The Negro world., 1900-03-31
Madre Maria's Magic
by q. O. Terry.

nN the very corner of Gale de los
~ Pescaditos Blancos lstreet of the
Little White Fish,. just where II juts
into the little Plaza de San Pablo. Is
the shop OF Dona AntonIa. Ii is u
clean, tidy little place, and In IT you
can buy the best cigarettes 10 be
found In all Mexico, and you can be
served at all hours OF the day with
thick Spanish chocolate. hot and
pasty-for Dona Antonla Is Spanish,
and therefore knows how TO make de-
liclous chocolate also. you can buy
there pins. needles, lottery tickets,
native Mexican sugar in tall brown
cones, maearonl fresh from Italy
sardines. olives, Spanish wine and
many other things. for, while the
shop is n small one. II contains what
the proprietor proudly calls Fan as
sort OF the most complete and fin
ished."
Dona Antonla herself waits on her
varied customers. All of the common
folk In that part OF the city patronize
her, and 80 she Is kept very busy, with
hardly time enough TO attend to her
yellow-headed parrot. or 10 keep the
''mariposa" light burning under the
picture OF Ia virgen which hangs ON
the wall
Things were different when Car
los the torero was -good-loolS-
ing. staggering Carlos. In his gaudy
bullhghter's shirt and tight trousers,
with his pig.tailed head surmounted
by the fiat torero hat-but Carlos has
most cruelty been baniehed. Not that
he ever did any work IN the shop, the
gods Of bullhghters Forbid But he
at least was always willing 10 lounge
in the door or against the counter
thereby soaring away robbers. and
even on some occasions SO fur unbent
his dignity as 10 serve the chocolate
60 customers OF his own fraternity,
while Dona Antonia beamed from
hfar. For she worshiped Carlos with
the alteration that only fat aud
homely woman of 40 can feel for
young and handsome man.
Ever since bullhghtIng had gone
out In Mexico, three years before, she
had waited ON Carlos. hand and foot,
giving him cheerfully aud lovingly
from her savings. and working doubly
hard in order that he might appear
gorgeous on feast days and Sundays.
His clothes were OF the best that
money could buy; his pointed Mcxi-
can shoes were of the finest yellow
leather; his vivid scarlet neckties
were always OF satin or softest silk:
none OF the hullhghters who lolled ON
San Francisco street or In front OF the
Cantlna del Tio Pepe smoked such
long. fine. black cigars as did Carlos,
and none of them could boast the sill
yer and copper coins which always
tingled In the pockets of his braided
torero jacket. In short, Carlos was
In the greatest of luck. the very high
est OF clover, aud did not realize his
blessings until II was too late. For
oil this magniacence and luxury was
taken away from him, through his
own fault. and that OF Panchita.
Not that Carlos cared for pretty, CO.
quettish Panchita: not a bit OF II.
Carlos loved no one but his own lazy,
good-looking self. and nothing but
his own ease and comfort For Dona
Antonia. who furnished him with the
good things Of life which he so much
cared for and appreciated. he had
kindly, fraternal regard being. more
over, aware OF the furious temper
which lurked beneath Dona Antonia's
good-natnred exterior. he had always
been careful 20 avoid entanglements
with younger and hands1mer women.
or. al least. TO keep such affairs from
her sharp and very suspicious ears.
In the ease OF Paaehita. however.
II was a difficult matter. for she was
either too careless or too much In
love to dissemble. She could not or
would not refrain from casting co.
qnettish glancee at the bullfghter.
even when Dona Antonia was BY, and
finally even took TO purchasing her
thread and needles and other supplies
from Dona Antonia's shop. refusing
there to be served by anyone but Car.
los himself
Naturally this state OF affairs could
not last FOR long. and things came to
crisis one day when Dona Antonia
overheard panchita addressing some
coquettish remarks 10 the torero. and.
moreover, caaght him In the very act
Of kissing her pretty though needle
worn hands. After which there was
a scene. aud very nearly battle. muir
der and sudden death. Dona Antonln,
being a very powerful woman, and.
moreover greatly infuriated serpplcd
not 70 fali upon the luckless couple.
tooth and nail. Carlos managed 10
escape with his life aud blackened
eye. while panchita. at the end Of the
fray. wes minus one tooth aud what
seesnsd at nrst sight to be fully half