The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1906-12-09

and the BLACK Brothers" OF more rep
utable tradespeople. Smuggling paid
in those days better than IL pays now.
They were known smugglers, but
there was nothing to prove IL. Pedro
had a store IN old San Diego 1t was
of the old plaza-standing apart from
the other American stores diagonally
from the old american Hotel" You
can still see solitary mud wall-all
that remains OF it.
Pedro was not a successful me-
chant. II he had really dependeu -
the reputable trade of old San Diego
he would long before have shut up
shop. He used to sit in the door OF
his ciuttered shop. a black hat pulled
over his wicked eye. so that you could
not see the long scar across the left.
or the empty socket. He was proud
of his Immaculate curling .mustachios
and wore dozens of flaming opal rings
on. his long, thin. hairy hands.
Then the squat sloop with its black
hull and innocent name. white below
the battered f1gurehead on the bow
spirit, would ride into the harbor-she
was called the Pretty Nancy''-as IL
she. were respectable and belonged to
the other coast. All old San Diegans
remember Carlos Pretty Nancy"
with her flying Mexican tricolor and
ugly. blackly-suggestiv hulk
The Black Brothers would celebrate
on those first evenings. You saw the
light in the little store windows all
night, andSthe sound of loud laughter
and guitar and wild singing. Once
the boys grandfather-from whom he
heard the whole story--had stolen up
and looked In at the window. Pedro
was sitting on sugar barrel twang-
ing the ribboned guitar. his empty
eyesocket black in the fiickering can
delight. The table was Uttered with
glasses and neat piles OF gold Carlos.
at one end. was rolling into tight
strings such a rainbow of fine silk
hapdkerchiefs as dazzled the watchers
eyes more than the-connted gold. He
stole carefully away as the one-eyed
Pedro sprang up and tossed the guitar
aside. Why should one estore need 50
many thousand scsrfs, he sighed en-
vIously.
Pancha and the Corals
Carlos was snug and handsome. much
younger than his brother and intensely
hated. He wore his hair In dark curls
and always a. rose IN his sombrero,-a
rose colored scarf with coral~pin
stuck I'm it. and beautiful braided
clothes. Tt was the young men who
hated him most, and the Americans
especially watched the Black Brothers
day and night whenever the Pretty
Nancy came But all to no avail.
= Occasionally the two went Off to-
gether in the squat sloop. Built was
generally to the islandA The curious
wondered and then forgot. And Carlos
always came back and dropped his one
eyed partner before he sailed of into
the sunset down thes coast.
ho rfr
the lives Of the Black Brothers.. or.
rather. into. the life OF one OF them.
One-eyed Pedro fell in love with the
little Sylvas girl. Pancha was her
name. She had been the sweetheart
of the boys grandfather, and he en-
tered into his ancestors wrongs with
eyes of fire. as he told me.
Pancha was out gathering IN her
little brothers and sisters for the night.
q rose IN her hair and a laugh in her
eyes; her long. black plaits hung far
below her waist. The .ore-eyed Black
Brother was riding down the valley
The setting sun was In her eyes. and
and smiled-as she smiled at every :
one. Pedro tore OF : his yellow silk
scarf and gave 1t to her and pulled or
his black som brero as he. bowed low.
Then he passed in cloud of red dust
Pahcha knew then that 1t was the sin
rlSleI-- SluEGhttptf@ buC Tue tQduQker-
chief was beautiful-so golden and so
fine.
And next night It was a string OF
rough pink corals, and one-eyed Pedro
palled In .slis horse and said pretty
things. IF you looked very hard at
the $hole. Pancha said, you got used to
1t. No one else had coralss like hers.
!. And so Invent on Long before the
black sloop with it's specfous title sailed
in Pamela had quite. given up her for
mer adrnirer. and in wonderful rings
Used. to marry the Black Brother a.
soon as he would confess to Father
u and be baptized. He would. He
had promised: but. 1t was hard. He had
scorned theSlittle mud chapel from the
first. and It would take long to tell
his sins and longer to be absolved and.
wotse. would cost a pretty penny. Be-
cause of his delay the. Pretty Nancy
saw one-eyed Pedro still single.
There were riotous times at the store
that night. The next day Carsos was
presented to Pancha. He had never
noticed her before. She wore a string
scf pink corals and string OF pearls
and Haunted q yellow silk dress land
scarlet petticoat that made her look
like q tropical hibiscus and sunfower
combined. the* boy said, with eyes that
saw the brilliant picture. tAi.-
Pancha's great eyes fell before Car
los bold two eyes as they had not be-
fore Pedro's one. 1t was the beginning
instant. Neither said q word. Carlos
kept his eyes on the distrRcting girl.
But she decided to spend the night
aboard 1the Pretty 5 Nancy. HIS zmen
were jim ftown 9unl<etinx. He gathered
them together toward dark with an