The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-04-30

and honest natured ranch girl. AS she
crept carefully away she was helplessly
overwhelmed by the knowledge of his un-
worthiness of her love and respect.
But almost at once reaction came, and
a passionate resolution rose within her
mind. 1t should not bel 1t had not hap
pened yeti should not. Some one must
prevent it, yet there was no one but her
self to do it.
BY the time she stepped firmly once more
upon the garden path her mind was made
up. She knew the uselessness OF appeal to
her father. She had no confidante among
the women of the ranch to whom she
dared to breathe such a secret. All the
long, slow day it seemed eating her very
soul out. All her sweet old time confidence
in her father was gone, and when from
time to time, as was his demonstratlve
Spanish way with his pretty daughter, he
drew her to him with caresses, she could
respond with no joyousness.
At last the long day came to close.
The evening meal was ended; the after sup
per work was done Juana came out from the
house into the broad porch, guitar in hand,
crossed the porch quietly and seated her
self on the stone step, as she had sat before
pretty Spanish airs she was accustomed to
sing to her own accompaniment; 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 a heavy heart entertained the lit
tie household They had all gathered upon
the long porch, as was their evening GUS
tom; her father was wont to sit by her side
nv,I hon
between his cigarettes making her happy
with his easy phrases of praise. But this
evening he soon rose and left 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
food of yellow light as only California
knows. The somber group in the corner
had relapsed into 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.
1.-The moon is so bright, father" she said,
"I would go out for little lope with
Pedro"
She had been permitted more than once
before to ride thus about the ranch lanes,
or for a short distance along the safe neigh
boring road, on bright moonlight even
ings Indeed, her father never interfered
much with her movements, and their
simple ranch life, not unaffected by Amer
lean customs, was free from strict rules.
Pablo nodded without removing his cigar
cite, 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 briddle in her
hand A little relieved by the possibility
of action and the removal of need for self
restraint, she FASTENED at rapid pace up
the path she had trodden early that
morning, a light hearted and uDsuspecting
child, to visit and pet her favorite.
She reached the old fence, and whistled
clearly across the moonlit pasture once
ting to her. With trembling hands she
undid the hay rope and pushed open the
sagging 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 ad-
justed the bride, scrambled to his back
she had been on Pedro's back without a
saddle too often to waste time now in ar
ranging any such adjunct-and started.
In few minutes she reached a 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. 4.
Breathlessly the girl watched the trees
fly by The road followed the hills for half
a mile before it struck crosSroad AL
ready Juana knew the men were at their
post, below the spot where the stage road
touched her fathers ranch. A fearless
rider at all times, she seemed utterly SO
now, as without drawing rein she wheeled
into the rough and imperfect old crossroad
and dashed down it. 1t was only used by
teams in winter and was kept in no order,
but the little mustang took his way swift
ly 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 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 road side, and Us it came near
Juana saw that it inclosed not the stage,
but only Spanish family returning from
a days marketing in Santa Barbara. In
the dusty moonlight they seemed almost
weird in their picturesqueness. The whole
family was in the long wagon. from the
young woman in gay bonnet, down through
ragged smaller members to the ugly little
terrier-who with his shrill bark and con-
tradicting tail is indispensable to the
Spanish household.
The wagon toiled past. and Juana looked
again up the 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 Ii
she had missed the stage. by now her father
was branded forever a criminal; their
name was shamed, whether the world ever
knew it or not. Suddenly she uttered a
joyful exclamation. for around the bend in
the road appeared the stage-unmistakable
this time through the cloud of husband
loaded with people.
The driver reiued in his horses suddenly
at Juana's violent gesticulatious 10 stop
sosCddenly, indeed, that they were dragged
back upon their haunches-and stared
with amazement at the girl and the horse.
The passengers, startled at the abrupt
stoppage, broke into questions and ejacu-
lori bac their balance