Willmar tribune., 1909-12-15
HER DOLLS CLOTHES
BY CHARLOTTE SHERWOOD.

BY CHARLOTTE SHERWOOD.
copyright, 1909, by American Press Asso
ciationI
There are more c!andeStine affairs
between the sexes among the Spanish
than any other people for the reason
that no courtship except in the pres
ence of witnesses is permitted. In
Spain young men and girls are not al
lowed to come within each others
reach. the girls sitting on balconies at
tached to the dwelling and the young
men standing below. There they may
chat as they please. But in Brazil the
lines are even stronger drawn.
In the Grijalva family at Rio de
Janeiro was pretty maiden of fifteen.
1nez by name. Spanish girls develop
young. but Inez did not appear to fol-
low the rule. She had scarcely given
up her doll. and as for noticing the
young men, her mother. who wished
her to be married at the proper time.
like other girls, could not get her to
have anything to do with any of them
One day a youth of nineteen. Juan
Bustamente. called at the house. asked
for Senor Grijalva and made Il formal
application for the hand of little IncZ.
Though young. Bustamente was Il de-
sirable parti, and the Grialvas had no
objection to the match. The applica-
ton quite took away the breath of the
girls parents. 1t seemed to her mother
that wax doll would be as we'll fitted
to take charge of house and rear 4
family as Inez. She was surprised also
that any young man could have seen
enough of her daughter. who had been
kept under vigilant watch in the nurs-
cry. to wish to marry her. She asked
1nez if she had ever seen Juan Busta-
mente and where. but lnez gave such
childlike answers, made such innocent
contradictions, appeared so oblivious
gave up trying to get any reliable in
formation. She made up her mind.
however. that it would never do to
permit one who had not yet left child
hood to be married. Young Busta-
mente was told that he might call at
lAV nOU0C do a SuIlOls OuI lllilIlldSc lOE
the present was out of the question.
The following Sunday evening the
family took position in the drawing
room with the young lady. and the
lover was admitted to do the courting.
1nez spent the evening cutting figures
out of black paper, a work at which
she was skillful. Juan did all the
talking that could be pumped out of
him to Signora Grijalva. After half
an hour of this kind of courting. dur
ing which he invited his iancee.
through her mother, to 60 with him to
the theater on the next Sunday even
ing and received an acceptance to the
invitation. he took his departure with
evident relief.
1t may be supposed by American
girls that visit to the theater would
give the couple chance to get ac.
quainted. This could not be in Brazil.
When the appointed evening arrived
Signor Grija;va. his wife on his arm.
the other members of the family fol-
lowing. formed bodyguard to little
Inez, who walked in the middle of the
group. Juan brought up the rear Of
the procession alone After the play
the girl was conducted home in the
same manner.
And so the courtship went on. The
father intrusted the whole matter to
the mother and the mother was wait
ing till her daughter should leave
childish ways and act like woman.
But lnez still preferred to play hide
and seek" or "blind mans buff" rather
than dance or go to bullfghts. There
was bit of comfort in this. because
the usual watchfulness did not seem
necessary-n0t that the rules were re-
laXed. but that a constant spying was
deemed useless.
Sonora Grijalva was in her daugh-
ter's room one day when lnez was out.
Everywhere was evidence that the
girl was still child. Rummaging for
something in a bureau. the mother
came upon some clothes evidently fit
ted for huge doll. The sonora sighed
Twill she never be fitted for wife,"
Then she came upon sandalwood
box. 1t was locked. What need had
the child for locking anything? Sonora
Grijalva fetched bunch of keys and
hunted among them till she found a
tiny one to fit the lock. Lifting the lid.
she saw on top of some trinkets pa
per. She opened and read it. She was
thunderstruck 1t was a certificate of
marriage between Juan Bustamente
and 1nez Grijalva celebrated about a
month before the young man applied
for the young lady's hand.
Sonora Grijalva stood for a moment
| paralyzed. But there are certain log
tcal connections which women get
very quickly and without following the
steps of reasoning involved. Sonora
Grijalva pulled out the drawer con.
tanning dolls clothes with jerk, seiz.
ed the articles, opening them one after
the other and held them up before her
Now she saw 1t all. They were not
dolls clothes. They were made for a
child.
| That evening there was 4 council