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Tony the Greaser
By L Case Russell
i i p\LEASE, dad, just a little longer. \J Let's go around the next corner. I hear music — listen! Sol, la, si," hummed the girl, swaying her graceful body slightly to the seductive strains. "We will go to the Cathedral later, unless — " with a sudden tightening of the hand that lay on her big father's arm, "unless your ankle—"
"Oh, my ankle is all right, Nell girl," interrupted the father. "Come on, we'll spend the rest of the day among the Greasers, if your little High and Mightiness wants to," and they proceeded in the direction of the music. "I reckon the live present interests you more than the past. But it's a real shame not to see a few of the sights of San Antonio, and San Fernando is one of them. You see, I'll be too busy with the branding to come with you very soon again, and there ain't one of the boys, as I think of them, that I'd exactly choose as a chaperon for a pretty girl like you."
They had been standing for a moment, while the brief argument as to their route proceeded, in front of a small fruit stand in the Mexican quarter of the picturesque city of San Antonio. The decision having been made, in Helen's favor, as usual, they strolled around the corner, the languorous strains of "Over the Waves," guiding their steps.
The kaleidescope colors, the unconsciously graceful poses, the picturesqueness of these dark-skinned descendants of proud old Spain, squalid and worthless as she knew them to be, fired the girl's imagination.
Here, among the unworthy representatives of the lordly caballeros of long
ago, the dead bones of history seemed fleshed over with reality. She wanted to see all the fascinating old city had to offer, but just now the Mexican quarter had her in its thrall, and Helen Eaymond, humored since babyhood, was wont to indulge her whims to the full.
If the idle Mexicans, lolling in doorways, or betting on the cock-fight to take place on the coming Sunday; the prematurely-aged women crying their wares, or stolidly plaiting; and the innumerable children of all sizes, and all stages of undress; attracted the girl, no less did she, a cool dainty vision in spotless white, claim the attention of the loungers of the quarter. They were accustomed to tourists, but dark eyes followed Ruth admiringly as she passed along with her father, who was known as Captain Jack Eaymond of the XL Ranch.
They had turned into a narrow street, little more than an alley, in search of the dreamy strains that had first caught Helen's attention. As they stood idly gazing at the scene, the musician arose from his seat on the doorstep of a barroom, and paying no heed to the newcomers, who had stopped at a distance, held out his hand to the loungers about, with a request for "el real." Several small coins were tossed him by the unkempt vagabonds; and, turning with indolent grace, he disappeared into the bar-room.
"Oh, I wanted to hear him play," pouted Helen.
"I spik to Tony, if the signorita wish," eagerly volunteered a bystander, but before he could cover himself with glory by serving the signorita, Tony reappeared with a cigarette between his white teeth.
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