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Show A MEXICAN MEMORY By A. B. I. A man on n stretcher, carried by four peones, ,camo down tho dirty street. H0 hnd tho swollen, distorted fnco that goes, sometimes, with typhus. ty-phus. An orchestra on tho corner plnyed, "Return Thou to Me, My Life" but the man on tho stretcher stretch-er wns beyond hearing. Behind tho afflicted ono thero followed fol-lowed a carriage, tho occupants of which were drinking warm beer nnd singing loo songs maudllnly. A man In the cnrrlago said: "Pobreclto, ho Is better dead." A drunken woman nnowcred: "Of n surety ho Is bettor with tho angels. Ho wns my ninn for the four years past. Before that I bad an officer, a cnptnln of tho old federals, for my mnn. But ho bent mo so one night I killed him. But this mnn, this voluntnrlo, was good nnd gave mo money nnd benns, so for that I lovo him devotedly. Adlos! such Is the world: wo get someono wo like and bo goes from Us Hko tho shadows of tho dawn. Pass mo tho beer, compairoro, whllo I mourn." "Ah, thoso bo troublous times," croaked the dnena an old crono of seventy. "Ono knowelh not what tho morrow hrlngcth. Pass thou mo tho beer that 1 too may display my grief." And tho dying and tho mourners nmbled Blowly by us. Wo snw tho young womnn In tho cnrrlngo put her nrma nround tho mau, the old womnn drank tho beer from tho bottle nnd tho dying ono stirred uneasily on his stretcher. "Well," remarked Brown, who was standing In front of tho club with mo, "I must got sober nnd run my nssays. I'll seo- you at dinner nt Sternnu's." A beggar hobbled by. She wns filthy nnd her rags lllconcealed tho pendulous breasts. 'Tor the lovo of God, only ono small charity to hold my soul In my poor body," sho whined. "I havo no small money," said Brown. "Go thou with God and mny thy days bo happy." Sho loft, cursing, and the guard arrested her at tho corner. The sun dropped suddenly behind tho mountain nnd dnrk followed Immediately: Im-mediately: thoro Is no twilight In tho subtroplcs. The moon Jumped up over tho smelter smoko to tiio east of town and tho pollco camo out with their lanterns. Tho provost guard, In high, cono shaped hats, trotted by, tho horses prnnclng, tho moonlight gllnt'ng from tho silver mounted sndtlles. A car- rlago load of prostitutes woro iwv-lng iwv-lng nn nrgument on tho cornor with tho driver. It seems ho hnd over-chnrged over-chnrged them for nn nlllgator penr snlnd ho hnd purchnsed nt a porlpnt-ctlc porlpnt-ctlc rcstnurant. Tho argument wnxed heavy and to mo through tiio velvet night floated much invectivo. Tho guard stopped In front of tho nrgument nrgu-ment and tho commandanto, n captain cap-tain of soventeen years, asked what was wrong. Tlio coachmmnn with much gesticulation of bis shoulders explained: "Bueno," said tho captain, "this 1b easily settled. Pay tho man." "Rut, ml captain," protested one of tho women, "this son of ten thou-sand thou-sand thieves Is n robber " "This Is of small Import to mo. Pay tho man." "But no, ml captain, if wo bo shot for It." Ready aim fire," barked tho cnptnln. Then tho guard nnd tho coachman rodo away, leaving tho women lying ded In tho street. And It was Just an ordlnnry night. From tho St. Louis Mirror. |