Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1901-09-26

| together with an concert
every day. Knowing that we are alb
jectly unworthy of the commentator of
so enlightened a city, we have yet ven-
tured, with humility, to bring forward our
poor abilities. Viva Mexico!"
Within that circular platform of
horses was a smaller circle of canvas
wall, surrounding and hiding the CEN
trail pole and a space three yards in
diameter round it. This was the Gus
tomary private chamber-forbidden
city-of the owner of the caballitos.
To the ragged boys it vas the retreat
Oh a god. Thereto strobe Tomas, and,
casually, big iron tools were taken in
also n concealed.
At four O'Clock, out from her home.
steps Julia, arrayed in sky-blue, with
her hair waving nobly and her eyes
like mountain lakes. She takes her
seat in a chair on the movable plat
form, between two pairs of open
mouthed little horses. She carries a
guitar in her hand. With that sweet,
calm, mild, reliable repose, which is
the exclusive property of the Mexican
woman of a certain class, she sells
little green tickets at three cents
apiece to the ~clamoring boys. True,
her calm permits some small scamps
to steal rides for nothing, but that
is neither here nor there.
"Tomas-ah, where is Tomas?" ask
many.
Taking his chocolate" replies she,
sweetly.
The whistle shrieks, the engine gives
a puff, and the horses do truly prance,
! SDlooI o1 .n ,o,,,l 49, -or ---+
ing after the pair in front, and they
in turn snorting after those before
them, till finally even the first snort
ers are snorted after, and the battered
circuit is completed.
Julia up-takes her guitar in a fair
hand, and. remaining seated on the
circular platform with that mild, re-
liable repose, goes round and round,
forever snorted after by incredible
, rings of those animals. And as she
goes h touches her guitar with light
fingers, and casts up the mountain
lakes to the canvas of the ten and
sings. Her song is sweet and ringing,
clear and full of pathos. Her con-
slant change of place causes the
music to have hat ~wavering. sinking,
GIA AS1AA uiA@OA Tall d11llA 81 pIILOd
by certain lovers of the art, To be
one yonder, and the mex
here, makes the voice of Julia like
that of the night wind, which swells
and ~retires with varying gusts and
fills the soul with sadness. The words
she sang were like these:
"Ahi that sweet. fair sonora,
She lived beside the spring,
There stands a blue cross over her
And the breeze goes ~murmuring:
All. sweet, sweet, fair Senorar"
1t may be mentioned. as a general
truth, that there is always something
exceedingly melancholy about a mer-
ry-go-round in Mexico. 1t is not
known why; ones philosophy stag
gers before this truth. But. alas! a
merry-go-round in Mexico is exceed
ingly melancholy.
The movement ceases; other tickets
are sold; other circuits are made, and
the sonora is still mentioned as nav
ing lived beside the spring. The shades
of night come on and torches are lit.
"And Tomas-why, where is he?"
asked many still.
Taking his chocolate" says Julia,
sweetly.
Faith, he takes much and long"
Isl, senior; Tomas was always very
fond of chocolate"
Midnight at last arrives. The crowds
have gone away. Julia, something
of eagerness affecting her repose de-
scends with guitar in hand. and runs
with swift feet into her home, hair
flying. The torches are out. The
engine is settling down grumblingly
to slumber. The engineer has gone.
The s~tone-paved space is deserted.
h sits in her room, staring at the
door, waiting. The door bursts open;
she springs forward with a cry, to
fall upon Tomas, who comes in with
a burden. He is toil-worn, earth
stained, with blistered hands. He
locks the door and they sink down
on the floor beside his burden.
There are two iron boxes, each
about eight inches square, and locked
with padlocks. She tears at them
with her fair hands and falls palpitat-
ing on Tomas's breast. He takes a
crow-bar, pushes her aside, and
smashes the locks; and it is Julia's
white fingers that throw the lids
back.
The lamp-light shows some silver
and gold in little heaps, but not cry
much. 1t shows some packages
wrapped in cloth. The silver and gold
coins were hurriedly piled on the
floor. The packages are torn open.
They reveal bankbills and a letter.
Tomas and his wife stare stupidity at
one another. and at the money. They
finger it. The coins and the bills are
unlike Mexican coins and bills. They
do not know what kind they re-, or
their value. But there are eagles OH
some of them, which, at least, is like
Mexico. and cheering.
Read the letter." she cries, curl
ing up with commissions of emotion il
his lap.
1t was as follows, in bad Spanish:
"~Cuernavaca June 9. 1857.
"Thi is a confession to be read by him
who fnds this money. I was born in
Iy all my life in Texas. I Joined Gen.
Taylor's army for the war with Mexico
in '46. 1 was in the battles of Buens
Vista and Chapultepec. I was captain of
a company in the Twelfth regiment. My
colonel was a beast and treated me be-
yond the endurance of man. The regi-
ment disliked RE and made my life mis-
cradle. They stole my money. After &
while I was made crazy. SO stung was I.
l came to hate the name of Americans.
nv nPOn1e though they are Then came 2