The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1901-06-06

confident that a giggle came forth
from the door of a house he passed
He wheeled thither, like a rabbit, hall
scared. He saw q girls skirt whisk.
ing away, and there was no more
/ giggle. Red and hot he came to his
home in a mood Of mingled regret,
doubt and perplexity. Why those
chickering's? Could it be, after all
some deception? Was it possible
that he hadn't quite mastered the
grandmother trick?
He pondered over this, lingering the
iron key in his hip pocket. Suddenly
his American vim came back. He'd
see the thing through, blast it! He
turned and retraced his steps, willy.
Up the street of the date-palm he
came painting. At q corner near
Trinidad's hut he hid, or thought he
hid. He sat down on a rock, round
the angle, to see if they came march
ing by with their grandmother. The
sun vas exceedingly hot, and he
looked broiling, sitting there with
his naturally agonized co%untenance
facing the street of the date-palm.
He was a magnificent monument of
pain; but he would see the thing
through.
Two of Trinidad's sons-large, over
grown boys in white cotton and san
dals-suddenly came running across
his view toward the house of MOURN
ing. They had evidently been out on
an errand since Jaggers left. They
were Juggling, with good speed, four
large jute sacks full of something
which seemed like bottles. A little
silver change chinked in the hand of
one. and he didn't seem sad. Jaggers
pricked up his ears. They also
pricked up their ears, stared at him,
and dashed on in a delirium, the con-
tents of the bags rafting. A little
later the renewed wailing in the
house Of mourning could be heard by
Theophilus. He broiled on.
AT noon the whistle of the distant
new white brewery (Which brews the
beer called "Porfirio Diaz') shrilly
proclaimed the hour, and the ponder
Gus bells of Corte's cathedral tolled
forth a like information. Just then,
about three of those same cruel.
smeared heads peered round the cor
ner stealthily at Jaggers. With 4
great hustling, those youngsters then
tore back, probably as a kind of an.
nouncement.
Now, it must be remembered that
the wages which Jaggers paid were
very large, worthy of continuous cul.
tivation.
Out of the house of mourning came
the cortege. -Four brawny grandsons
bore the coffin high on their shoul.
ders. 1t was plainly heavy, and the
lid was nailed down. Trailing on be.
hind came Trinidad and Marcelina.
twined round one another, wailing;
the seven other children, down to the
t%iniest, fat, solemn toddler, with
nothing on but a shirt; the aged WON.
an; the coffin-maker, ~benevolently
smiling; and many neighbors, ali
more or less joyous in appearance
The three inharmonious pigs were
seen to appear disconsolate for a
moment at the door. Among the
neighbor women was one all mufacd
up, so that only sepulchral eyes
peered forth. She took the death Of
this grandmother hard. And as they
passed the corner, Jaggers, seated on
his rock, broiled on.
After a moment he arose and fol
lowed. They had told him that serv-
ants were tricky. He'd see it through.
So he pursued the cortege for two
weary miles. The whole length OF
Cuernavaca they went. Some of the
mourners now and then turned and
appraised their fellows that Theo.
philus was pursuing still.
Out of the town. down the zigzag
descent into the canyon, up the wind.
ing zigzag ascent to the opposite
summit, went the procession. But
Jaggers paused on the hither heights
There wasn't any use going any fur.
ther. He could see across to the
place where the great gate of tho
cemetery rose up. He sat down on
the precipice's edge and watched the
cortege go climbing. Yes, sure
enough, they entered the walled
graveyard; the gate closed after
them. Jaggers, subdued, strobe home
in murky ~reverie.
A scout at the cemetery gate saw
him go. On through the city of the
dead plunged the cortege, now with
rude haste. Hilarious grew tho
mourning. Through a zeal gate they
made the joyous exit. Running
laughing, dancing along aG narrow
path which, hidden from Cuernavaca
leads to San Anton, rollicked the FIJI
neral, coffin, and all. That caskeI
ratified like bottles. The old woman
who had stalked on, mufHed, core the
cloth from her head, revealed herself
the cof1in-maker's great aunt, tho
whilom corpse, and rapturously cried
"Whoopee!"
In San Anton the festival was Al
its height. Crowds sported and gam
bled, watched the bull fight, bought
granaditas, sent up balloons, ant
drank, and drank! Amid unseemly
merriment the coffin was torn open
Dozens of bottles of the cheapes1
brand Of Porfrio Diaz beer cam
gurgling out. The eldest sons ice
cream freezer, ice and favorings were
dumped upon Che ground. Trinidad
and the rubbery Marcelina, twinet
about each other, leaned against
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