The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1876-07-13

and had not come to this little half-civ
ilized California town to find q wife
even IL her voice was sweet and he
eyes full of magnetic light.
Margaret made no answer; she shool
and turned the pillow under her moth
er's head, changed the foot-rest, ant
went to the well and drew for the inva
lid a glass of water from the "coldes
corner"
"Thanks, DEAR" she said.
"Forgive me, MOTHER" said Marga'
ret, wistfully, as she took the glass.
"Yes," was the reply, a trifle impa
tent; but tell me what he looks like
"How can IP" she replied. &c.
never can describe people, mother"
"You could describe Gomez wei
enough when you first saw him." wa
the reply.
"Well," said Margaret, the bloom
deepening on her rounded cheeks, "ht
has black eyes, l think"
ais he tallP"
"N-no," hesitated Margaret, 81
think not"
as he handsomep"
"Ycs!" she answered promptly
ga least all the girls think 3d."
ado you think SOP"
"Y-yes," she hesitated again, &C.
think so, mother. There comes Gomez
Gomez was a "Greaser," dark.
skinned and understood. His devotion
to tall, fair Margaret Lily was the joke
of the neighborhood, and very funny to
all but the two chiefly concerned
Margaret was sorry; and Gomez, know.
ing he might as well be in love with the
Princess of the Moon, was in despair,
Nevertheless, he had accepted with de.
light an offer to milk the COW, attend to
the kitchen garden, and do odd chores
about the little black house; did he no,
by that means see his divinity twice q
dayP
Margaret handed him the milk-pail,
and proceeded to build the fire for sup.
per; dreaming over her work the pleas.
ATTEST dreams that had we risen in her
heart to make her happy.
Ralph Cranbourne's queer smile
would have ~broadened and fingered il
he could have known; her face looked
so full of peace that Gomez sat upon
the well-curb to smoke his cigarette,
where he could watch her; he always
liked to watch her cooking supper; per-
haps he dreamed queer dreams, too.
Sometimes Margaret caught a glimpse
of his black eyes, and turned back tc
her labor with a vague uneasiness; she
wished for q moment that they lived
nearer the little town, or had nearer
neighbors where they were; for Gomez
did not bear the best of regulations
and was suspected of riding at night il
strange company for an honest man.
When supper was ready she wheeled
in her mothers chair, and Gomez came
to the door, said in a brief "adois,'
and departed.
"When does the ball come off ?" ask,
| ed the mother.
"Next Friday"
care you going ?"
elf Mrs. Mill can come to stay with
you, l would like to-"
"What will you wear ?"
81 have little enough" replied Mar
garet, shut | must make that little do
"Your white dress P"
She nodded; then sighed, "If W,
were not so poor"
"You'll have beaux enough" answer
ed the mother, and, strange to say, the
words grated on Margaret's ear, ant
she managed to change the subject.
Yet it was true enough; the limp
white dress-starch was not an articl,
in common use ut Last Chance Digging
chung to her shapely form, and mad,
her look goddess-like in the eyes of he,
admirers; to the contrary, notwith
standing, Miss Tompkin's remark
"That dress looks like a rag"
The women who sat upon the rougl
benches around McKinstry's barn Dor,
little love to Margaret; her only de
fender was Matte Holmes. Years ago
when little Joe had walked out nearl
to the end of the dizzy plank which ha'
been used in some primitive way TO
raising hay into the barn loft, Marga
ret's eyes and Margaret's smile had wo,
him back, and the spring of gratitud
dubbed up in Mattie's heart cver after
all the more because little Joe had sick
ened and died the summer after and n
one could do aught for him again.
When C%ranbourne first met Margarei
and evidently felt the charm of he
eyes, Matte told him this story, and
fingered in his memory, so that ever
time he saw her there were moment
when he fancied that he saw in her fac
the same look which had coaxed tn
little boy back from his perilous plaC
when one startled word would hay
caused his death.
At the close Of the ball Cranbourn
asked Matte how her friend was goin
to get home.
"Father and I are going home wit
her," was the answer.
"Won't l do as wellP" he asket
coaxingly. "Your father doesn't wal
to take that long walk"
"Of course you will" said Maggi
delighted. "I'n tell pa"
Margaret's cheeks and eyes lighte
, up alike when he asked her, and
! smothered thought went up from h,
heart to heaven-albeit McKintry
, barn was hardly the place to pray in,
Thank you, my Father"
:, And when, the walk over, she we
into her tiny room, she fell upon h,
knees with a feeling that sho nev,
. dreamed Of before. "Oh, my Fathe
II It could bel"