The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1944-03-18
Yankee Senorita
Bv loreno Carlton
BY Loreno Carlton

while their owners, motionless also
stared at her with huge brown
eyes, their faces impassive.
Seldom. very seldom. did NAL
lory see a smile. and that usually
came from a youngster- They were
the ones who responded to her
friendly waves; the grownups
seemed disinterested entirely. Lat
er, she was to learn that the ma
jority of these people had the stern
Indian blood rathe- than the more
jovial Spanish.
She did not stop for lunch. In
Monterrey she had bought a box
lunch. Chicken sandwiches, a to-
mato, some fruit and come delicious
chocolate cookies. While eating she
slowed 10 about 20 miles an hour
so she would not miss any of the
sights. She was seeing more little
homes now, places with straw
roofs. In the dusk OF the previous
evening she had missed them. In a
dirt beaten yard she saw some
thing that looked ike a fiat wheel
barrow. A baby was sitting in it.
having a bath. a giggling, squirm-
ing. soap splashed. coffee toned
baby, with hair black as tar.
Women swept their houses, even
their yards. with crude brooms
made of twigs and straw. There
was much visiting, much shouting.
She saw a tWo-piece orchestra re-
hearsing for the evening in a tiny
saloon. A guitar and, ludicrously, a
very American saXophone. These
saloons cantinas - were every
where, small, with few bottles, but
with many glossy, bright-lettered
signs.
On a sudden impulse Mallory
stopped al one Of the little cantinas
and went in. There were no Gus
toners not during the siesta hour
but countless members OF the
family made the small cafe seem
crowded. Four children slept in a
corner with a, couple Of puppies
An older child sat in a chair bounc-
ing baby on her knee. The moth
er was cooking in back of low
partition. A man and boy, obvi-
ously another son, were hack of the
bar. both leaning On their elbows.
Mallorys entrance produced a
death-ike quiet, instantly fol-
lowed by excited jabbering. The
woman ran UP back Of the bar to
help greet the customer. The girl,
rocking The baby, put it on The foor
and left il there. l: cried and
kicked its legs with fury. Two Of
the sleeping children awoke and
stared. The dogs began to bark
Everyone was talking frenziedly
and smiling, talking to Mallory.
among themselves, to Mallory
again
Her confused gaze swept over a
chalked menu. Besides various
Mexican dishes there was "bifstek."
Beefsteak. she knew, but she didn't
want that.
She wished Pope were along
she certainly needed an interpreter.
Then her gaze lighted upon one Of
the gawdy tin beer signs that had
enticed her in the first place Mem
orizing operate arias had given her
a fair idea Of various language pro-
nuncistio1s.
"Cervozc." she ordered. Success
fully. for the. man put a bottle Of
cold beer before her. A she was
rewarded by ordinations and
chuckles, as II she had delivered a
speech in precise Spanish How
ever, when she left, she did not
fare so well. WORDS like "centavos
and -circuenta" meant nothing.
She filed Ter palm with change and
sgnaled the eantins keeper to take
what was due him.
She used the same tactics on two
little boys IT gasoline station,
who filed he tax b. the priml-
tive fashion Of frat hiiT.p ? isrsc
] tin can, then dumping IL mo her