The Van Buren press., 1900-04-07
Madre Maria's Magic
BY G.. @. Terry.
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nN the very corner OF Gale de los
Pescaditos Blancos (street Of the
Little White Fish,, just where 1t juts
into the little Plaza de San Pablo, Is
the shop of Dona Antonia 1t is a
clean, tidy little place, and in 1T you
can buy the best cigarettes 10 be
found in all Mexico, and you can be
served at ali hours of the day with
thick Spanish chocolate, hot and
pnsty-for Dona Antona Is Spanish,
and therefore knows how to make de-
licious chocolate-also, you can buy
there pins, needles, lottery tickets,
native Mexican sugar in tall brown
cones, macaron fresh from Italy,
sardines, olives, Spanish wine and
many other things, for, while the
shop is a small one, 1t contains what
the proprietor proudly calls IAN as
sort of the most complete and fin
ished."
Dona Antonia herself waits on her
varied customers. All Of the common
folk in that part of the city patronize
her, and so she is kept very busy, with
hardly time enough to attend to her
yellow-headed parrot, or to keep the
"mariposa" light burning under the
picture OF Ia Virgen which hangs on
the wall.
Things were different when Car
los the torero was there-good-look-
ing, staggering Carlos in his gaudy
bullfghter's shirt and tight trousers,
with his pig-tailed head surmounted
by the fiat torero hat--but Carlos has
most cruelty been banished. Not that
he ever did any work in the shop, the
gods OF bulfghters Forbid But he
at least was always willing to lounge
In the door or against the counter,
thereby soaring away robbers, and
even on some occasions so far unbent
his dignity as to serve the chocolate
TO customers of his own fraternity,
while Dona Antonin beamed from
afar. For she worshiped Carlos with
the alteration that only fat and
homcly woman Of 40 can feel for
young and handsome man.
Ever since bulIhghting had gone
out in Mexico, three years before, she
hnd waited on Carlos, hand and foot,
giving him cheerfully and lovingly
from her savings, and working doubly
hard in order that he might appear
gorgeous on feast days and Sundays,
His clothes were Of the best that
money could buy; his pointed Meyi-
can shoes were of the finest yellow
leather: his vivid scarlet neckties
none of the bullhghters who lolled on
San Francisco street or in front OF the
Cantlna del Tio Pepe smoked such
long, fine, black cigars as did Carlos,
and none Of them could boast the sil.
YER and copper coins which always
jingled In the pockets Of his braided
torero jacket, In short, Carlos was
IN the greatest OF luck, the very high
est Of clover, and did not realize his
blessings until IL was too late, For
oil this magnhcence and luxury was
taken away from him. through his
own fault, and that of panchita,
Not that Carlos cared for pretty, CO.
qucttlsh panchltn; not n bit OF II!
Carlos loved no one but his own lazy,
cood.looking self, and nothing but
his own ease and comfort. For Dona
Antonia. who furnished him with the
good things of life which he so much
cared for and appreciated, he had u
kindly, fraternal regard; being, more
over. aware Of the furious temper
which urkcd beneath Dona Antonia's
good.naturcd exterior, he had always
been careful TO avoid entunglemenis
with younger aud hOnds,mer women,
or. at least, TO keep such affairs from
her sharp and very suspicious ears.
In the case Of Panchita, however,
Il was n difficult matter, for she was
either too careless or too much In
love TO dssemblc, She could not or
would not refrain from casting CO.
quettish glnnces at the bull0ghter,
even when Donn Antonln was by, and
finally even took TO purchasing her
thread and needles and other supplies
from Dona Antonio's shop, refusing
there 20 pe served by anyone but Car.
los himself,
Naturally this state OF affairs could
not last for long, and things came to
crisis one day when Dona Antonie
overheard pnnchlta addressing some
coquettlsh remarks 10 the torero, and
moreover, caught him In the very net
Of kissing her pretty though needle.
worn hands. After which there was
scene, and very nearly battle, MUIR
der and sudden death Dona Antonin
being very powerful woman, and
moreover, greatly infuriated, scrupled
not to fall upon the luckless couple
tooth and nail Carlos managed 10
escape with his life and blackened
eye, while panchita, at the end Of the
fruy. was minus one tooth and what
pesmsd at nrst sight to be fully half