The Washington herald., 1920-10-14
AN @. HENRY STORY
SHOES"

tains, meat. fowls, and tortillas.
Decollete they were and bare
armed and bare-footed, with
single skirt reaching below the
knee. Stolid and ox-eyed. they
stepped from their doorways into
the narrow, paths or upon the
soft grass of the streets.
The first to emerge uttered am
biguous squeals, and raised one
foot quickly. Another step ano
they sat down, with shrill cries
of alarm, to pick at the new and
painful insects that had stung
them uqon the feet. "Que plea
dores diablos" they screeched to
one another across the narrow
ways. Some tried the grass in
stead of the paths, but they were
also stung and bitten by the
strange little prickly balls. They
pumped down in the grass anc
added their lamentations to those
of their sisters in the sandy paths.
All through the. town was heard
the plant Of the feminine jabber.
The vendors in the market stiii
wondered why no customers
came.
ihtH men, Oh lne eartn,
came forth. They. too. began TO
hop, to dance, to limp. and to
curse. They stood stranded ana
foolish or stopped to pluck at the
scourge that attacked their feet
and ankles. Some loudly pro-
claimed the pest to be poisonous
spiders of an unknown species.
And then the children ran out
now to the uproar was added the
howls of limping infants ana
cockleburred childhood. Every
minute the advancing day
brought forth fresh victims.
Dona Maria Castillas y Buen-
ventura de las Cssas stepped
from her honored doorway. as
was her daily custom, to procure
fresh bread from the panaderia
across the street. She was clad
in skirt of fowered yellow sat
in, a chemise of ruffled linen, and
wore a purple mantilla from the
looms of Spain. Her lemon-tint-
ed feet. alas! were bare. Her
progress was majestic, for were
not her ancestors hidalgos Of
Aragon? Three steps she made
across the velvety grass. and set
her aristocratic sole upon a buncn
of Johnny's burrs. Dona Maria
Castillas y Buenventura de las
Casas emitted a yowl even as a
wildcat. Turning about, she fell
upon hands and knees, and crawl
ed-ay, like a beast of the field
she crawled back to her honor
able doorsill
Don Senior IlGefonso Federico
Valdazar. Juez de la Paz. weigh
ing twenty stone. attempted to
convey his bulk TO the pulperia
at the corner of the plaza in Or
der to assuage his hatutinal
thirst. The first plunge of his
unshod foot into the cool grass
struck a concealed mine. Don
Ildefonso fell like a crumpled ca
thedral, crying out that he had
been fatally bitten by a deadly
scorpion. Everywhere were the
shoeless citizens hopping. STUN
= bling. limping. and picking from
their feet the venomous insects
that had come in a single night
to harass them.
TIE first to perceive the remedy
was Esteban DeIgado. the barger
a man Of travel and education
Sitting upon a stone, he plucked
burrs from his toes, and made ora
ton:
Behold, my friends, these bugs
Of the devil, / know them well
They soar through the skies in
swarms like pigeons. These are
the dead ones that fell during the
night. In Yucatan ! have seer
them as large as oranges. Yes
There they hiss like serpents. and
have wings like bats. 1t is the
shoes-the shoes that one needs
Zapatos-zapatos para mi"
Esteban hobbled to Mr.. Hem
stetter's store, and bought shoes
Coming out he staggered dowI
the street with impunity, revilint
loudly the bugs of the devil. The
suffering ones sat up or stood
upon one foot and beheld the i'm
mune barber. Men, women ant
children took up the cry: 'Zapa
tos! zapatos"
The necessity for the demant
had been created. The demant
followed. That day Mr.. Hemstet
ter sold three hundred pairs o
shoes
Tt is really surprising" he sale
to Johnny. who came up in tn
evening to help him straighten ou
the stock, how trade is pickin,
up. Yesterday l made but thre,
sales"
Il told you they'd whoop thing,
up when they got started" SAT-
the consul.
Il think l shall order a dozel
more cases of goods. to keep tn,
stock up" said Mr.. Hemstetter
Eeaming through his spectacles.
Il wouldn't send in any order
yet" advised Johnny. Wait til
you see how the trade holds up.
Each night Johnny and Keogl
sowed the crop that grew dollar,
by day. At the end OF ten day
two-thirds of the stock of shoe
had been sold and the stool
of cockleburrs was exhausted
Johnny cabled to Pink Dawson
for another 500 pounds. payinl
20 cents per pound as before. MI
Hemstetter carefully made up al
order for $500 worth of shoe
from Northern firms. Johnn.
hung about the store until thi
order was ready for the mail an,
succeeded in destroying it befor
it reached the postoff1ce. a