallen So deeply i'll love
with Spanish girl. whose name was
Teresa She had the provcrbial eyes.
languishing. dusky, beautiful - the
thick black hair and the carminc lips of
the daughters of Spain. She climbed
the mountains and tripped through the
luccrne. gathered the scarlet berries
from the feathcry pepper tree and
imagined that she was in love also. In
the twilight of the autumn evenings
they would saddle their ponies and
together 20 galloping over the plains,
home again, as happy and free as the
winds that swaycd the pampaS grass.
But civil engineers do not often dwell
long in one locality, and Frank belonged
To Il party which was suddenly called
away He rode out To the adobe house
where hop vines clung to the sun-dricd
bricks, and where Teresa lived. He told
her he must 20, and she cried until he
kissed her and gave her a queer little
gold ring which had "TercSa" engraved
inside He told her she must look at it
every other minute in the day. and
think of him every time she looked. and
he would think of her just as often.
perhaps oftcner, and love her forever.
so he Went away.
Years afterward he came back. The
place had grown up into civilized
country il had lost its primitive charm.
There were no fields of green lucernc.
no more romantic mountain trails,
everything was modern. There were
orchortls. prunc apricot and cherry
orchards. and this kind of ranch. and
that kind of ranch. and il was all
very delightful still. but!
One night Frank was wandering aim
leSsly about, trying to keep warm. when
he passed boy huddled up against Il
wagon BY the light of II street lamp
he realized with sudden start that the
boy looked like some one he had seen
before or known long ago: but who
could il be: Was it-he stopped.
''Tamalc. sir:
The voice was rich and low and sweet
like something he had heard before. He
mechanically took the Steaming paper,
paid for its contents, and hunted for
some dark street where he might eat
his tamalc unseen. Presently he found
one. and proceeded the savory corn
husks. He had the thing half eaten
upon something hard. In an instant
the remaining half was thrown violent
" into the street.
Those dirty Mexicans Don't know
what | have eaten | believe they are
made of SEA gull instead of chicken
What in The
In removing the offending bit he
found that it was something small and
round He took match from his
pocket, aud examined it more closely.
II was thin, worn little ring. and
engraved on the inside was the word
Teresa. The very same little rug he
had given To his beautiful little Teresa
whom he had long ago forgotten
Ii was such shock that he dropped
the ring. which rolled around on the
cement walk until he stopped it with
his foot and took it up in his hand
again.
In ten minutes hc was standing b,.-
fore the same tamalc boy the lad who
was the picture of Teresa her brother.
hc was sure He knew it all now she
still wore the ring. aud it had slipped
off her finger when she mixed the
tamale> How thin her fingers must
have grown Poor little thing. perhaps
She was pining for him
He did not stop to think of the inter
scning years he forgot thar he was a
man and that Tcr,>Si was a woman. He
Thought Of her ~ she was when he saw
her last. and his heart beat faster than
it had for many weeks. He made Il
pitiful attempt To appear nonchalant
before the boy.
That tamal, of yours was good do
yuu make them yourself
The boy smiled good natunrdly.
My mother and my sister make
them
Your >iStcr-but where do YOU live I:
Near here :"
just out of town little WAY
"And l. your sister married =
lie fancicd that the hoy = expression
was peculiar, and that hc started a little
aS hc heard the question but the
i n>AkA |