Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1910-12-16

aqua and good Pilsener, and attractive
LIQUOR from an earthenware jar whlch
wore a damp muslin jacket. On invert-
ed tumblers were poised lemons to ad-
vertise her calling.
Rut Maria herself was the best ad-
vertisement. Her eyes were clear as
the pellucid yellow-brown liquids whlch
she offered, and there were shades IN
her hair when the sun came creeping
nm over the cathedral turrets and DART
ed a raw across it which made lntelll-
gent tourists stop and smile and talk
about old pictures.
And Maria always smiled back. For
one thing she had merry heart and
for another her teeth were as perfect
as woman's teeth can be. She loVeo
her post On Sundays and smart tes-
tas it gave her such good view OF the
elite trooping to mass; and then 1t was
handy for Henerique, who worked at
marble mason's in the Rua do Arco do
Limoeiro hard by.
She and Henerique had been betroth-
ed for a year, and there should nave
been a wedding by this time; but Hen
CIRQUE had lofty notions with regard 10
wives (just as he had lofty notions
with regard to monarchy, being that
anachronism of modern Portugal
passionate Royalist), and he wished TO
tarry till he could carry out these no.
tions to his satisfaction. Always IN
the dinner hour he ran across TO the
kiosk and refreshed himself with
bottle Of sweet aqua and a chat (and
often a kiss or two. if spectators were
absenD before returning to his al
ternoon toll.
Now, while Maria was one OF the
bellies of humber Lisbon, Henerlque
was easily the handsomest lad In the
town. So handsome, indeed, that Ma
ria was a little worried about his looks
They were too perfect-people often
told her so. He went by the name OF
"bom pouco santo" and sobriquets OF
that sort, which carry with them just
the smallest hint of contempt.
Yet despite his ethereal features and
beautifully curved mouth, Henerique
was really in no wise effeminate;
though it pleased jealous tongues to
insinuate this as they prated about his
perfection"
Unhappily, Maria was oversensitiVe'
and these insinuations were gall and
wormwood to her. At last her feelings
came to a climax. 1t was fastened on
by a remark from the mouth of Helena
Barros, who sold sugar cakes down by
the quay.
Thou must keep thy pretty boneca
in cotton wool, Maria, when once he Is
thine, lest harm befall his beauty-eh?"
Then Helena had laughed disagree
ably.
Maria's retort, which included
comprehensive and startling knowledge
of Helena's past, was masterpiece In
its way; but though, hands on hips, she
emerged victorious, she was very sore,
and from that day she vented her
soreness on Henerique.
She directed much cryptic conversa-
ton at him, the purport of which ne
was at first puzzled TO divine. She en-
larged frequently on The heroic deeds
of men. There was Irmao do Calvario,
for example, who had pulled three
boys and one woman from the Tagus.
Men Deos! behold a man there!
Then Jogo Papelaria, in the Travessa
dos Remolares; he had dragged child
from beneath a tramcar at the risk
of his life. Even little Jose Moraes,
near the postoffice-he was lame, too
had fought great, hulking Eugenio CAL
vario for love of flat-faced Isabella
Fazendas, whom Eugenio had insulted.
Then one day light came to Hener-
ique and these hints were no longer
obscure, although at the time he made
no sign that he understood them. Be-
meath his vest, with it's thick coating Of
marble dust, his heart leaped like a
dog which pulls at his chain seeking
release. So this was the reason why
Maria's eyes, as they looked at him OF
late across the little wooden slab COW
cred with American cloth, could not
give him quite all he desired. She was
impatient with him--didn't consider
him a man. She had listened to taunts
perhaps from jealous women. Well, if
that were all, two resolves he must
make-a resolve of suppression and a
resolve of accomplishment. matter
"a really wonderful and momentous
matter which bade fair to hasten the
wedding day-a joyful excitement
which should have sent the warm
blood rushing to Maria's cheeks, and
which he made up his mind to tell her
very shortly, he must keep to him.
self. And (here his beautiful mouth
set itself in very firm lines) before
the revelation was made he would re-
move. and remove beyond all possible
shadow OF doubt, that something-that
intangible, scarcely ineligible some
thing-in Maria's eyes, which just held
in the inner shrine of it the least shad-
ow of disapproval. He would silence
those anecdotes of other mems prowess
forever.
lightenment came to him HeneriQue
did not ask for the kiss which he never
failed to claim when spectators were
scarce. He seemed vague and preOccu-
pied, as if serious matters were afoot.
Maria wondered-wondered greatly
what allied him; then she half guessed
that he had guessed, and being wo-
man, she was angry because he noticed
that which she had been trying TO
bring to his notice for months.
But Maria was destined to more dis
turbing emotions still. In the dinner
hour of the day succeeding the one in
which Henerique had received enlight-
eminent he did not come to the kiosk
at all He did not lean his beautiful
face, powdered with the marble dust,
near to Maria, and chat and drink
lemonade and ask for a kiss. And the