Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-01-26


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 wife. Some were more or less at
tractiye, but there were many difficulties
in the way of really marrying any one Of
them. After a time ! turned from CON
sideration Of the individual female to a
consideration Of the money question. That
seemed less doubtful, for / 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 proftably already formed in
my mind. may be parioned for saying
that my resolve was carried out, though
perhaps not as had hoped
1t was evening when reached the CITY.
with its narrow streets AMI 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 coidly az me, and
made me feel more alone than ever | wan
dered along. hoping to see familiar sign
OF some sort, at least some show of q de
cent nights lodging and a good square
meal The tough looking guides on the
other side of the mountains had robbed me
OF most Of my money but | had a little
left. Yet 1t was growing dusk and did
not know what to do, for could not sneak
the ordinary patOis OF the people to make
any inquiries
AT last, however, my happy eyes saw
the Spanish word for Restaurant printed
on slip Of white paper with lead pencil
and stuck in glass window Without
ceremony | entered. There was a large
room Of rough, plain boards, and in the
middle Of it one long table covered with 4
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 n loud
grunt 10 attract her attention, and she
quickly raised her head. As well as could
see thought she was good looking and
a young woman. vaguely felt happy and
wondered what language she spoke. As l.
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 in my youthful embarrass-
ment. | accidentally let it fall to the floor,
where ii broke in several pieces, much to
my asJOniShmeat. At this the girl started
quickly TO her feet in a little fright. ex-
claiming very distinctly.
Gracious"
so She was English. In my delight at
the discovery forgot ali about the plate,
but stepped quickly forward and took her
hand, not quite without embarrassment,
and explained, rs briefly a. could, who |
was and what | wanted You may be sure
she was - delighted to see me as I 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
ca-ae in she was shedding few tears Of
homeSIckness herself, and wondering if 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 NV life
than was that night. We two seemed 10
have come to each other at Just the mo-
ment that each was most welcome, and we
found our thoughts 50 alike and our tastes
50 congenial that we sat and talked a full
hour before my hungry stomach even had
a chance 10 assert itself. You may be sure
was well served with good supper, as hot
and steamiug 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 nv friend
bad decided to let the sweeping go until
the morning, because | must start early.
the old father, bluff, taciturn man, came
in and Joined the conversation with US,
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 a cockade as A
badge-one of red, the other of white BY
having both of these sorts of cockades in
our pockets and dexterously pulling ont
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
young woman to whom had become much
attached in single evening to accompany
me rs far as her Old home in Cuba, and
promised her father to take good care of
her Somewhat to the establishment of us
ar thtt OF Che young woman not tie least,
she took the notion of begging her father
to let her accept my offer, and he finally
consented.
We were just in the nick of time at
Buenos Ayrcs to head off the runaway
ship. The captain had taken out his pa
pers already when we arrived. and was
planning to sail the next morning. But
he and all his mates Were quietly arrested
while still on shore and rnysalf took cnrn
mand of the vessel, shipped a new crew
and with my newly discovered treasure
from the heart of the desert, sailed for the
West Indies where ! spent happy month
at the young lady home in Cuba
1T Is needless to say that she became
Mrs. Farlow, and you are quite well
enough acquainted with her to excuse me
from expatiating further upon her beauty
and other attractive qualities A. :.
Cody in Boston Transcript.