Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1912-08-29
RURALE OR pEON?
live Affairs Of a Mexican
Girl.
~ LOUISE PALMER MILLER.

-hue Juan lay stretched on tue moor
nov feet. first looking into her
49,, face then watching her small
pown fingers nlmbly drawing the
Mic threads into place by her
'.ochet needle. He was telling her OF
s,s visit to the city and OF the bold
aJ,orce that the common poems had
do in its capture the year before
,,rdor the rising tide that surged
.,.orgbout Mexico and submerged the
I, was not. however, the signifl-
,,rce Of the war that was holding the
sIrnle mind OF Carmelita, She was
in,orosted in Juan's recital only be-
,,use he told OF the little city OF
,hicb she had dreamed. but which
sho had never seen, although she had
u,od since her birth, but forty miles
from Culiacan. The only villages she
had visited we're much like her own
She had only heard OF Culiacan.
There people lived in brick houses.
Instead of couches made of branches
thew had beds hung with draperies
and they had rugs on the floor She
had heard OF white Americans build
ing houses with windows of glass.
Juan. throughout his narration.
manlike. thought Carmellta was In
terested in the heroic deeds and was
fattered by her attentive mood. Sud
denly. in a pause of his recital, she
interposed: Juan, / wish we were
rich and could live In the city after
VIC marry. 1t must be fine to ride
in carriages and look into stores with
all their bright clothing Can't we
move there some day. Juan?"
"You would not enjoy life in the
hot city, my sweet" said Juan. THE
houses are so closely built that you
would smother for a breath OF air.
You could not watch the brilliant
feathered birds nor see trees and
bushes there. You could not battle
In the cool brook when the hot days
come
The women of Culiacan are not
fresh and beautiful as you are. Car
meta. the only roses that blossom on
their cheeks are placed there by the
use OF red paint. Perhaps we can
visit there at the time OF our mar
rage, II we save a little each week
out of our scanty earnings, but to
live there, never! never! never!"
Carmelita did not raise her voice
10 protest, but in her heart the old
craving did not die. There was al
ways a hope that by some strange
means she could live in a city where
there were bands of music and n
porch where people gathered to talk
1d promenade.
During the short silence between
the two lovers, while Carmelita was
resolving this hope within her mind
and Juan was comparing Carmellta
favorably with all The other senoritas
he had even seen. their silence was
suddenly broken by the sound OF
hoofs on the road. without, old Pc
dro, Carmeita's father, was hating
his burro with that Sizing sound of
the lips employed by the Mexican bur-
70 drivers.
Juan did not change his position, for
he well knew that he was a welcome
guest in the Casa OF the old Pedro, as
well as a welcome sutton for the hand
OF his daughter The sound OF anoth-
er voice, however, caused him to
glance up curiously. He Immediately
Jumped to his feet with an attitude OF
respect. With old Pedro was a rurale
dressed in all Of the elegance OF his
Uniform. Welcome. Juan!" exclaim-
ed the father OF Carmelita. Come
forward to meet an officer OF our coun-
try who has lost his way hereabouts
In the mountains"
The rurale but half-greeted Juan,
Tor he was looking quite past him with
bold admiration for the girl seated
on a rustic stool with a pile Of GRO
cheting in her hands. He had looked
upon many peon maidens before. but
none so free from the heavy Mexican
FEATURES as this girl. He noticed the
unusual fairness of the skin. the slen.
derness OF the nose, the delicately-
curved lips and the arch of the small
brown feet. white blood some
where" he silently unused.
Carmelita's cheeks were flushed at
MS steady gaze, and, while her eyes
were partly dropped. she was not
oIlnd to the strange bearing of this
man before her. He was unlike any
man she had ever seen in her life. He
wore a suit Of wool with gold buttons.
as she thought. and on his feet we're
SHINING boots instead of sandals. and
over his arm hung cape lined with
bright velvet. She might have re-
NAMED long in her fancy OF whether
.Als was dream or a real being. II
n'r father had not demanded her TO
hurry lunch for them.
When the rurale hailed old Pc.
arc he gave him an extra pesa to
hurry him on his journey with a quick
''uch. Two days had passed now and
l'' ne said nothing of his first inten-
ZION TO hurry to his regiment. Old
I'aro asked him each morning II he
should have his horse ready early for
''e Journey, but the rurale proffered
''I'e oHhand reason for a delay.
Juan haunted tho frnpt 80