Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: II A-MARKETING IT was not every day, by any means, that Lucita had a live prince to play with. Indeed, her little playmates were nearly all girls. There were Pancha de Herrera’s brother and Dick Merton, to be sure, but Dick was a whole two years older, and Pablo,?well, he was just Pancha’s brother. Petra’s little boy, Alejandro, did not count. You could not play with an Indian. His place was to run errands and to take care of the drove of donkeys Dona Maria let to the turistas to ride. When he had time, he also went to school. I think, Lucita confided to her mother the morning after the prince’s visit, I think the prince is the only boy I ever really did like. Please, couldn’t you fix that I have a brother one day, just like him? Lucita’s mother smiled. It may be?some day.
Some day soon, please, begged Lucita. And from that time began her dream of Little Brother, a little brother who would play with her always, and always be her prince. But not every day was even a play day for Lucita. She, as well as the grown-ups, had her share of household tasks. This very morning a knocking at the gate interrupted her talk with her mother. She ran to open it. Outside stood an Indian woman, barefooted, with a blue shawl wound around her shoulders. Good morning, mnita she said. Will you buy some flowers ? She threw back the blue and white fringe of her shawl to show the bunches of yellow roses and pansies and forget- me-nots on her tray. They are very cheap, nihita.
How much? returned Lucita, as she smelled the fresh roses. How much for these ?
Ten cents, said Catalina with a smile. Every morning she came with her flowers, and every morning the same bargaining took place. No, said Lucita, as she did every day; that is too much. I will giv…