San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-03-02

me, and though l entreated their company
to the city, they utterly refused. there
fore set out alone.
"You can imagine my desolation at be-
ing left, even by the desperate, black hued
men who had been my companions so far.
Even they had some sense of humanity in
them, some sympathy for my loneliness,
though it was moody, silent sympathy.
But now was alone, strange city that |
did not know before me, the Andes behind
me. If was ever homesick in my life it
was on that morning. If l ever wished
were at home with a wife and children
about me, that was the time AS tramped
on dreamed of all these things. care
fully recalled all the young ladies of my
acquaintance, to see if any of them would
do for a wife. Some were more or less at
tractive, but there were many difficulties
in the way of really marrying any one of
them. After time ] turned from con-
sideration of the individual female to a
consideration of the money question. That
seemed less doubtful, for l had begun to
know my own powers and to trust them.
then and there resolved that would work
no longer for another master, but go into
business for myself when returned to San
Francisco. had little capital laid by,
and, of course, there were many schemes
for using it profitably already formed in
my mind. may be pardoned for saying
that my resolve was carried out, though
perhaps not as had hoped.
ct was evening when reached the city,
with its narrow streets and low, leaf
matched houses, rudely and weakly built,
but having some show of neatness on the
inside. All the buildings seemed alike,
and there were no stores or big signs of
hotels or restaurants. The dusky, half
savage people stared coldly at me, and
made me feel more alone thane ever. I wan
dered along, hoping to see familiar sign
of some sort. at least some show of de-
cent nights lodging and good square
meal. The tough looking guides on the
other side of the mountains had robbed me
of most of my money, but had little
left. Yet it was growing dusk and did
not know what to do, for could not speak
the ordinary patois of the people to make
any inquiries.
"At last, however, my happy eyes saw
the Spanish word for Restaurant printed
on a slip of white paper with lead pencil
and stuck in a glass window. Without
ceremony I entered. There was a large
room of rough, plain boards, and in the
middle of it one long table covered with a
white cloth. At first thought there was
no one present. But as | grew used to the
faint light made out the form of girl
sitting at the farther end of the table, with
her head buried in her arms / gave loud
grunt to attract her attention, and she
quickly raised her head. AS we'll as could
see thought she was good looking and
young woman. Vaguely felt happy and
wondered what language she spoke. As
resolved in my mind the possible methods
of finding this out and was about to begin
with English and try all knew, picked
up an earthen plate, and as toyed with it
on the table tn my youthful embarrass-
ment, accidentally let it fall to the floor,
where it broke in several pieces, much to
my establishment. At this the girl started
quickly to her feet in little fright, ex-
claiming very distinctly:
"'Graciousp
$50 she was English. In my delight at
the discovery forgot all about the plate,
but stepped quickly forward and took her
hand, not quite without embarrassment,
and explained, as briefly as could, who
was and what wanted. You may be sure
she was as delighted to see me as to see
her. For whole year the only kindred
face she had seen was her fathers, and
that, she remarked, was covered with a
shaggy beard. She confessed that when l
came in she was shedding few tears of
inconsistencies herself, and wondering il no
friend would come to her, or if her father
could not be persuaded to take her back to
Cuba, where her home had been.
"Ithink was never happier in my life
than was that night. We two seemed to
have come to each other at just the mo-
ment that each was most welcome, and we
found our thoughts so alike and our tastes
so congenial that we sat and talked full
hour before my hungry stomach even had
a chance to assert itself. You may be sure l
was well served with good supper, as hot
and steaming and dainty as an English
girl could make it. Then when we had
spent another hour in eating it and chat
ting over it, and | had helped clear the
dishes away and wash them, and my friend
had decided to let the sweeping go until
the morning, because must start early,
the old father, a bluff, taciturn man. came
in and Joined the conversation with u.s.
and | quite forgot my WEAKNESS until it
was very late.
my new found friend, the old gentle
man, was person of some authority in the
place, and offered to provide me with an
escort of twelve mounted men to Buenos
Ayres, which was some 900 miles across
open plains where two hostile tribes were
at war, Each tribe had cockade as
badge-one of red, the other of white. By
having both of these sorts of cockades in
our pockets and dexterously pulling out
the right one when company of armed
men approached us we hoped to pass all
lines safely, and the event proved happy,
though we had some narrow escapes
"When was ready to start in the morn
ing suddenly, half jokingly, asked the