The weekly messenger. [volume] (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.) 1886-1948, 1889-02-16
ON A MOUNTAIN.


looksf Garcia wondered. Sh, was ia
clined to give a man credit for vAai:y,
or any other little idiosy ncrasy he might
possess Joe M.scayal dill not know
that he mi hit have posed ccc1>.uliy
or charming bi. OF south cou try life.
lie knew, OF coursc, that liz w N.nd-
sofrc, and that til, water II, G.a2i. rom
juan S.pu.vala's Ola was cool AID
clear. The water jar hu1; in 4 :u sc
pepper tree, and the icr@-.ii,9 5otacc
with its feath,ry blossom, Gl0opcl
nearly to the ground, framing jose il =
c.cen arbor, through W.: i the s"n
:.iated. Josc's shirt WAS a snowy
white, AMI the vivii scarlet aid yellow
handkercLi-: knottcI loo,c.y around
his throa. gave richer cJ.Oria,; to his
swarthy cheek. 4 vile som 5Iero COW
cred his black Il ir, bat dill net hide
the fl .shiac gla1c the dark eyes cast
toward Glrcia's hammocI. The hand
that held the Sourl was small and
.hapcly, ard there was in his salute all
the grace OF tae Spanish cavalier, whose
blue blood. much diluted, flowed in his
veins. Miss Waldo flushed little ul-
Ter that grandiioquelt bow. Guiityl
Perhaps. She had spent moro hours
than she liked to remember, louaging
on the wide gallery or swiyi1g lazily
in the hammock, strung up in the big
nlu, gums; listening through the drift
ing, sunny day; 10 the love tales Of cd
Spain, rctold with many embellish-
ments by this young romancer, who hal
never journeyed hundred miles from
his mountain home.
Josc's bee ranch up the canyon did
not occupy much of his time, and, while
his many legged servants blurred and
aborcd, he brought out hi, choicest
store Of sweet sayings for Garcias de-
ectatiol.
Years ago, before Miss Waldo's blue
eyes had looked very far into lifes
mysteries, both her parents had died OF
consumption. The care of the little
girl hid fallen on her fathers eldest
sister, who was in constant worry lest
Garcia should suffer tho same fate.
They had como from their eastern home
in search OF hea tn, in the little foothill
village, ne tied in the shadows OF the
Sierra Madras. Herr nature ran riot in
,loriou, profusion and sky and earth
were alike brilliant in brightest hucs.
Garcia had been SO tired Of her color
ess surroundings; the gray sky; the
snow covered earth; her aunts pale.
ness Of age, and her own dlmmed
beauty, that she refused to return home,
although the October days with their
wealth OF fruit had come again, and
her health was almost entirely restored.
Mis- Wa,do's aunt did not take kind.
ly to the gallant Jose, and his occasion.
| al performances upon tho mandolin she
utterly di'apprOved. She came to the
door on the afternoon il question with
evident depreciation OF the pretty tab.
icau.
"IIav, you written to Stephen
todayf' she demanded, and Carols
came out from the ruins OF Alham bra,
where she had been wandering in imaci
nation, and recognized tho hostile
CLEAN of her aunt's spectaclcs.
Jose departed with alacrity, and Gar
cia prepared un willingly to enter tn
house.
"When an unpleasant fact is thre
thousand miles away" she grumbled
at is very disagrecable to be remin dee
OF it." She fell to wondering HOY
Stephen would look in a somb-o-o an
a rcd muffler. She shuddcrcd 9
the thought.
Fancy him at bull fight with
guitar tied on with red and yello'
ribbons. Oh, dcarl why is his hal
such pale brown and his mou'tache
feeble. What a very unpleasant heigh
six feet three is tor man."
At any rate she was glad she Ia
only partly promised to marry him
How could o girl threatened with tupel