The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-10-17

Now and then a stalwart American
soldier. visiting the church, would ap-
proach and pass a friendly greeting in
his broken Spanish. Pedro would re-
ply courteously and proffer cigarettes,
although he secretly resented their in
trusion, especially when one Of these
visitors removed his hat to the wooden
lady with mock politeness, and another
addressed her jocularly in her own
tongue. It was not seemly, he thought,
that these heretics and outlanderS
should bask in the light of the wooden
lady's smil Moreover, these rude
Americanos had been discourteous
enough to drive the Fifteenth GAIA
dores from a line Of earthworks that
had been constructed with much hard
labor, and which had been held i'm
pregnable. No doubt one of these SOL
diers, discovering the secret of the
box, would misappropriate its contents
after the universal custom Of soldiers.
Private Clifford, u. S. ", strobe into
the San Fernando church one day with
the serenely Independent air that be-
trays the Western man wherever he
goes. He looked with covetous eyes at
the ancient banners Of Spain hanging
from the rafterS of the church-for he
had taste for antiQuities-and noted
with pang that there was no way Of
appropr1ating them unobserved. When
his eyes rested on the wooden lady,
his admiration found vent in an audi
BILE nurmur, which reused Pedro from
his siesta- The murmur was succeeded
by heavy sigh Of regret. The war
with Spain was over, and even had
there been that chance, the figure was
too bulky a bit of loot for private
to handle. Noticing Pedro, who was
watching him with suppressed rage,
Clifford said: pretty figure. isn't 1t?
Who Is she, anyway"
II don't know" Pedro replied quiet
"Well, she Is the prettiest woman in
Manila" said the American with
smile, land I will come to see her Of
ten, If it is permitted"
Pedro shrugged his shoulders. There
are many pretty women in Manila not
of wood. Why does not the Senior Sol
dado seek the acquaintance Of some Of
them?"
"Oh, a wooden lady is safer" replied
Clifford, with a laugh. "She will not
lead one into trouble"
"Quien sabe?" said Pedro, raising his
eyebrows.
After that Clifford often visited the
church and spent hours watching the
figure and talking to Pedro, whose
hatred for him grew daily more in
tense, He was surprised that Clifford
did not seem to care for money-for
many worshipers deposited their of
ferings in his presence-and asked
himself: What did he want?" Then,
when the American was gone, he would
whisper, fiercely: "You are mine
mine only. Querido mai, do not smile
at that cursed Americana"
But the wooden lady continued to
smile pensively and remained I'M
moved.
One afternoon Clifford invited Pc
dro to accompany him to the American
barracks. Pedro demurred, but the
American insisted, playfully threaten
ing to carry him by force. The Span
lard only smiled bitterly when he dis
covered that Clifford's brethren were
occupying the barracks Of the Fiji
teenth Cazadores. His coming caused
no surprise among the occupants.
Many of the soldiers had made friends
among the Spaniards and Filipinos.
Some tried their small stock Of Span
ish on him, and the cook of Clifford's
con pany dished him out generous
ration.
After dinner, Clifford took the sus-
picious Pedro to the Alhambra, the lar