The Princeton union., 1895-07-18

SeSSeQ perfect grace, ana as Sne came
forward RalWston started as lie gaz-
cd on her Latin-Indian beauty.
My daugter, Chonita, senor," said
Juan. The girl raised her dark eyes
to meet his, and her clear, olive-hrow
skin became suddenly tinged with her
southern blood. "She can shoot" con-
tinued Juan, as he handed her the rifle;
ISL senior, even better !"
I A flock of chattering parrots passing
overhead caught his eve. Glancing at
ihein, then at Rawlston, he cried:
Zone shot, senor, permit her|
Rawlston nodded; then watched the
girl as she raised the gun, saying:
"See!-the one in the lead"--a report,
and the bird fell, a mangled mass Of
flesh and feathers.
She handed the rifle to Rawlston,
her lips parted, and her bosom slight
ly ,heaving with the momentary eX-
citement. Again their eyes met; then
she turned and hurried back to the
jacal
His gaze followed her. and half un-
consciously he was dreamily compar-
ing her with another, a blue-eyed,
fair-haired woman of the north, who
suddenly he noticed that she was bare
footed. IS
He seated himself on. a bench near
the doorway, vaguely watching his
men as they unpacked and removed
the saddles from the steaming mules,
and gazing even beyond, out over the
mountains to where rested dense
bank of clouds, from which darted
occasional flashes of lightning follow
ed by low believing peals Of thunder
that rolled with great hollow echoes
across the heavens. The rain fell on
the thatched roof above him with a
mutfled pattering sound, and he rested
there. lost in reverie, dreaming of her
who awaited him in distant city, bis
promised wife. - &.
After a while fChonita came to the
door and told him that his supper was
ready. Dreamily he heard her voice
and raised his head. She stood with
her dark hair falling in a disordered
mass over her shoulders, one bare
arm half raised and resting on the
doorsill her body partly turned, show
ing the beautiful lines Of her figure as
she hesitated, as though fascinated by
his look, and gazed into his eyes as 4
little child might, and yet not, for
there was to her strange attraction
about this Americana, this man Of the
Saxon race who was so unlike the
men Of her own, that caused her heart
to flutter wildly. He looked at her for
a long while, and then arose. She
drew aside to allow him to pass into
the house, and, as he did so, a gust Of
wind blew her hair across his face.
During the. months that followed,
7. RaWlston4 became a frequent visitor
at the little rancho, stopping over
night while travelling between the
mines and Guadlupe Y Calvo. He was
always. sure Of a welcome, for he had
won the lasting friendship Of Juan by
loaning him his rifle and allowing him
all the cartridges he could shoot away,
and that of the sonora, Juan's wife,
by presenting to her at the very first
the most gaudy dress-pattern, that he
could find in all Guadalupe. The girls.
Chonita's sisters, locked forward anX-
iously to the days of his arrival. for
he never forgot to bring them lulces.
But with Chonita it was different; for
while she longed for his coming; it
was not for what he might bring her,
but for him alone; for at last, and
for the first time in her life, love had
come to her. ..
One afternoon, as the glory of the
sunset spread slowly across the valley,
Rawlston rode up to the rancho, where
finding no one at home, he left his
mule and climbed the trail that led to
a little spring in gulch back of the
| house. Chonita was there filling an
ola, but she did not hear him as he
approached, not until he stood at her
| 20 Of oh
arose, she slipped on the wet clay,
and would have fallen had he not
caught her in his arms
He felt her tremble as he held her,
and drew her closer to him, asking:
care you hurt. ChonitaY'
mo, senor," she replied. @-
He saw her lips culver, and, as she
raised her face to his, he read from
the depths Of her eyes her secret, and
he bent and kissed her, murmuring
''Sweetheart!' Then he released her
and stood leaning against a tree,
watching her as she descended the
trail. .-.....-. 49,.
He had not been totally unconscious
of her love, though at first it seemed
to him but the admiration Of a mere
child; but now he understood, and it
wrought stra ge influence over him
He knew that his love was strong and
true for the woman who alone bound
him to the life he had left behind, yet
he felt how easy it would be, We're
it not for her, to drift into the Gus
toms and modes and morals Of the
people Of that fair Mexican land, fn:
there was a certain charm in theii
easy-going languorous life, with its
beauty and it's restfulness, that haC
appealed to him from the very first
In some strange way that he could
not understand and yet which seemed
perfectly natural to him. he longed Il
remain there, away from the world
as it were until the end; and he pic
tured her, his aftianced wife, ther,
with him, and-he laughed. His re
verie was not broken; the womal
alone changed, and he wondered wha
: life would be with Chonita-just TO
time
and Chonita!-sh reached the hous
!, and hurried to her room, where sh
dropped before little shrine "Of
= Dios" she said, II am so glad! Wha
have done that I should be so haI