San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-09-01

ner uengnU, ii lew steps rurtner Droisgz5
her into current of the trade wind and
a cooler atmosphere. And a short dis
lance beyond there certainly was the
shed from which the hammering pro-
ceeded She approached it boldly.
1t was simply roof upheld by rude
uprights and cross beams and open to
the breeze that swept through it, At
one end was a small blacksmith's forge,
some machinery and what appeared to
be part of a small steam engine. Midway
of the shed was a closet or cupboard fast
ened with large paddock. Occupying its
whole length on the other side was work
bench, and at the further end stood the
| workman she had heard.
He was apparently only a year or two
older than herself, and clad in blue jean
| overalls, bla",,ened and smeared with oil
| and coal dust. Even his youthful face,
which ne turned toward her. had a black
| smudge running across it, and almost OBJ
literating a small auburn mustache. The
look Of surprise that he gave her, however,
| quickly passed. He remained patiently and
in half preoccupied way holding his ham,
| mer in his hand as she advanced. This was
| evidently the young fellow who could do
| anything that could be done with wood
and IRON"
She was very sorry to disturb him, but
could he tell her how long it would be be-
fore the wagon could be brought up and
mended? He could not say that until he
himself saw what was to be done. If it
was only matter of wheel he could fix
it up in few moments; If, as he had been
told, 1t was case Of twisted or bent axle
1t would take longer, but it would be here
| very soon. And tben-would he let her
wait here, as she was very anxious to know
at once--and it was much cooler than in
that other shedS Certainly; he would go
over and bring her bench. But here she
begged he wouldn't trouble himself; she
could sit anywhere comfortably.
The lower end of the workbench was
covered with clean and odorous shavings.
She lightly brushed them aside, and with
youthful movement swung herself to a
seat upon it, supporting herself on one
| hand as she leaned toward him. She
could thus see that his eyes were of light
yellowish brown, like clarified honey, with
a singular look of clear concentration in
them, which, however, was the same
| whether turned upon his work, the sur
rounding grain or upon her. This, and
| his sublime Inconsistencies of the smudge
across his face and his blackened hands,
| made her wonder if the man who could do
everything with wood and iron was above
doing anything with water. She had half
a mind to tel him of it, particularly as she
noticed also that his throat below the line
of sunburn disclosed by his open collar
was quite white and his grimy hands well
hn W a
would be affronted if she said in her polit-
est way II beg your pardon, but do you
know you have quite accidentally got
something on your face?" and offer her
handkerchief, which of course he would
decline, when her eye fell on the steam en-
gine.
"How odd! Do you use that on the
| farm?"
No-he smiled here. the smudge accent
ing it, and setting off his white teeth in a
| Christy minstrel fashion that exasperated
her-no. Although it could be used and
had been. But it was his first effort, made
two years ago, when he was younger and
more inexperienced. 1t was rather rough
thing, she could see, but he had to make it
at odd times with what iron he could pick
up or pay for, and at different FORCES where
he worked
She begged his pardon-where?-
Where he worked.
All, then he was the machinist or en-
gineer hereS
No, he worked here just like the others,
only he was allowed to put up forge
while the grain was green, and have his
bench, in consideration of the odd jobs he
could do in the way of mending tools, etc.
There was heap of mending and welding
TO do-she had no idea how quickly agri-
cultural machines got out of order! He
had done much of his work on the steam
engine on moonlit nights. Yes; she had
no idea how perfectly clear and bright it
was here in the valley on such nights,
although of course the shadows were very
dark, and when he dropped a screw or
nut it was difficult to find. He had worked
there because it saved time and because Il
didn't cost anything, and he had nobody
to look on or interfere with him. No; it
was not lonely; the coyotes and wild cats
sometimes came very near but were always
more surprised and frightened than he
was, and once a hOrseman who had strayed
off the distant road yonder mistook him
for an animal and shot at him twice.
He told all this with such freedom from
embarrassment and with such apparent
Inconsistencies Of the blue eyes that were
following him and the light, graceful fig
ure-which was so near his own that in
some of his gestures his grimy hands al
most touched its delicate Garments-that,
accustomed as she was to a certain mascu-
line alteration in her presence, she was
greatly amused by his naive acceptance of
her as an equal. Suddenly looking frank
" in her face he said
am chow Won a SaCrat If Won cara RI