The Portland daily press., 1894-05-01
THE HEART OF A MAID.

black vapOr in the air, like visible breathS
of the painting engine. In the lighted Pull
man could be seen, as in mist, the soft,
delicate faces of two young women, such
young women as come out from the towns
of New England to the pueblo to teach the
little brown wards of a paternal govern
ment.
The sgang"-the vaqueros on their way
to the ground up beyond San Rafael
stared at them, as men do at women in a
comparatively womanless country, with a
kind of open, innocent, decent yearning
that is half pathetic, half absurd.
Then they went back to 1.-The store'' and
strung themselves along the porch on the
piles of sheep polts, smoking and swearing
amiably and watching the day die against
the white cliffs of Ell Gallo. And then they
missed Longley-"Appolyer," as they
called him in tender scorn of his young
beauty.
ssWherc's the cuss?" asked Dick Hart.
''Hoofed it down the track after them
gurls,'' suggested Hank ironically.
Then Roberts, who had seen white
times" sent out a yell that cut the crisp
air like an arrow.
''Appolyer, approach!'
He was answered by grunt, and Long
ley's legs appeared, leaping up the steps OF
the portal, and followed as usual by a dog
or two, previously kicked out of the way
by somebody, but now showing a sneaking
security under Longley's lee. Appolyer
spread himself down the steps, his blond,
sunburned head making pale shadow
against the adobe wall. For awhile there
was simply silence and acrid smoke. Then
Longley, whose boyish thinkings were
aptest to lead to speech, said:
''Say, them wuz nice gurls, end they hev
sand too These here Spanish gurls amt
got none They're all fired cute end just
as soft end gentle as doe, but don't be-
lieve they've got any grit in em, 'thout
it's bout some fellar they get gone on.
reckon they'd fight then, cause bout that,
wimin folks are purt' nigh alike every
whar."
Longley, who had been filling his pipe
as he spoke, began to pull steadily, fixing
his whole mind on complex series of rings
that curled and writhed and wavered off
into the pure darkness of the New Mexican
night.
Beyond the duty of adding an original
oath to the classic store 1.-THE gang" rather
eschewed conversation, but Longley had
been in camp only about six weeks and
was still in that platitudinizing stage that
precedes actual knowledge. 1.-The gang"
put up with it because they liked him, and
because, as Hank said:
EFF he is calf, he amt no maverick.
He's got our brand. "
1t was the blacklist kind of night at
San Miguel, but so clear that the stars
cIo >iy,tc Of oo1d fro too far
for light. The cluster of adobes that,
grouped around central larger one, made
the ranch of San Miguel were mere brown
blots. Here and there duly lighted Win
dow showed where some belated task was
being finished or some young mother
watched her first born's unknowing slum-
Der. But the family, from Don Vicente OF
heroic history to the lowest of the fond and
faithful house servants, were gathered in
the large house, OVERLOOKING the hall and
kitchen and stamping and laughing in the
long portal barred by lines OF light from
window and open doors.
1.-THE gang just finishing the fall driv-
ing at old man Baca's, were there, too,
the shiest and most exuberant of the party.
So pervaded was the little placita with
their long legs, tapping sombreros, SHOW
ing shoulders and shrill voices that the
clatter reached the ears of old Wodan deaf
to ali but Don Vicente's voice these many
years. At least the mastiff growled and
moved from his warm corner, showing
great toothjess grin of discomfort. The
tough old hens, perched along the warm
wall of the kitchen, clucked protestingly,
and litter CT very misguided kittens for
sock the safe shelter of the round oven and
scuttled off crafty. One having mistak-
en- Longley's leg for a better shelter, it
was he who was allowed to help Miss Gle
ofas gather them up again. He encom-
passed the entire family in one fist, tender
ly enough, and restored them to an indif-
ferent mother under the soft, directing
gaze of this the youngest daughter of the
prolific house of Ortiz.
A slender little thing she was, too, with
great black eyes shining under demure
forehead; the creamy amber of her skin
overcoming the pellor of childhood; the
thin cheek just rounding into perfect
oval. But the soul of her soldier father
was alive in her, and many complex prob
lens of the busy life of the tiny town were
settled according to her wish and will
softly and all sweetly, too, for Cleofas was
warm hearted as well as quick witted. And
SO it happened that when the best of every
thing had been given up to the guests, and
there was still more room needed, 1t was
Cleofas who decided to make her simple
and brief bed in a large deserted room some
few yards away in the open.
1t is 1, certainly, that will go, and Ro-
sta shall care for the madre. Juan shall
build me little fire Of 10 sticks, and be-
fore it is out-pouf, there is the sun COM
ing in!"
Brushing the withered cheek of the
madre with her soft lips, the girl ran out
into the starlit autumn darkness, her
cousin Juan following with skins and
blankets for the bed, which was stretched
in a corner behind the triangular fireplace.
High up in the thick adobe wall small
square hole admitted the air, and the heavy
door swung on grating hinges Juan,
whose jealous eyes had followed every
glance and motion Of ''Senor Longley"
since his arrival knelt on the floor adjust
ing the sticks of wood as the exigencies of
the raised fireplace and the customs of the
country demanded-on one end.
He did NOT speak, and Cleofas watched
him as silently a sparkle of coquetry in
her eyes, already heavy with sleep
Good night, COUSIN" said Juan in the
careful English he affected since coming