Connecticut western news., 1888-12-26
ON A MOUNTAIN.

'Does he know how picturesque he looks7" Garcia wondered. Sh, was in- clined to give man credit for vanity, or any other little idiosyncrasy he might possess. Joe Mscaral dil not know that he mi sht haYo posed successfully for charming bit of south country life. He knew, of course, that he was hand . some, and that tho water ho drank from Juan Sepulvadas olla was cool and clear. Tho water jar hung in a hugo pepper tree, and the fern-liko foliage with its feathsry blossoms dropped nearly to the ground, framing Jose ia a green arbor, through which tho sun gliated. Joso's shirt was snowy white, and the vivid scarlet and yellow handkerchief knotted loosely around his throat gavc richer coloring to his swarthy cheek. A wide mbrero cov- cred his black h ir, but did not hide the fishing glauces the dark eyes cast toward Garcias hammock. The hand that held tho gourd was small and shapely, and there was in his salute all the grace of the Spanish cavalier, whose blue blood. much diluted, flowed ia his veins. Miss Waldo flushed little u1- der that grandiloqueat bow. Gui.tyl Perhaps She had spent more hours than she liked to remember, louagin 2 on tho wide gallery or swaying lazily in tho hammock, strung up in the big bluo gums; listening through the drift ing, sunny days to the lovo tales of old Spain, retold with many embellish- ments by this young romancer, who had never journcycd hundred miles from his mountain home.
 Joscs bee ranch up the canyon did not occupy much of his tim,, and, while his many legged servants buzz,d and laborod, he brought out hi, choicest store of sweet sayings for Garcias de- lectatioa.
 Years ago, before Miss Waldo's blue eyes had looked very far into lifo s mysteries, both her parents had died of consumption. The care of the littlo | cirl h,d fallen on her fathers eldest =, who was ia constant worry lest Garcia should suff.r the same fate. They had como from their eastern homo in search Of hoa.th, in the little foothil village, ne tiled in tn, shadows of thu Sierra Madras. Hero naturo ran riot i. glorious profusion and sky and eartl werc alike brilliant ia brightest hu,s | Garcia had been 80 tired of her color less surroundings; tho gray sky; thu snow covered earth; her aunts palc ness of age, and her own dimmcc beauty, that she refused to return home although the October days with thci wealth of fruit had como again, ane her health was almost entirely restored | Mi Wa,do's aunt dil not take kind ly to the gallant Jose, and his occasion al performances upon the mandolin sh utterly disapproveI. She came to tn door on the afternoon ia question witl evident depr reciation of the pretty tab | lcau.
 "Hav, you written to Stephol todaya' she demanded, and Garci came out from tho ruins of Alham bra whero she had been wandering in imagi nation, and recognized the hostll gleam of her auat's spectacles.
 1 Jose departed with alacrity, and Gar cia prepared uuwillingly to enter th house.
 ''When an unpleasant fact is thre thousand miles away" she grumbled 'ft is very disagrceab!e to bo remin de, of it.' She fell to wondering ho, Stephen would look in sombrcro an red muffi r. Sho shuddered a the thought.
 Fancy him at bull fight with
 guitar tied on with red and yello, ribbons. Oh, dear! why is his hai such pale brown and his moustache S feeble. What very unpleasant neigh six feet three is tor man."
 At any rate she was glad she ha ouiy paIIy pioullSeo to marry nlm How could girl threatened with tuber cles1 She took last look at tho mou tains. How Garcia loved those noun tainsl When their highest peak caught the first smile of the mornia 2 when sun and shade flashed at noonda over their brown sides; when the su said "good night and hid them in
 soft purple haz,; when the 'cloud came down to rest' and shrouded the in green mlst; evor changing, ye always the same, Garcia lovod them an had dreamed dreams of the happy tim when she should explore those hiddc canyons
 ! At hotel down the street, @ liv T : widow and her sister boarded. Garci considered them charming acquein ances, but her aunt held them in col , displeasure, mostly on account of wh, she termed tho widows ''flirty' way. but she had been beguilei into promi ias, in . mensat sf wssknssa th, sS. ss X sSsss