The record-union., 1891-03-29

guitar in hand, crossed the porch quietly,
and seated herself on the stone step, as
she had sat before evening after evening
She sang the pretty Spanish airs she was
accustomed to sing to her own accompani-
ment; and though sometimes her voice
grew very faint as the sick dread of what
was before her swept across her mind,
she persevered, and with heavy heart
entertained the little household. They
had all at this time gathered upon the
long porch, as was their custom; her
father was wont to sit by her side smok-
ing and listening, and now and then be-
tween his cigaritos make her happy with
his easy phrases Of praise. But this even
ing he soon rose and lett her, Joined the
group of ranch hands in dark corner of
the doorway, and under cover of Juana's
songs, exchanged murmured question
and answer with them.
The gray twilight deepened into night.
Soon the moon arose over the eastern
mountains, casting on everything such a
flood OF yellow light as only California
knows. The sombre group in the corner
had relapsed into a moody silence.
Juana's guitar sank into her lap, and the
hush was broken only by the sound of
crickets and the cry from time to time of
night-hawk flying across the orchard.
The girl was watching the moon creep
up the sky, and counting the minutes, as
she had already counted them over and
over during the day. Her breath caught
in her throat, but she rose silently and
carried her guitar into the house. AS she
passed her father she paused:
THE moon is SO bright, mi padren she
said, II would go out for a little lope
with Pedro.''
She had been permitted more than once
before to ride thus about the ranch lanes,
or for short distance along the safe
neighboring road, on bright moonlight
evenings: Indeed, her father had never
1nterfered much with her movements,
and their simple ranch life, not unaffected
by American customs, was free from
strict rules. Pablo nodded without re-
moving his cigarito, and the girl passed
on.
She put away her guitar, twisted scarf
over her head, and let herself out at the
back door, carrying her bride in her
hand. A little relieved by the possibility
of action, and the removal Of need for
set-reStraint, she fastened at rapid pace
up the path she had trodden early that
morning, light-hearted and unsuspect-
ing child, to visit and pet her favorite.
She reached the old fence and whistled
clearly across the moonlit pasture once
and again, and presently Pedro came
trotting to her. With trembling hands
she undid the hay rope and pushed open
the sagglng gate, and the little horse
walked through, knowing well enough
that she wanted him. She fastened the
gate with mechanical care, then putting
one hand lightly on Pedro's name, she
quickly adjusted the bride, scrambled to
his back-she had been on Pedro's back
without saddle too often to waste time
now in arranging any such adjunct-and
turned him down the baranca. In a few
minutes she reached road that skirted
the base of the hill-then leaning forward
on Pedro's neck, she spoke to him and
shook the bride, and sent him flying
down the road at his best speed.
Breathlessiy the girl watched the trees
fly by. The road followed the hills for
half mile before it struck a cross-road.
Already, Juana knew, the men were at
their posts below the spot where the stage
road touched her fathers ranch. A fear
less rider at all times, she seemed utterly
SO now, as without drawing rein she
wheeled into tho rough and imperfect
old cross-road and dashed down it. 1t
was only used by teams in winter and
was kept in no order, but the little mus
tang took his way swiftly and surely over
the unyielding ruts of hardened adobe
and half-buried powders.
After what seemed to Juana an inter-
minable time, the reckless pair reached
the dusty stage road safely. Here they
turned and cantered easily up the road to
meet the oncoming stage, no sign of
which yet appeared. Juana gazed eagerly
before her, watching for the expected
cloud OF dust, but they had cantered on
mile and u half without adventure before
it appeared, and Pedro came to full stop
to await it.
The dust moved down upon the waiting
pair by the roadside, and as it came near
Juana saw that it inclosed not the stage,
but only a Spanish family, returning
from days marketing in Santa Bar
bara. In the dusty moonlight they
seemed almost wierd in their picturesque
ness. The whole family was in the long
wagon, from the sonora in her gay shawl
and senorita in gayer bonnet down
through ragged smaller members to the
ugly little terrier-who, with his shriil
bark and contradicting tail, is indis-
pensable to the happiness OF the Spaniard
en- fdmiGEe.
looked again up the empty road, from
which the dust slowly cleared away. Her
heart almost stopped beating as the fear
shot across her that she had miscalculated
the time and came too late, after all. If
she had missed the stage, by now her
father was branded for ever criminal;
their name was shamed, whether the
world ever knew it or not. Suddenly
she uttered joyful exclamation, for
there around the bend in the road ap-
peared the stage, unmistakable this time,
through the cloud of dust, and loaded
with people.
The driver reined in his horses sud-
denly at Juana's violent gesticulations to
stop-so suddenly, indeed, that they were
dragged back upon their haunches-and
started with amazement at the girl and
the horse. The passengers, startled at
the abrupt stoppage, broke into ques-
tons and CALCULATIONS as they recovered
their balance, and leaned out to hear
what was said.
l,t1t oh Il IL -
an audience, yet she was too desperately
set in her purpose to hesitate in her
speech. In her fluent English, touched
with the accent the child keeps who
speaks another language at home, she
poured out her story-not the real story,
perhaps-Juana's ethical training did not
include the absolute necessity of rigid
yeracity-but one that served its purpose
of warning as well, and gave the driver
no room to suspect either her father or his
ranch hands, all of them well-known
characters in Carpenteria.
1t made profound sensation in the
stage company. AS soon as she ceased,
one and another of the women cried out
that they would not go past the ambush.
They started to theiT feet, insisting that
they be allowed to alight on the spot.
The driver, who had no intention of stay
ing where he was till morning, asked
none too politely whether they intended
to stay there in the middle of the road
while he went on ana left them. Com
PEELED by this counter terror to remain in
their seats, they clung to each other, in
terchanging their alarm and indignation,
while the driver and the men among the
passengers counted firearms and laid
plans for defense, should an attack be
made. Finally, AZ crack of the long
whip the horses started and the stage
rolled away again down the road.
Meanwhile. Juana had sat still upon
her horse by the side of the road, under
standing but little of the rapid confusion