Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1894-08-22

Ills hair, ordinarily left to draggle in
! gray wisps over his shoulders, was
drawn up and spread painstakingly
thin to conceal an extensive badness.
| strong musty odOr exaled from a
about his throat.
| Chepa, on tiptoe with exultation,
announced to him constantly how
many more teams and horses were
aitching in the Racita.
! He remarked with an air of pride:
They've heered of this big buy
all over the country"
| The Senor Porflrio, who had takeL
the Captains side against Luise Por-
flrio and other mossback opponents Of
the sale, dawdled uneasily back and
forth between his open door and the
Captains.
''You might spring an advance Of
i've thousand on them," he advised al
the last minute. "Thev would not
let their scheme fall through for five
thousand"
''Think We? Think ye?' demanded
the Captain, grouping and regroup-
ing his wrinkles TO the expression of
7arying shades Of cupidity.
With the suddenness that surprises
us in things long waited for, the great
interview was actually taking place.
Chepa had fed to an adjoining
room to listen. Her head and heart
/ thrObbed together with joy-then
terror.
Was that her grandfather's voic.
breaking out furiously?
"Who's made We better offer'
i Porflriop He hasn't an acre in his
] ,wn right. Forty dollars an acre?
Take him up. then, and when your
Improvements are in see If there amt
! right o. dover or trust deed, some
! d-n Mexican trickery, trumped up
to drag ye into litigation?"
If Senor Porf1rio had spoiled Cap
Jain Matthews sale the Captain
looked to prompt return of the at
tention.
Those eminent specialists went else.
where, leaving Pueblo Niejo to its old
ways.
After such a terrible disappoint
ment Chepa found the deadly monot-
| ony Of things indoors unendurable.
"a SoitCh pNiNi ." III SiiNieo
bounded by glass bottle startled so
stupidity at nothing. The round
wooden clock on a bare wooden shelf
was perpetually rolling over on its
head and ticking placidly upside
down. When Chepa was half mad
with drawing threads from endless
strips Of perfilada, her aunt's favorite
species of Spanish lace, she ran des-
! perately to her grandfather.
! She found him talking aloud t.
himself as he stopped over pepper
vine.
She laid her cheek, pale with
/ thoughts, upon the arm he needed to
have free.
What's the matter ofye anyhow
She had startled him when he was
deeply pre-occupied.
"Let 60, there? Eth, eh?"
Chepa had said something in a low
tone which he could not hear.
He Jerked his face up at her ana
| instantly, in the intensity of a peev
ish inquiry, drew his toothless lips
apart.
What has an old man of so to dc
| with storms of feeling?
In the Captains agitation he pulled
, off green pepper and stood up fum-
bling at 1T and blinking his weak old
eyes at Chepa.
whats on ye, Chepa?"
She tried to speak, but could only
draw her breath hard.
The Captains discomfort pushed.
him to seek relief in a general accusa-
tion.
"Weemen are arays hankerin fer
somethin'"
"Grandfather," said Chepa with {.
deep, still gaze upon him, and child
ish quiver Of her lip, "could not girl
like me be religious, nun? Is it
not good, no?"
How had the Captains life pre-.
pared him to answer such query?
"WhO's been a-talkin' to ye?"
"Nobody-sure, no. l think of it
myself"
"I've got along all my life-and l
amt goln' to begin givin' in to such
notions. You're your grandmother
| all over"
With the green pepper still in his
nand he had disemboweled 1t and ate
the carcass with furious churning of
the jaws. His eyes were redder than
, usual from the burning.
'But when she got one O. her spells
o hankerin' on jest upped and off
fer weeks huntin'. When 1 got
back she was pertty generally ready
70 take things as they come"
"4randfather," said Chepa, looking
at him as never before. with eyes that
summoned him before the Judgment
bar Of soul, Il have often thonoh'
to myself would ask you, Is that
story true that 1 hear? Was my
grandmother an Indian?"
Her lip quivered, not childishly
low, as she waited.
"1s 1t true, grandfather"
He answered sharply, "You're
iOol." and turned his back on her.
AS Chepa was going vaguely out Of
she garden she saw Pablo Mcnamara
whirling away from the town in 4
jannty dog-cart.
Dead grasses flickercd ghost-like in
! the placita. The sunshine absorbed
there by dark walls lay dimly as IL an
eclipse.
At curbless we'll, covered by a lid
let into the street like trap-door, 4
superannuated horse was waiting for
some one to give him a drink. He
blew his nostrils at Chepa and paved
at the wooden lid.
She drew water and gave him to
! drink.
The chapel door was standing open
dpon the eternal shadow of its in
terror. A priest praying alone before
the altar did not look up while Chepa
stood about.
Behind the chapel those bells
seemed to be forever waiting for youth
| fo hn dead and horne tn its burial