The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1900-05-09


her white chicken also throyc and grew
plump until, by the end of the fourth
day, you would not have recognized ei-
ther or these charmed chickens"
On the evening Of this same fourth
day Dona AntonIa arrayed herself in
her best purple skirt and black lace
mantilla, with the announcement to
Gumfounded 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 1t would be fiesta and
Panchita accordingly at leisure.
For many months 1t 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 tearfulIy lamenting that
their dinner would have to be OF tor
tillas and beans; SO that, driven to 1t
by her mothers tears and her own ur-
gent desire to break bread with Dona
Antonia, Panchita was about to start
on mission of peace when that per-
son herself appeared with jovial cx-
pressions of sorrow that any misunder-
standing had arisen between the two
families crd her desire that her two
good frienus should join her next day
for the usual fiesta meal. OF a verify
they must come. Carlos had promised
to so with some companions to the
Naucalpam bullight, wherefore she
would be nll 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 DOnn Antoniu, doors and
windows carefully shut and locked
proceeded to kill and boil the black
chicken, first carefully buryng its
feathers and bones. All that night the
mortal remains of the charmed chick
en- simmered away in tiny olla. The
resultant broth was carefully collected
ne:. morning by Dona Antonia and,
with the black fluid from the little bot
tie Of Madre Maria, was mixed into q
very savory soup favored with sherry
and garntshed with aguacotes, of which
there was only one plateful; not that
any one Of the trio had to do without
soup. however; far from 1t. Soup Of
the very best, also made of chicken,
with sherry and tiny bits Of garlic fla
voring it, was to be served to herself
and Panchita's blind mother.
The dinner was n great success, de-
spite the fact that only the three wom-
en- 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 one Of these calls
gave Panchita her opportunity, for
Panchita also had killed q chicken ttct
previous night, and In q small bottle
carried in her pocket was the boiled
down result thereof. The door between
the dining room and the shop had been
carefully closed by Dona Antonia, so
that her guests might not be molested
by noises from without. Never was
there better chance. In two seconds
Panchita had uncorked her bottle and
emptied Its contents hastily into Dona
AntOnia's soup. Then, concealIng the
bottle, she was unconcernedly swal-
lowing her own soup when Dona An
tOnia returned to the table. Neither Of
the t|0 wo;nen fur moment suspect
ed that she was partaking Of charm
ed 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 child on
the terrestrial globe.
Now. few of ;is place ovcrmuch ere
dence In signs, tokens and, least Of all,
charms. For which reason am loath
to tell you the final result of the
charms SO ingeniously and 'unsuspect-
ingly exchanged between these two
jealous women. Still, If you are in
1t is not my fault.
That very same night, reaching home
late and In q somewhat intoxicated
condition, 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 forth
into the outer darkness of the Street Of
the Little White Fish, cruelty boiting
the door Ia Ills face ana announcing
that she had now washed her hands Of
him and his shiftless comrades.
This from the woman who had ador-
ed him during three long years; this
from the woman who had that very
morning given him all her available
money and cntreated him to come home
carly! Poor Carlos! For, even though
he returned several times to tearfuliy
beg for mercy, there were shown him
only freezing contempt and collness.
with at last the announcement that his
next call would be watched by the
gendnrme at tile corner, for which
reason he had best keep away for good
and all from the shop of Dom Antonia.
Being, as 1t were, off with the old
Iove, the hapless torero bethought him
self of new. WINS there not pretty |
Panchita, for whom he had always
q fondness? Doubtless
even yet she was fretting her heart out
over him and his neglect. He would
go to her and console her.
How Panchita received him deponcnt
sayeth not, Of how she sped him on his |
departure admiring neighbors In the