Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-12-01

be not paradoxical, severely practical and
inhuman1y iust. Falling foul Of some pre-
sumption of ,Miguel's, based upon his pre-
scriptive rights through long service on the
estate. with the recollection of her severity
toward his antagonist in her mind, she rated
, that trusted retainer with such pitiIess
equity and unfeminine logic that his hot
Latin blood chilled in his veins, and he
stood liVid on the road. Then, informing
Dick Shipley with equally relentless calm
that she might feel it necessary to change all
her foremen unless they could agree in har-
mony, she sought the digniied seclusion of
her castle. But her respected parents.
whose triumphant relief at the strangers
departure had emboldened them to await
her return in their porch with the bended
bows of invectivc and lifted javelins of ag-
gression. recoiled before the resistless helm
of this cold-broWed Minerva, who galloped
contemptuously past them.
Nevertheless, she sat late that night at
her desk. The cold moon looked down upou
her window and lit up the empty porch
where her silent guest had mutely watched
her. For a moment she regretted that he
had recovered his reason, exeusiDg herself
on the practical ground that he would never
have known his dependence, and he would
have been better cared for by her She felt
restless and uneasy, This slight divergence
from the practical groove in which her life
had been set had disturbed her in MANY
other things, and given her the first views
of the narrowness of 1t.
Suddenly she heard step in the porch.
The lateness of the hour, perhaps some
other reason, seemed to startle her, and she
half rose. The next moment the figure of
Miguel appeared at the doorway, and witha
quick, hurried look around him and at the
open window he approached her. He was
evidently under great excitement, his hol-
low shaven cheek looked like a vaxen efigv
in the mission church; his yellow, tobacco
stained eye glittered like phosphorescent
amber, his lank gray hair was damp and
perspiring. The young girl cast q
hurried glance at the open window and at
the gun which stood in the corner, and then
confronted him with clear and steady eyes,
but paler cheek.
All, he began in Spanish, which he him
self had taught her as a child, it was q
strange thing, his coming there tonight; but
then, mother Of God ! it was q strange, q
terrible thing that she had done to him-old
Miguel, her uncle's servant; he that had
known her as a muehacha; he that had lived
all his life at the ranche-ay, and whose
fathers before him had lived there all their
lives and driven the cattle over the verv
spot where she now stood, before the thiev-
ing Americans came here But he would
be calm; yes, the sonora should find him
calm, even as she was when she told him to
60. He would not speak. No, he-Miguel
would contain himself; yes, he had mas
tered himself, but could he restrain others 4?
All, yes, others-that was it. Could he keep
Manuel and Pepe and Dominguez from
talking to the millman-that leaking sieve,
that Cabling brute of .Shipley, for whose
sake she had cast of her old servant that
very day.
She looked at him with cold establishment.
but without fear. Was he drunk with
sguardiente, or had his jealousy turned his
brain? He continued gasping, but still
pressing his hat against his breast
All. he saw it ALI Yes, it was to-day, the
day he left. Yes, she had thought it safe to
cast Miguel off now-now that he was gonei
Without in the least understanding him,
the color had leaped to her cheek, and the
of it made her furious.
"How dare you?" she said passionately.
''What has that stranger to do with my
affairs or your insolence?"
He stopped and gazed at her with GER
tain admirjng loyalty. "Ah, sO," he said,
with deep breath, ''the sonora is the niece
Of her uncle. She does well not to fear him
"a dog"-with slight shrug-"who is
more than repaid by the senora's condescen-
sion. He dare not speak,"
"Who dare not speak Are YOU mad ?''
She stopped with sudden terrible instinct
of apprehension. Miguel. {" she said in her
deepest voice, "answer me, command you'll
Do you know anything of this man?''
It was MiguePs turn to recoil from his
mistress. "Ahl my God, is it possible the
,enora has not suspect"
"SuspectP' said Josephine haughtily, al
oeit her proud heart was beating quickly.
Il suspect nothing. command you to tell |
ne what you know"
Miguel turned with q rapid gesture and |
,losed the door. Then, drawing her away
rom the window, he said in q hurried |
Whisper:
''I know that that man has not the name |
II Baxterl I know that he has the name of |
Randolph, young gambler, who have won |
large sum at Sacramento, and, fearing to |
,e robbed by those he won Of, have walk to
limselt through the road in disguise OF q |
miner. 1 know that your brother Estaban
lave decoyed him here. and have fallen on
lim."
'Stopl" said the young girl, her eyes,
which had been fixed with the agony of con-
riction, suddenly flashing with the energy
f despair. "And you call yourself the
ervant Of my uncle. and dare say this of
lis nephew?"
eyes, sonora, broke out the old man pas
ionately. 'It is because am the servant
f your uncle that /, and alone. dare say |
/ to you'll It is because I perjure my soul,
nd have perjured my soul to deny it else
7here, that now. dare to say It'll It is be-
ause 1, your servant, knew it from one of
IL. r
ause I, Miguel, knew that your brother
1as not far away that night, and because /,
1hom you would dismiss, have picked up |
his pocketbook of Randolph's and your
rother's ring which he have dropped and !
ave found beneath the body Of the man
on sent me to fetch"
He drew a packet from his bosom and /
ossed it on the desk before her.
'And why have you not told me this be-
PREP" said Josephine, passionatelY.
Miguel shrugged his shoulders.
ssWhat good Possibly this dog Ran
olph would die. Possibly he would live
8 a lunatic. Possibly would happen what
as happened The sonora is beautiful.
he American has eyes. If the Dona jose
hines beauty shall finish what the silly
Don Esteban's arm have began--what mat
sr ?''
"Stop r. cried Josephine, pressing her
ands across her shuddering eyes. Then,
her white and set face, she said
lpidly: SADDLE my horse and your own
once. Then take your choicel Come
18th me and repeat all that you have said
, that man, or leave this ranch forever.
or if 1 live I shall 60 to him tonight and
III the whole story"
The old man cast single glance at his
listresseshrugged his shoulders, and with
ut q word left the room. But in ten min
tes they were on their way to the county