Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1895-08-01


that rolled with great hollow echoes
across the heavens. The rain fell on
the matched roof above him with a
mufied, pattering sound, and he rested
there lost in reverie, dreaming OF her
who awaited him in distant city-his
promised wife.
After awhile Chonita 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 disordered
mass over her shoulders, one bare arm
half raised and resting on the door
sin, her body partly turned, showing
the beautiful lines of her figure as she
hesitated, as though fascinated by his
look, and gazed into his eyes as a little
child might, and yet not, for there was
to her a 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 futter wildly.
He looked at her for long while, and
then arose. She drew aside to allow
him to pass into the house, and, as he did
so, gust of wind blew her hair across
his face. ~
During the months that followed
Rawlston became frequent visitor at
the little rancho, stopping over night
while travelling between the mines and
Guadalupe y Calvo.
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 elm bed the trail that led to
little spring in a gulch back of the
house. Chonita was there filing an
ola, but she did not hear him as he
approached, not until he stood at her
side. Then she started, and as she
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:
Are you hurt, Chonita?'
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
"Sweetheartw Then he released her
huu otOOl iCdhlhS uB aihSO oAOOt
watching her as she descended the
trail. .......
He had not been totally unconscious
of her love, though at first it seemed
to him but the admiration of n mere
child; but now he understood, and 1t
wrought strange 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, were it
not for her, to drift into the customs
and adopt the modes and morals of the
| people of that fair Mexican land, for
! there was a certain charm in their
easy-going, languorous life, with its
beauty and its restfulness, that had APP
pealed to him from the very first. In
some strange way that he could no,
understand, and yet which seemed per.
| fectly natural to him, he longed to re-
main there, away from the world, as II
were, until the end; and he pictured
her, his affianced wife, there with him
and-he laughed. His reverie was not
broken; the woman alone changed
and he wondered how life would b.
with Chonita-just for time.
And Chonitai-she reached the hous,
and hurried to her room, where she
dropped on her knees before a little
shrine. ooh, dos" she said, 81 am 81
glad! What have done that I shoulC
be so happy! Thank you, God"
Slowly night came on. Supper wa
over, and the room was but diml.
lighted by suffering tallow dip ant
the family Pickering blaze of the opel
fire in the jacal adjoining. Rawlstol
leaned back in his chair, slowly smok
ing and watching Chonita as sh
moved about putting away the suppe
things, and he became DULY consciou
of q desire to take her in his arm
again, to hold her and to feel he
/ tremble.
After awhile she brought him GU
; of coffee and took from his'saddlebag
, flask of cognac that he always carrie
! there, and placed il on the table at hi
side. He touched her hand, and int
/, her eyes came look of longing almos
l passionate, and her lips parted a
' though to speak, but her father entel
ing the room she turned away an
s sank in huddled heap on the floor &
. the kitchen door.
y Juan had been cleaning the riff
l. which Rawlston had allowed him
s use for week past, and seating hin
l. self at the table, giving the gun a te
It finishing touches with q greasy rag, /
s. exclaimed: "Ah, senior, it is a gran
1t gun. Madre de Dios, but the shots
e made! would give my soul for such
|: onew s. ..
mot being the devil, Juan, cann
,f take your soul, but what else will "
/, give?" said Rawlston.
s. "Senor, have nothing but my tv
le burros and a cow-I might spare l
ID tie maze and frijoles, too, perhaps"
Rawlston laughed, then poured sor
Id cognac into the coffee, drank it, an
es leaning back against the wall, sal
IN Juan, I'll give you the rifle if you W
err give me-"
n "What?" cried Juan.
ne ''Chonita."
Juan sprang to his feet Rawlst
,g reached for his revolver, but he had
at need. The father turned to the G
It, and led her to Rawlston, placing
g. = ;s