The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-08-31

paved With CDDJ4tSlOutS, anu, save LOT a
few wistful handfuls of grass that grow
there in the rainy season. it is very bare.
1t is a tiny public square in the center of
Cuernavaca, surrounded on two sides by
the adobe walls of pink, blue and yellow
dwellings,, on the other two by the howery
gardens of the Plaza of the Constitution.
Pacheco's one-legged statue stands near.
leaning on its crutches of bronze.
The pink house is nearest. There, on a
rainy, gusty day. somebody was dying.
The room was full of many colored things
Of a cheap sort, such as the print of Mary
Magdalene over the bed. The bed was a
narrow cot. The moribund lady was ex-
ceedingly old.
Having got rid of the priest, she sat up
with unexpected vigor and gazed about.
The rain was dripping through the tiles.
Nobody was left in the room but her son.
Tomas, and his wife, Julia. They be-
held, shrieked in terror at this rising of
the dead and fell down by the cot crying
out: "Motherl o Dios!"
Take it cool, you sillies,'' said the fat,
perishing one, scolding and gasping. I'm
not a ghost, Lord save you. Nor am 1
going to disappoint anybody. I'll die at
10 sharp or know the reason why. I'm too
old a bird by ten years. But there is a
weight on me, and l must have it off,"
Lie down." groaned Tomas, his hair
standing on end.
"Oh, lie DOWN. walled Julia.
I've got to lie long enough later on
joked the old lady grimly. Now listenr'
She clutched Tomas by the shoulder
and dragged him nearer. Julia crawled
to the foot of the bed and lay there gaping.
Julia was one of those lower middle-class
Mexicans who are almost incredibly beau
tiful and without any distinct Spanish or
Moorish characteristics.
Now listen fast" said the husky old
one, still with a sort of grim humor. "or
you'll not keep up. You know the bare
space in front Of the house? 1t looks inno-
cent. Fifty years ago a building stood
there. The middle of that space was the
middle of a patio and walls surrounded it.
Well, there came a foreigner. Lord knows
whether he was French or Hindoo or Chi
nese or Irish. 1 take no stock in any of your
foreign trash. Anyhow, some fool war or
other was just finished, and this fellow was
called a deserter from the trashy foreign
army, whatever it was. He was big and
bony, with a dropping mustache. He was
secretive, and bought the house that stood
there where the bare place is. There he
lived alone for ten years. And whenever
there was a holiday, or the visit of a gen.
eral, he shut himself up. Once l climbed
the aguacate tree and looked over, and he
was digging in the patio. He looked thin.
After that L heard him, from my palio,
digging. Then at night 1 saw the haze of
his lamplight shine up over the wall. So
| climbed up again at night, and sat there
an hour in the rain. looking down on him.
Now, listen. This is what 1 saw
She was still clawing Tomas to make
him come closer.
u saw him take up two boxes. l saw
him hold the lamp over them, and the
stun that glittered in them was money.
He buried them and pounded down the
dirt, and put the stones on top. Two days
after that he died. We went in with the
officers who found him. He was lying on
the floor with "A newspaper in some trashy
foreisn language IN his hand. Some
thought he killed himself. They found no
money. nor name. There was no heir to
the house, so the government tore it down
and made a public square out of the
ground. and so it Is to this day. | never
told about the boxes. Mind YOU" she
pointed a fat, admonishing finger at Julia.
wherever there is money buried there are
devils. Bad luck and death comes TO him
tAAdN 0Ao0. D1NAANE. Il SOiilt Trashy lOI-
eign money. which can't be passed in Cuer-
navaca. Every year thought l might
dig. But the place is SO public-besides,
the devils
She paused, and, though painting hard,
seemed TO dream long and absorbedly. At
length she sighed and looked at the clock.
Nigh 1O-heigh-hol" She lay down.
They say Il Mexican can't keep an APP
pointnent- / am five minutes ahead of
time. and the saints can hurry for once
c~huckling. Goodbye, Tomas; don't forget
that j had the milk hanging in the foun-
tain. Itll sour by night"
With this the odd old person passed
away.
After a week, during which the life of
Tomas and the beautiful Julia established
itself on a motherless footing. they began
to whisper TO each other about the money
buried in the square.
Julia said he, lying at dusk with his
head in her lap, do you believe it?'
She tickeld his chin; propped open his
eyes and twisted his lip; then kissed him
all over the face with cOmical fury.
Il do!' she cried. Your mother was
the most practical women in the world,
Tomas, and never liedi'
Julia. how could we dig down and see?''
Il don't know-without the whole town
standing around and hooting at us. Oh
OH" she gurgled, I'm an ecstasy of magma
u believe it is some old Aztec treasure. .
said Tomas. land the man who buried II
was an Indian of a tribe unknown to my
mother. Aztec gold has been dug up be-
fore-thousands OF dollars Of it,"
she tWlSteu MS mar I'LL ne trleu out
and Rugged him convulsively, and said:
You must devise a PLAN l will will
Dig
you don't believe IL, about deVils?'
II can charm the devils-is it not so2-
little sweet TOmasitO-can she charm the
diablito?" She was kissing his lips anc
talking endearing baby talk To the bis
raw-toned man.
"she cam swore he. Let us plan! But
And Tor two whole weeks they mopec
about. repeating. But how-but how?'
staring at the bare open space which al
The town went trooping over. Tomas
worked no more. Julia scarcely cooked. So
that they were unconsciOusly hungry anC
thin-loOking. They grew melancholy dur
ing that fortnight looking out of the win
dow at the cobblcstOncs.
one dav at dinner, when neither hat
spoken for an hour, Tomas suddenly hi
his plate with his fist.
~ have it," cried he.
she sprang up dancing; leaped TO him
uttering a flood of incohcrcnt questions.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. choke me
gr-r-r-ri" gasped he. with beans In hi
mouth. ''rhc mcrrN-gO-round!'
She sat down with a sudden gloom,
thump, and gazcd at her coughing lord.
''Tomasi what rude, unkind joke have
you played on your little Julia-oh
Tomas
mo Joke! l say the little horses,"
Merry-go-rounds are called little
horses In Mexico. lie was now arising In
excitement.
sRut-hut." she murmurcd. sitting there
a beautiful picture disconsolate. how IN
The world can we do II with them?"
''Dfdp't Romero tell you ne was losin,