Ainslee's Magazine, February 1913 — page 134: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

124 other organ in Terassa, there was im- bedded in it a power of hitting the truth that would turn a gypsy’s face as piti- ably white as an American’s. To the padre’s sorrow, and almost persuading him that the devil was delib- erate in his choice of widows, she was quite herself in Barcelona, where her temper was not understood, and where she was arrested for being saucy—in- deed, very cruel—to a soldier, with whom she quarreled without the slight- est provocation. In addition, she was afterward defiant, and did nothing to pacify the government, so that she had to stay in prison a whole afternoon. Luckily, the padre was a gentleman of so pleasant and gentle a demeanor that her retainers were mollified toward evening, and he returned to Terassa with Rosa and the statue both intact. No one was allowed to see it, save Toninio, who helped the padre to raise it by night in the poppy fields, and droop a canvas over it. Next morning the little boys were all very much ex- cited at having to work in close prox- imity to it, and not look under the cov- ering, and the padre heard José say to Tito: “You would not dare come down in the moonlight and look undernéath.” “I confess it,’ Tito replied, “but neither would you.” “I would,” said José, “if the devil were under it.” “T do not think,” said Tito affection- ately, “that I would be so very afraid of the devil if you were with me, José.” Having rebuked them sharply for this conversation, the padre turned to preparations for the ceremonies. The Parrot Woman engaged to perform, having her little birds flutter up from her as the canvas was lifted, and clus- ter down upon the statue; and the little boys should make the first crop of spring poppies say, in big, red letters outlined with yellow, “SANTO MI- GUEL;” and at the close Juanita, whose pretty voice was not happy in church music, would sing and dance the cadenza from “Gran Via.” All was arranged, but there was one more trouble in store, for the elderly ladies of the town gathered on the vil- AINSLEE’S lage green to discuss who should walk two and two in the procession. Rosa said that, although she was the most im- portant woman in Terassa, having bought the statue, she would not walk at all if the atheist, Inés, were allowed to look at it, even from a distance; and when Inés. declared that she had changed her mind again, and was now a Catholic, Rosa urged the rest to stone her from the green. Amarillis, who loved them both, strove earnestly to speak, to pacify them, but the only gen- teel thing she could think of was a remark that had greatly impressed her when made by an elegant foreign lady who crooked out her little finger in drinking tea, and Amarillis repeated it now: “T hope we will have rain.” She was much chagrined and hurt when. both Rosa and Inés turned upon her and accused her of malice; and it was finally. the Parrot Woman who settled the dif- ficulty.. ‘‘Amarillis meant to be polite,’ she said, “and as for stoning any one, the padre would not allow it. If Inés says she has reformed, she should be allowed © to come. You know the padre asked me to walk alone in front of the couples, with all my little birds flying; but if you continue unkind, I shall have Inés walk with me, which would spoil the effect. Although,” she added kindly, “I con- sider her handsome.” | “She looks like Punch and Judy!” cried Rosa; but as the Parrot Woman was the only person in town whom no- body disliked, she had her way, and it was arranged that Inés should walk with Amarillis, who did not hate her. The chosen day proved fine, with a very blue sky, and spring flowers open in profusion, and Terassa had not seen a fairer sight than the procession as it moved singing down the glittering high- way. The padre came first, followed by the thirty little boys in choir cos- tume, and the Parrot Woman next, with all her green birds flying ahead of the pairs of old ladies, who in turn pre- ceded the main populace. Inés was in line, and every one thought her reform must be sincere, for she sang louder COnmmicloool< (C@ AL