Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1904-01-02


So it happened that Lavanderia be-
came wash lady III ordinary to the white
men of the Manila boarding house.
She did the linen skillfully at first and
even returned it no more than a week
later than she had promised. Then the
Tagalo nature got the better of her,
and she began to lapse. Aaron Burr Of
the famous motto, Never do today
what you can put off till tomorrow,
would have been enraptured with the
Tagalos. Not only will they not do to-
day what they can put off till tOmor-
row, but they never do it at all until
forced by dire necessity. So Layande-
ria of the weird, passionate eyes began
to lag with the linen. Worst of all, as
time went on she manifested an UNI
comfortable tendency to scourt the
boarders. This was before the shock
came. Singing out two likely bache
lors, she bestowed on them lavish at
tention. She brought them bouquets
for their rooms. She sat beside them,
close as the torridity of the tempera-
ture would permit, and manifested
disposition to stay there forever, smok-
ing meanwhile as many cigarettes as
the benevolent white men were willing
to supply her with.
Plainly, Lavanderia wanted to marry
one Of the white gentlemen. Such
things had been, aud white men, Span
iards and Frenchmen, now and then an
Englishman. had welded brown wom-
en- in the Philippines At least if one of
the big hombres Americanos would not
take her permanently he might marry
her for little while, and even that
was better than being tied to a brown
stableman or house servant for whole
lifetime
One OF the bachelors escaped and
went elsewhere to lodge, leaving the
other to bear the whole brunt Of La
vanderia's lovemaking This was hard
on the man who was left. Lavanderia
came at early morn and dewy eve, sit
ting sadly silent, fastening her shining
dark eyes upon the one face, transix-
ing with their tender gaze the bachelor
who was left. She prosecuted him with
her attentions; she babe him to her
hut of woven nipa palm; she invited
him to attend in her blissful company
native dances and feasts of roast pig
and rice till he could scarce stir from
home without the uncomfortable con-
seriousness that somehow the brown
wash lady would discover it and know
where he went. He was a tender
hearted youth, although city born and
bred, and he could not think Of taking
away the laundering from Lavanderia
Did she not depend on this work for
her bread? Presently the whole neigh
borhood began to take an interest In
Lavanderia's love affair. The evil
minded world, ever ready TO believe
wrong of a man just because he Is a
man, could not be convinced that he
had not taken the initiative in the case.
He groaned inwardly as he thought to
himself, IF mother. could only see me
now"
One Sunday afternoon, dressed to
KILL" new red gingham train stream
ing behind her like the t:ery tail Of a
comet, her hair shining with an extra
greasing and patting, the fair brown
widow came to invite and accompany
the object of her affections to native
dance. The tender heart which at all
times stood in his way so restrained
him that he did not wish to hurt her
feelings even then. He told her to go
on to the ball, and he would come by
and by.
'.Poco tiempo?" lin little time) she
asked.
eyes, yes,' answered the embarrass-
ed bachelor
SIN an hour maybe?" persisted the
encfantress.
Eyes, yes,' again replied the troubled
bachelor
"Then I wait" said Lavanderia. She
dropped her straw slippers outside the
threshold, tucked her fiery train about
her knees and squatted down, Tagalo
fashion, in the very front door of the
mansion, in full view of all who pass
ed. IL wait" she repeated TRANQUILITY.
For a young white man to be seen
walking on the open street of Sunday
afternoon with brown widow dressed
with scores of waggish American sol
diers and all his own acquaintance
looking on at the show, was more than
his nerves could bear. But to have the
same "viuda" squatting barefoot and
Familiarity upon his front door step in
sight Of all the world was even worse.
The bachelor softly withdrew from the
chair in which he had been sitting near
the door.
The hour passed by the clock. The
brown widow with the fiery train sat
the bachelor out fair and square. Per-
spiration had gathered upon his brow.
He pulled himself together and in
formed Lavanderia in his broken Yam
kee Spanish that in the nick of time he
remembered how he had made an en-
gagement for that afternoon, and it
would consequently he imnOSSihIa for