The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1900-01-26
Observation-Disclosures
! A PHILIPPINE ROMANCE I:
, The Brown Woman at Jaro Who :
, Married Soldier.

1hlNAIE OEV ENOfO1, OF COn-
pany Y. 'Steenth United States in
fantry, sat in carved mahogany
rocker beneath the portico Of the COM
pany quarters at Jaro, in the island
of Panay, and honed his razor. His
eyes blinked, dazzled by the glaring
sunlight, when now and again he
paused in his task to stare across the
plaza. The prospect, as viewed by
Sevenspot, was not pleasing, and he
kept up running mutter of criti-
cism.
"Just luck ut tn sun-baked coun-
thry, will yez," said he, gesticulating
with the razor. "Av tn town were q
mess of Philadelphia scrapple it
could not be done browner. Luck at
tn wades an brush in thot desert av
a plaza. An luck at tn toy min, av
yes call thin min. I call thin brown
rats. 'Tis waste av good gunpowder
to shoot at; th' loikes av thin. Shure,
we should be arrumed with pop-guns.
Faughl"
And with caseor-oil countenance,
Sevenspot spat upon the ground.
A little brown woman-she was q
woman, although she weighed no
more than the average American
schoolgirl Of 12-shufled barefooted
down the street. To unaccustomed
American eyes she was mere Carl
cature on womankind. A couple of
yards Of bright-red calico were gath
cred tightly about her wRist and
reached to her knees. The makeshift
garment was wound snugly about her,
outlining every curve and showing the
motion of every muscle as she moved.
Her brown legs and feet were bare.
A white shirt waist was caught over
one shoulder and had slipped of the
other, exposing barred neck. A
white towel with bright red edging
served as q sunbonnet. She walked
or shuffled with knees far advanced
SO that she seemed in danger of fall
ing backward. AS she shufled along
she puffed huge cigar, that in color,
| length and circumference matched her
naked forearm. And the lips that
poised the cigar were stained bright
| red and green from chewing betel
nuts and leaves. But Margarita was
u shapely little dab Of femininity. Her
face was saucy and fascinatingly i'm
pudent. Her eyes were alluring. And
she chartered pigeon-English viva
ciously, with graceful little gestures
of babyish brown hands and pretty
puckerings of betel-stained lips.
And the poise and movement of her
| little head was birdlike.
'Now, luck at thoti" exclaimed
Sevenspot, indicating Margarita with
J another wave of his razor. "Just tell
| me phwat does Big Bill want av q
brown-skinned pocket-pace loike thot.
| Shure, av she wanst got lost in tn
tall grass av tn plaza there, Bill
| couldn't foind hur with tiliscope.
| Az he'd dab her well with -four an
carry hur under his arrum. he'd re-
simble wan av thin Eyetalians phwat
! peddle little statooaries in New York.
! Think av a six-futter loike Blu snayk.
in off an violatin' rigilashLps by
marryin' little brown imp NAv a
woman no bigger than cheeno cigar
lilo. Faugh!" And again Sevenspot
spat upon the ground-his counte-
nance expressive Of castor oil and qi-
nine.
Along the southern boundary OF
Jaro there ran stream, during the
rainy season river. during the dry
season a rivulet. Along the southern
bank of the stream there was naF.
row strip of scattered woodland. he.
yond that three-mile strip Of roll
ing prairie, and then ridge sur
mounis.d by another bit of timber