The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1900-04-05


| ly pushed him into the streets, with
| injunctions that he enjoy himself with
| his companions. Had the torero been
suspicious man he might have
thought Dcna Antonia was engaged
in secret pursuits of which she wished
| him to know nothing. Not being sns.
| picious, however, he fastened to obey
her commands and have joyous time.
| As a matter of fact, there was moth
| ing evil in the actions of Dona Antonia.
once left alone, save that one might
have accused her of foolshly pamper-
ing and overfeeding debilitated black
chicken, which she had housed in the
charcoal box and fed thrice daily on
black Zapotes and tortillas made from
| dark meal. But no one--Carlos least of
| all--ever saw the chicken. whose life
endured for Il brief span only, and
therefore no one unjustly condemned
her.
Now. in the great tenement house
just across the street. this same
chicken -pampering process was secret
ly being gone through with by pretty
Panchita. save that her fowl was fed
solely on white zapotes and light-col-
ored tortilas. As In the case Of Dona
Artonia's chicken. which fourished
and day by day waxed fatter and fatter,
her white chicken also throve and grew
plump until, by the end of the fourth
day, you would not have recognized
either of these charmed chickens"
On the evening of the fourth day,
Dona Antonia arrayed herself in her
best purple skirt and black lace man.
tiila, with the announcement to the
dumfounded Carlos that she was going
to the house of Panchita for the pur-
pose of asking her and her mother TO
eat the midday meal with them the
next day, since it would be fiesta and
Panchita accordingly at leisure.
For many months it had been the
custom of good-hearted Dona Antonia
TO invite Panchita and her blind old
mother to her own savory feast-day
dinners. In view of last weeks quar-
REL however, Panchita's mother was
even now tearfully lamenting that
their dinner would have to be of tor
tillas and beans. So that, driven to it
by her mothers tears and her own
urgent desire to break bread with Dona
Antonia. Panchita Was about 10 staf1,
on mission of peace, when that per-
son herself appeared, with jovial ex-
pressions of sorrow that any misun-
derstandings had arisen between the
two families, and her desire that her
two good friends should join her next
day for the usual fiesta meal OF YER
ity they must come. Carlos had prom
ised to go with some companions to the
Naucalpam bull-fght, wherefore she
would be all alone and sad,if they did
not come to eat with her.
Peace was restored in full. and soon
Dona Antonia hustled home to prepare
for the next days feast. Poor Carlos
was hustled incontinently out of the
house, while Dona Antonia, doors and
windows carefully shut and locked, pro-
ceeded to Fill and boil the black chick
en-, first carefully burying its feathers
remains of that charmed chicken sim
mered away in tiny ola. The result
ant broth was carefully objected next
morning by Dona Antonia. and, with
the black fluid from the little bottle of
Madre Maria. was mixed into a very
savory soup, favored with sherry, and
garnished with aguacotes-of which
there was only one plateful. Not that
any of the trio had to do without soup,
however-far from it. Soup of the very
best also made of chicken, with sherry
and tiny bits of garlic favoring it. was
to be served to herself and Panchita's
blind mother.
The dinner was great success, de-
spite the fact that only three women
were present, and that the hostess was
called away from the table at least four
times to speak to customers out in the
shop. The first of these calls gave Pan
chita her opportunity, for Panchita
also had killed a chicken the previous
night, and in a small bottle, carried in
her pocket, was the boied-down result
thereof. The door between the dining
room and the shop had been carefully
closed by Dona Antonia, SO tha her
guests might not be molested by noises
from Without-never was there a bet
ter chance. In two seconds Panchita
had uncorkcd her bottle and emptied
its contents hastily into Dona Anto-
Mas soup. Then, conccaling the bot
tie she was unconcernedly swallowing
her soup when Dona Antonia returned
to the table. Neither of the two women
for n moment suspected that they were
partaking Of charmed soup. made in
identically the same manner, from the
charmed chickens of Madre Maria, and
warranted to kill the love of any man,
woman or chi!a on the terrestrial
globe.
That very same night, reaching home
late and in a somewhat intoxicated con-
dition, poor Carlos tasted the first
fruits of the charm. For, in spite Of
all Establishments and words that
should have melted the heart of even a
stone image, Dona Antonia fell upon
the luckless torero and. with abuse OF
the strongest, literally smote him hip
and thigh, after which she cast him
- . A