New Orleans Republican., 1877-01-14

was less than half the truth, for Margaret |
was not quite in love, and the stfanger-
he had seen great deal of the world, ,and |
had not come to this little half civilized |
California town to find wife, even if her
voice was sweet and her eyes full Of mag |
netic light.
Margaret made no answer; she shook
and turned the pillow under her mothers
head, changed the foot-rest, and went to
the well and drew for the invalid glass
of water from the coolest corner"
Thanks, dear, she said.
''Forgive me, mother" said Margaret
wistfully, as she took the glass.
"Yes," was the reply, trile impatient;
'but tell me what he looks like.
''How can II" she replied. 81 never can
describe people, mother.
'fYou could describe Gomez we'll
enough when you first saw him, was the
reply.
deepening on her rounded cheeks, che
has black eyes, think"
s'Is he tall?"
''N-no, hesitated Margaret, 81 think
not"
"Is he handsome2"
eyes" she answered promptly ''at
least all the girls think So.
''Do you think so?"
s'Y-yes, she hesitated again, 81 think
so, mother. There comes Gomez.
Gomez was ''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, knowing he might as
| well be in love with the princess of the
moon, was in despair. Nevertheless, he
| had accepted with delight an offer to milk
the COW, attend to the kitchen garden,
and do odd chores about the little, black
/ house; did he not by that means see his
divinity twice day?
Margaret handed him the milk pail, and
| proceeded to build the fire for supper;
dreaming over her work the pleasantest
| dreams that had ever risen in her heart to
make her happy.
Ralph Cranbourne's queer smile would
| have broadened and fingered if 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; be always liked to watch her
cooking supper; perhaps he dreamed
queer dreams too.
Sometimes Margaret caught glimpse
of his black eyes, and turned back to her
labor with vague Ineasiness; she wished
for 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 in strange company for an
honest man.
When supper was ready she wheeled in
her mothers chair, and Gomez came to
the door, said in brief ''adios. and de-
parted.
'When does the ball come Off" asked
the mother.
Next Friday"
"Are you goingf"
eff Mrs. Mill can come to stay with
you, would like to.
"What will you weara"
81 have little enough" replied Mar
garet, ''but must make that little do"
"Your white dress?'
She nodded; then sighed, "If we were
not so poor"
you'll have beaux enough" answered
the mother, and, strange to say, the
words grated on Margaret's ear, and she
managed to change the subject.
Yet it was true enough; the limp-white
dress-starch was not an article in COM
mon use at Last Chance diggings- chung
to her shapely form and made her look
goddess-lilEe in the eyes Of her admirers
to the contrary notwithstanding, Miss
Tompkin's remark: 'sTbat dress looks
like rag"
The women who sat upon the rough
benches around McKintry's barn bore
little love to Margaret; her only defender
was Hattie Holmes. Years ago, when lit
tie Joe had walked out nearly to the end
of the dizzy plank which had been used
in some privitive way for raising hay into
the barn loft, Margaret's eyes and Marga-
ret's smiles had won him back, and the
spring Of gratitude bubbled up in Mattie's
heart ever after; all the more because lit
tie Joe had sickened and died the sum
mer after and no one could do aught for
him again.
When Cranbourne hrst met Margaret,
and evidently felt the charm of her eyes,
Matte told him this story, and it fingered
in his memory, so that every time he saw
her there were moments when he fancied
that he saw in her face the same look
which had coaxed the little boy back
from his perilous place where one startled
word would have caused his death.
At the close Of the ball Cranbourne
asked Matte how her friend was going to
get home.
Father and / are going home with
her, was the answer.
Wont do as well 2" he asked, coax.
ingly. .Your father doesn't want TO take
that long walk.
sOf course you viii, said Maggie, de.
lighted. ssf'll tell pa
Margaret's cheeks and eyes lighted ur
alike when he asked her, and smoth-
cred thought went from her heart Il
I heayen--albeit McKintry's barn was
hardly the place to pray in--"Thanl
you, my Father.
And when, the walk over, she went int
her tiny room, ahe fell upon her knees
with feeling that she had never dreamed
of before. sob, my Father, If it cotil6
be r
And so the weeks slipped into months
aud Margaret began 70 feel that youth
and lo4e made up the sum Of life; shs
could have fallen down and kigsed bill
very footprints When be went away from
the cottage door; and one night he pu
his axrns around her and told heg that b
loved ha.
al The stsanee COMPANY IN whicl
Gumez had been suspected Of riding bal
/ become strong and daring house aita
) / house had been surrounded, the men auf
. women tIad Or shot, and the conlontl
fiHed nuEdel Of p6ouliar atrocity
. committed BIZ these HoanI61 baudits hal
tsussa the f5lnafion 81 tieiIanc3 com
mfltss Ia which was enrolled eh1 nam,
) q e4slF able. Dcoleq n1an ln Last 0hAnc'
: ! UIrTNae ana the neAehhnfAo0a oEan