The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-09-28


toe gait.
She was picking her way one day
among the vendors in the plaza. stop
ping once in a while to give some
whining beggar or tattered monstros-
ity centavo, when she felt her skirt
pulled. Looking, she saw a tiny hand
held out, and a childish voice piped
the usual formula for aims The lit
tie creature was no taller than a child
of four. But the face' 1t was old and
withered. The eyes were sunken and
so old Miss Stanley pulled back the
rebozo-the hair was gray.
"a dwarf" she thought, with a feel
ing Of repulsicn. "How old are yon?'
"Fifty-four," piped up the wee thing.
Then, true to her sex, THE priest will
tell you flfty-eight, but l am not; 1
am only fifty-four." She said hcr
name was Rosta
Rosita, it appeared, did nearly any
thing for living, begging preferably,
although that is a somewhat over
crowded profession in Mexico Some
times she sold ahickens or vegetables
on commission. She ha1 another
source of income, being pcnsionor
on the bounty of young man - cen
taVo a Week--but she confessed sadly
he made her jump for the coin. and
If he held his arm out straight she
might jump in vain, she could not
reach it.
THE brute!" said Miss Stanley
Rosita did not know the meaning, but
she looked up pleased. That was good
the English lady was taking an in
terest in her, for the eXpletive sound
ed profane, and profanity from a FEM
iuine source indicated strong emotion
which she construed favorably.
The poor in Mexico are always hun
CRY, and Miss Stanley. knowing this
failing, took Rosita 10 a little one
room restaurant. The menu was con-
lined strictly to Mexican dishes.
Miss Stanley noticed that Rosita pul
half her dinner to one side, wrapping
the carne frijoles in tortillas. When
she came to dulce of some tropiC
fruit boiled in a syrup Of cane sugar
ful.
How can take some to my little
brother?" she asked.
Miss Stanley asked another ques'
tion: "Is this food you have put away
for your brother"
Yes" answered Rosita, in hel
squeaky voice. II take all the care OF
him. We are alone, and / work fol
him. lie is locked in the room, now
see" and she held up the massive key
peculiar to Mexican doors.
why is he locked in?" asked Miss
Stanley, she directed the mozo to pu
the dinner in couple of ollas fG!
Rosita to take to her brother.
He has combats with the children
in the street, and l am afraid he vii
get hurt" she answered.
MISS Stanley watched her trot away
laden with the dinner for her brother
So bulSy-indeed, pitifully thin 1
was not until she reached home tina
Miss Stanley remembered that she hat
not asked how old the little brother
was.
She often met Rosita after that
sometimes in the Jardir, where the
roses nodded overhead and Violet'
doomed under foot, and the banc
played softly and sweetly as Mexican
bands do. Rosita would dart from tht
Circling stream of pelado into the i'll
ner circle where the quality walked
under the trees or sat ON the iroI
benches. Miss Stanley could seldom
resist the little. dirty, badly worked
square of drawn work held out by
the tiny hand.
Sometimes in the plaza. whore tn,
vendors called their various fruits an,
vegetables with LONG drawn, wailns
cries, Miss Stanley wouli suddcnl,
hear at her elbow the shrll squeal
of Rosita as she praised the virtue
of an attenuated hen. "Muy gordO
nine!-takc it--weight it in your hant
lit is heavy beyond belief" she Woul,
insist, holding up the unattractiv,
bundle of feathers to the child
Constance Stanley had no father q
mother. and, living with a brOthe
who was endeaVoring to effect tn
drainage of the richest silver min
in the world" she wandered uncheck
cd through tin crowded. marrow
streets OF the old town, with a younl
criada her only safeguard.
She had often longcd TO explore
dark street that plunged dOwnWar,
from the paved and civilized one. l
Eas damp and murky. \ staircase q
None, with crumbling adobe walls, tw
nd three stories high. Across tn
hreet's narrow width tluttered string
Of washing. The women, with thei
red petticoats and blue rebozos, mad
bright spots of color. The men loafe
about, lean and ragged, 1t reminde
her of Naples. The doorways swarm
ed with babies and dogs-pOvert
marc hing side by side with those in
nocentS.
Down she went. The street mad
an abrupt turn. At the corner sh
was startled by seeing protrudin
from a hole cut in "A squalid doorwa
several long black fingers. They wer
u, .l,,
the door two bloodshot eyes peerin
out like beasts eyes.
Nina, ninita! The good mother o
God sent you, and see what gain vii
be yours!" Turning Miss Stanley be
held Rosita at her heel. She had
plate to sell-a coarse, ironstone chin
plate, Clipped and cracked. There wa
a look of intense anxiety on her oil
face, and her wee hands shook as sh
drew her treasure forth from unde
her rebozo. The plate was impossible
and Constance, breaking that fac
gently to the dwarf, was astonished t
see the tears &c ether and fall over he
shriveled cheeks.
''For two days, senorita, have no
dared unlock that door," and she nod
ded toward the mean portal where tn
eyes had shore and the fingers pro
truded restlessly. Little brothe
has nothing to eat, except the few tor
t!llas the poor around here could give
and many of these go hungry from III
SUMS coming up until the suns goin
down."
Constance sent her servant and Re
sita TO the plaza fol some cooked fooC
and, while she waited she talked /
the doorways with Pepita and Lola an
Juana. They told her how Rosit