The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1915-08-19

GUS, tropical music. OF the band.
Cleopatra" cried Poe apprecia-
lively.
The girl turned, and tossed him a
kiss. Those who were watching
laughed. She caught her partner, an
other attractive girl, dressed in short
circus-girl skirts and wearing only
an eye-mask, more firmly about the
waist, and began a new series Of sinu-
Gus swayings to the delight of the
gleeful onlookers.
Just then the dance-master's staff
came down in three rapid thumps,
and the whole hall-full dashed at a
large, lurid-hued papier-mache pear,
hanging from the center of the ceiling
by many-colored ribbons.
They leaped and struck at 1t, trying
to break it open that its store Of can
dies, fruits, and favors might be corn
ucopiaed out and caught in the strain
ing hands.
The two girls, being near the center
of the hall, leaped to position direct
ly beneath the pear. The more attrac-
tive one, in the peasant-girps costume,
caught her companion by the leg, and
helped her to an instant's unsteady
perch on her shoulder.
The girl in circus skirts made a
frantic grasp, and struck the pear,
breaking it open so that the goodies
dropped out among the scrambling
dancers For a moment she remained
poised, crying In the pure, ringing
Castflian tongue:
Now shall have the chalchihuitl!"
Poe, who had rushed in to fight for
the favors, helped her as she jumped
down beside the water-carrier girl
and was quick to hear a whispered.
Eyes, you win it," from the one in
peasants garb.
The scramble for favors having
finished, another series of thumps
with the butt of the big stick in the
dance-master's hands called them all
to a hilarious reel. It became more
of a reel each minute, for all had
drunk their fill of beer and pulque,
and the last exhilarating hour was at
hand.
Christopher Poe leaped In, and
snatched the girl with the circus skirts
away from her partner in spite Of the
objection OF both. By clever twisting
and weaving in and out among the
dancers, he managed to evade the
peasant-girl, who pursued frantically.
He danced his partner about until she
was dizzy and plead with him to stop.
Then he dropped her in cornor seat,
and pressed glass Of pulque on her,
asking at the same moment:
did you get the chalchihuitl?"
"No. Not yeti" cried the girl. pant
ing. Find my partner. We mustn't
get lost. We must go home together"
"Your partners SAFE" answered
Poe. bobbing up to stand in front Of
the circus-riding masquerader, as he
saw the fascinating girl with the wa
ter-jug pushing through the dazed
dancers toward them. Grasping fell
low In a bulky Chanticleer suit, Poe
swung him around, pointed to the
spent girl in the corner, cried, Here's
a pheasant hen for you!" and whirled
away in time to catch the approaching
peasant-girl about the waist and join
in the mad revelry.
The girl repulsed him violently,
with almost masculine strength, but
Poe, with an outward show of affec-
ton, crushed her tight to his bosom,
using all his strength, and holding her
so close she could scarcely breathe.
A sudden series of thumps from the
masters staff announced abruptly
that this would be the last dance. 1t
was the signal for depraved, utterly
demoralized tumble OF extravagant
motions, lewd cries, ear-splitting
curses, staggering blows, and few
pistol-shots. It was the moment Of
utter Generalization; the dance had
gone to pieces, 1t was a mad bottle
smashing, hellish riot
Poe took advantage of the confusion
to strengthen his hold on the strug-
Cling girl by slipping his sinewy arm
around her neck with all appearance
of sentiment, but effectively choking
her; with his other hand he caught
the water-bottle from her frantic
grasp, tucked it under his arm. and
was about to tighten his hold on the
girls neck when she suddenly man.
aged to twist out Of his desperate
clutch. stagger back, scream, "Cabron!
Cabron!" In a very mannish voice. and
let drive smashing blow straight into
Poe's face.
Poe raised the heavy red water-bot-
tie, and smashed it full into the mask
ed face. The blow carried the girls
mask with it, and revealed the cut and
bleeding face Of a man, wearing a
woman's wig. Following up his stroke,
Poe hit the fellow fairly in the face,
and as he keeled over caught him on
one arm and with the other picked up
a hideous skull. which the water-bottle
had contained.
Holding the unconscious form Of the
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