- The villagers called Marachita (Claire McDowell) "The Senorita Shrew", but to Juan (Harry Mann), a carver of wooden images, she was a saint in disguise, and he had carved a small model of Marachita. Huanto (Dick Ryan), of the Rurales, was loved by both Marachita and Guella (Gypsy Hart), daughter of the tortilla maker and Marachita's only competition in the village of Poldique. Trouble is stirred up when Huanto presents Guella's mother a black-lace mantilla because of her wonderful tortillas, and the old woman, when Huanto was out of sight, told Guella to put it on so people would think Huanto had given it to her. Marachita thinks so and is filled with fury. She tells Juan if he will get her a finer mantilla, she would be his sweetheart...a promise she has no intention of keeping...and on that spells doom for Juan.—Les Adams <longhorn1939@suddenlink.net>
- The villagers called Marachita "The Senorita Shrew," but to Juan she was a saint in disguise. Juan carved wooden images, and had carved a small model of Marachita. Huanto of the Ruales was loved by both Marachita and Guella, daughter of the tortilla-maker, and Marachita's only rival in Poldique. Trouble was stirred up when Huanto presented Guella's mother with a black lace mantilla, because of her wonderful tortillas. The old woman, as soon as Huanto was out of sight, told Guella to put the mantilla on so that people would think Huanto had given it to her. Marachita, that night at a fete, saw the mantilla. Fury blazed in her eyes. When she left the crowd, Juan followed her. He cringed beneath her wrath, while she sneered and told him if he would get her a mantilla finer than Guella's she would be his sweetheart. Juan remembered the words of a tourist, who looking at a picture in the mission, had remarked that it could be sold anywhere for several hundred dollars. He promised Marchita that in three days she should have a mantilla, finer than Poldique had seen. That night he cut away the picture and hastened to Calino to sell it. Next morning the Angelus failed to greet the rising sun; the people could not fathom the mystery, until they were informed by the Padre of the theft. Marachita told them that Juan had stolen it to buy her a mantilla. Juan soon pawned the picture for a beautiful mantilla and ten pesos, which be intended to put on the shrine before the virgin as he returned to Poldique. It was three days later when Juan came to the little shrine, weary and famished. As he knelt to put the money on the shrine, the men waiting for Juan approached and one of them ran his dagger through him. Huanto was due again that day in San Poldique. As he rode along through the pass, he came across the body of Juan. He saw the mantilla, which he tore from Juan's hand, picked up the money, and started on his way again. The men told of the death of Juan. Marachita was not even interested. Soon Huanto rode in and stopped at Marachita's hut. She told him that having given Guella the mantilla, he had no time to bother with her. Huanto laughed, delighted with her jealousy, and then told the truth about the mantilla, Guella saw the two, and was furious. Huanta offered the mantilla Juan had brought to Marachita and kissed her. As he did so, the shadow of a buzzard hovered over them. Exclaiming, "You, the mantilla and the coins are all accursed," he left her. She drew off the mantilla, and hanging it beside her door, went into her house.
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