Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1900-07-25


and wailing Panchita. while the equal
~ waiiing DOna Antonia barred her
shop door I'm the very face OF gaping
customers and locked the kitchen door
upon herself. No: not even that grace
less Carlos should enter IL. as was al
ways his custom. he came home peni-
tent and entreating at supper time.
For once Carlos should be severely
handled and taught sense and decent
behavior.
That was ut S O'clock. At 8 Carlos
had not yet returned; at 10 there was
still no sign OF him. and Dona Antonia
was beginning 10 grow very uneasy.
something must have happened, for,
no matter what was wrong. he ALWAYS
came for his meals. At IL he was still
missing; so at II the poor woman put
on her tapalO and went forth I'm search
of the delinquent.
At the Cantina del Tio Pepe she
found him weeping bitterly In the
midst of sympathetic comrades. who
reproached the Indy for her cruel treat
ment Of poor Carlos. Truly she had
not seen what every one else well knew
that Carlos loved no one but her.
"All the world" knew that the shame
less Panchita pursued him with her
coquetries. Fic upon Dona Antona to
80 i'll treat poor. faithful Carlos. who
had been driven To drink and threat
ened suicide through her hardness OF
heart
Two comrades carried homeward the
incapacitatcd Carlos. with Dona An
al
them and sundry other toreros wlnking
and chuckliug in turn behind her back.
For. while i'm luck. Carlos was as gen
erouS torero as ever lived. and 1t
would not do. for their own sakes. to
have Dona Antouia cut Off his supplies.
And So. rs the cortege wcnded it's way
toward the little shop of Dona Antonia,
one shameless bullighter after anoth-
cr poured into her ear tales OF poor
Carlos persecution at the hands of
Panchita. Well knew the Virgin. they
declared Solemnly. that Carlos cared
FOR no woman but his own adOrcd An
tonia. Had ne not sworn il to them
many time and oft? And was IL his
fault If infatuated girls would make
unwanted love ~ himr
\othiuy is easier To deceive than a
woman who wishes to Ice deceived,
and DOna Antonia believed devoutly
every word OF the waggish toreros.
Carlos was put tendcrly to bed. the
hullhghtcrs Toasted gayly on white
bread. sardineS. garlic and Spanish
wine. while Dona Antonia, with con-
trite face ana redeemed eyes. beamed
upon them from the door OF Carlos
room. They had opened her eyes TO
the real character of that disgraceful
Ianchita. whom she had credited time
and again ON her thread and needles
and wool. How foolish woman she
had been not to realize before the de-
votion OF Carlos and the evil behavior
OF panchita,
Before the noisy departure of the
torcros DOna AntOnia's plans for venge-
ance had been completed. When she
went 10 sleep that night. she said sew
eral padre nueStros before the image
Of la Nirgen and promised to burn long
and costly candles before her picture
every day of the year if certain pray
ers were granted. And then. wisely
believing that God Cand also the Virginl
helps those who help themselves, the
willy shopkecper made her plans for an
early visit next morning to old Madre
Maria the witch, who would tell her.
for consideration, what she should do
with that gracelcSS Panchita.
Madre Maria lived in Il small, dark,
smelly tenement far out Here Dona
Antonia found her at dawn. and into
the sympathetic ear OF the shriveled
old woman she unfolded her tale Of
woe. while Madre Maria smoked away
steadily at her cigar stub. nOdding her
white head nj intervals as she listened
Good. Then what the nina wanted
was a cosita-a small charm, that is to
say for the shameless Panchita? Some
thing not dangerous, the nina under
stood-mercly little thing that would,
after taking it. cause her to lose any
love for Don Carlos. Ale, but Ii would
be easy, And only matter of five
days at that. III the nina would listen,
paying 10 her pobre madre first the
small number of reales. she would
tell her what 10 do.
Half an hour later, with a wee bottle
of black fluid in her pocket and thin,
black chicken muflied up in her reboso,
Street of the Little White Fish. Joy
and hope once more shone in her eyes
and beamed from her fat, red face,
even though the advice and charm OF
Madre Maria had cost her $50.
Most asSuredly it was old Maria S
day" Hardly was the broad back OF
Done Antonia turned than another eli
ent appeared upon the scene. also be-
speaking advice and mild charm that
would destroy the love of n rival wom-
an. In the same manner did Madre
Maria advise the second applicant-nO
less person than Panchita-selling
/ her, in turn, some white fluid and an
attenuated white chicken, the mate OF
the black one sold to Dona Antonia.
"Of truth did the chicken come some
what high" the old witch had stated
to each applicant. but figure to your
self. nina mia. that it is a charmed
one wherein great power lies, and IL
has moreover. eaten for weeks only
charmed food given it by the hand of
your Madre Maria" As n fact, both
chickens had been stolen by menda-