The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-05-05

he was talking about.
Jaggers, ignorant of The country, agreed
to pay ten times the regular wages
Tor she, through an interpreter, requested
this sum meekly. 1t thereafter supported
Trinidad, twelve children, two husbands,
some very old ladies next door, an ice
cream freezer of her eldest son, ana
three inharmonious pigs who dwelt in her
house with the family. Besides, all
save the swine had funds wherewith to
disport themselves on Sundays.
J&ggers trotted spasmodicalIy about;
hltcned at his trousers; let his brain go
Whirling along, scheming with almost
audible fury; studied Spanish, tabbing
at it and cursing it, inquired all about
sweet potatoes; and got the vat under
way. f"s
After three months, during which the
vat was always going to be done next
week, there came the days of the fiesta
at san Anton. San Anton is the Indian
village just across the gorge where thew
make the water bottles Here, for three
day In February, lis hilarity, like a
country fair, but eccentric. The first
day, Jaggers arose to find no breakfast.
He tore about hotly. Trinidad came in.
her mouth dropping salt tears on her
leathery cheek grief in her slow and
solemn tread. 7-..sq
What in the deuce is the matter nov? ."
Senor,' she began and sobbed. and
leaned against the wall.
Just here her eldest daughter Marce-
lima, entered 1t seemed to Jaggers she
was uncommonly beautiful. Her black
hair hung, washed all down her back.
She was slender, plant, willowy, always
bending her body like a snake Her face
delicate. Her big eyes were insinuating.
She could smile like a soubrette She
nd Cd
sinuous gestures Of despair, continuously,
with her rubbery hands. They exploded
together hanging on each others necks,
with floods of tears, Trinidad Wallowing
her face in Marcelina's hair, and Theo-
philus, stupefed, with his hands in his
pockets, standing there looking on, with
his corded visage expressing pain
Jaw, come out! What it is?" rasped
he
'Senor. pardon me this request" sobbed
Trinidad, with circumlocution, while Mar
celina broke away. gurgling, 'fbut Prov
idence has willed that sorrow fall upon
u.s..
Jaggers suddenly began to hop UP and
down, shaking his fist at her Don't
you say it! It's lie! Don't you dare!'
cried he, still in English.
81 beg but three days to weep and pa
city my soul, senor,'' raising appealing
eyes to him; my grandmother, alas! IS
dead.'
Jaggers' Spanish had progressed even
farther than this. He understood He
pranced, lion-like. He shook a fist at
each weeper. He Denounced, threatened,
raved He bethought himself to use
some Castilian, and told Trinidad, fatty,
she lied and couldn't go. There were
sweet-potatoes spread all over the brick
floor drying in anticipation of that lin
gering vat, and! in his fury, he trod on
many and mashed them.
What" sobbed Trinidad, you will not
believe me. Oh, my poor, old grand
mother!" ve7
"Why, you haven't any grandmother"
fumed Jaggers, 61:yoH' re too DID,
II had two" spoke she, meek and pitt
full. = 4e
"Then go onr' he cried, sweeping them
away, with a wild gesture. I'm come
and see, that's what I'll do. AS soon as
the man comes withomy vat, I'll go and
see if your old grandmother dead You
can't trick me-" Then, resuming his Eng
lish: THAT blasted old fool, with my
| Vat!'
They went out, like wailing spirits.
| dresses trailing, eyes fluent.
The man came, after an hour or So
| during which Jaggers, rampant, barated
the republic-and said that the vat would
be done next week. So Jaggers, MASKING
more sweet-potatoes, went forth with his
| monstrous key, a foot long, sticking up
| out oc his hip-pocket halfway to his
| bullet-like head.
Meanwhile, there had been frantic pre-
| paratiCn In the hut Of Trinidad. That
| tenfold salary was not 20 be lightly
! thrown away The women had looked at
one another aghast. But there are still