The uncle and aunt gave fully half the beans to Arturo, and, being hungry, he ate them.

Tia Marta ate little, and urged the rest of the beans on tio Diego.
After supper, the aunt repeated with devout cheerfulness those Spanish sayings, "God sends the sore, and knows the medicine," and "God sends the cold according to our rags." She believed that God would help.
Arturo thought of the twenty-five cents in his pocket.

He looked at old tio Diego.

Arturo wondered if his uncle were really hungry.
Beans! Twenty-five cents would buy beans enough for a number of days.

But it would be such a downfall to buy only beans with that twenty-five cents! Tia Marta would probably find some washing soon, and would buy beans herself.