South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-03-16

his cable. a fruit steamer brought T.
him a huge. mysterious brown bale 4
Of some unknown comm odity. John
ny's Influence with, the custom house
people was sufficiently strong for
him 10 get the goods turned over to
him without the usual inspection
He had the bale taken 20 the con
sulcte and snugly slowed in the back
room.
That night he ripped open cor
ner Of il and took out n handful OF
the cockleburrs. He examined them
with the care with which a warrior
examines his arms before he goes
forth 10 battle for his lady-love and
life. The burrs we're the ripe Aug
ust product, az hard as hlberts. and
bristling with spines as tough and
sharp as needles. Johnny whistled
softly a little tune. and went out to
find Billy Keogh.
Later in the night, when Coralio
was stepped in slumber. he and Billy
went forth into the deserted streets
with their coats bulginG like bal
looms. All up and down the Gale
y
burrs carefully in the sand. along the
narrow sidewalks. in every foot OF
grass between the silent houses. And
then they took the side streets and
byways. missing none. No place
where the foot Of man, woman or
child might fall was sighted. Many
trips they made TO and from the
prlckly hoard. And then. nearly at
dawn. they laid themselves down to
rest calmly. as great generals do
after planning n victory according TO
the revised tactics. and slept know
ing that they had sewed with the &C
curacy Of Satan sowing tares and
the perseverance of Paul planting.
With the rising sun came the pur-
veyors OF fruits and meats. and ar
ranged their wares In and around
the little market-house. At one end
OF tho own near the seashore the
market-house stood. and the sowing
had not been carried that far The
dealers waited long past the hour
when their sales usually began. None
came TO buy. Que hay" they be-
gan TO exclaim, one 10 another.
At their accustomed time. from
every 'dobe and palm hut and grass
matched shack and dim patio glided
women-black women, brown wom
en-. lemon-c olored women, women
dun and yellow and tawny. They
were the marketers starting to pur-
chase the family supply Of cassava,
plantains. meat, fowls. and tortiilas.
Decollete they were and bare-armed
and bare-footed. with a 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 utter ambig
uous squeals. and raised one foot
quickly Another step and they sat
down, with shrill cries of alarm to
pick at the new and painful insects
that had stung them upon the feet.
Que, pica-dOres diablous." they
schreeched to one another across the
narrow ways. Some tried the grass
instead of the paths. bu. they were
also stung and bitten by the strange
little prickly balls. The pumped
down in the grass, and 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 still wondered why no Gus
toners came.
Then men, lords Of the earth,
came forth. They. too. began to hop.
20 dance, TO limp. and to curse. They
stood stranded and foolish. or stop
ped to pluck at the scorge that at
tackled their feet and ankles. Some
loudly proclaimed the pest TO be
poisonous spiders of an unknown
species.
And then the children ran out for
their morning romp. And now TO
the uproar was added the howIs of
limping infants and cockleburred
childhood. Every minute the ad-
vancing day brought forth fresh vic
Tins. i
Dona Maria Castillas Y Buenven-
tura de las Casas stepped from her
honOred doorway. as was her daily
custom, to procure fresh bread from
the panaderia across the street She
was clad in a skirt of lowered yellow
satin, a chemise OF rufflad linen. and
wore a purple mantilla from the
looms of Spain. Her lemon tinted
feet, alas! were bare. Her progress
was majestic, for were not her an
cestOrs hidalgos of Aragon? Three
steps she made across the veivety
grass. and set her aristocratic sole
upon a buc hof Johnny's burrs. Dona
Maria Castillas y Buenventura de las
Casas emitted a yowl even as wild
cat. Turning about. she fell upon
hands and knees. and crawled-ay.
like beast of the field she crowled
back TO her honorable door-sill.
Don Senior IldefonsO Federico Val /
daZar. Juez de la PaZ. weighing 20 /
stone. attempted to convey his bulk |
to the pulperia at the corner OF the |
plaza in order to assuage his ma
tutinal thirst. The first plunge Of /
his unshod foot into the cool grass
struck a concealed mine. Don Ilde- I
fonso fell like a Crumpled cathedral. /
crying out that he had been fatally 1
bitten by a deadly scorpion. Every /
where were the shoeless citizens 4
hopping, stumbling, limping and |
picking from their feet the veno- 1
nous insects that had come in a /