The Owosso times., 1914-08-21
Rosa Puente
A Story of an American
In Mexico
By F. A. mitchell

enough money to enable him TO SET
himself up In some sort of business
ana not fancying mercantile pursuits,
cast about for an out Of door method
or Investment. He visited the west.
looked over the sheep growing indus
try and concluded that under the co.,
ditions 1t was not inviting. Going
down to Galveston. he sailed for Vera
Cruz. Mexico. and thence he went by
rail up to the capital.
Coffee raising appeared much more
attractive to him than sheep raising,
and he decided to spend some time on
coffee plantation studying the cul-
ture OF the bean. Every morning he
mounted horse. donning Mexican
riding costume. which consists Of tight
trousers with row of buttons run
ming the full length Of the leg, a short
coat and profusely decorated sugar
loaf sombrero. In this attire Mr..
Burch looked very handsome and. be-
Ing young man In the twenties, was
especially fitted to capture the hearts
Of Mexican maidens.
One morning he was riding along a
road lined with tropical verdure. The
sun shone brightly and would have
shone hot had not Its rays been tenn
pered by the high altitude Of the Mex.
lean plateau. which Is more than 1000
feet above the sea. The country COM
bined the beauties Of the tropics with
the exhilarating air Of the mountains.
Indeed. there were peaks all about
him. while In the distance an elongat-
ed mountain presented the form Of a
woman resting on her bier. the snow
forming her winding sheet
Before Malcolm Burch tripped a lit
tie Mexican girl. Her jacket. covered
with spangles. reached barely to her
waist. Her skirt. bedecked In like
manner, fell not far below the knee.
Not needing her robosa "a garment
Mexican women wear over their heads
arm.
"lf anything were needed" said the
American to himself, Ito complete this
delicious landscape Il would be the lit
tie figure sparkling in the rays OF the
SUM-"
When he reached the girl she turned
and cast glance at him. She was
neither Spanish nor Indian. but mix
ture OF the two races. Her Spanish an
cestors must have once dwelt under the
Pyrenees, where the climate is mild
and many OF the people are fair. for her
hair had a gold tinge In 1t. and her
eyes, II not blue. were certainly not
black. She was apparently about six
teen years old.
Burch had picked up few words Of
Spanish for ordinary use. but not
enough to carry on conversation. But
q man. does not need words to express
admiration. Indeed. the word beside
the look would seem very tame. Burch
you going7' but did not understand the
reply. He put out his hand and bis
foot resting In the stirrup. meaning. III
you will give me your hand and put
your little foot on mine will lift you
up behind me and carry you whitherso-
ever you are going"
The girl hesitated, then advanced, did
as he indicated, and he swung her up
behind him on the horses back. To
keep her position she must put her
arms about his waist. and whenever
his hand touched hers there came tin
gle that ran by leaps and jumps to his
heart He asked her her name, and she
said 1t was Rosa Puente with such a
musical voice that, pretty as 1t was.
the name sounded much prettier.
They rode along. he mixing English
and Spanish. three parts English to one
Of Spanish. she adhering to the musical
language which was the only one she
knew. She looked and acted unsophis-
ticated. but when they approached a
clump Of adobe houses she slid down
on the ground. knowing full well that
she must not appear In company with
a man. Had she been Of the upper
class she could not have been more
particular in this respect. that class In
which girls are not permitted to con-
verse with members of the opposite
sex except through barred window.
or the man standing in the street while
the girl stands on balcony above him.
Malcolm Burch said "Buena bye"
Ills 40 uSuhi, uho thC
girl replied In the vernacular. He
forced his horse to walk very slowly
in order that he might keep her ahead
Of him, partly that he might feast his
eyes on her graceful figure and partly
to observe where she went She STOP
ped at an adobe house with thatched
roof in the center of a small yard In
which chickens and vegetables and
flowers grew unfortunately.
The knowledge that Rosa Puente
was not one Of the higher class Mexi-
cans. while 1t brought shadow OF
disappointment, did not deter Burch
from following up an affair which be
should have dropped at once. When
De went to sleep that night he passed
from consciousness to slumber with a
tumble OF Rosa Puente and other
varieties OF roses. adobe houses. chick
ems and such articles running and
jumping before him. and during the
night he dreamed that he was trying
TO catch Rosa Puente and the chickens
were always In his way.
fo hn AoufOoo