The Canton times. (Canton, Miss.) 1893-1906, 1895-08-02

s.Mv daughter. Chonita, senor," sale
Juan. The girl raised her dark eye
to meet his, and her clear, olive bro~r
skin became suddenly tinged with hel
southern blood. "Shc can shoot" con
tinued Juan, as he handed her tnt
rifle; Isl, senior, even better
| A flock Of chattering parrots passing
overhead caught his eye. CHANGING al
them. then at Rawlston; "One shot
senior, 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, mangled mass OF
flesh and feathers.
She handed the rifle to Rawlston,
her lips parted, and her bosom slightly
heaying with the momentary excite
nent. Again their eyes met, then she
turned and hurried back to the Jacal.
His gaze followed her, and half I'M
consciously he was dreamingly COM
pairing her with another, blue-eyed,
fair-haired woman of the north, when
suddenly he noticed she was barefooted.
He seated himself on 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 oc-
casional flashes of lightning followed
bv low, believing peals of thunder
that rolled with great hollow echoes
across the heavens. The rain fell on
the matched roof above him with a
muffied, 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. Dreami1y 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
sill, 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 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 tiutter 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, a 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 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 |
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
Sweetheart Then he released her
and stood leaning against tree,
her as she descended the
trail.
He had not been totally unconscious
Of her love, though at first it seemed
20 him but the admiration of a mere
,hild; but now he understood and it
strange influence over him.
He knew that his love was strong and
rue for the woman who alone bound
him to the life he had left behind, yet
lie felt how easy it would be, were it
lot for her, to drift into the customs
ind adopt the modes and morals of the
people of that fair Mexican land, for
here was certain charm in their
languorous life, with it's |
beauty and its restfulness, that had APP
,ealed to him from the very first. In
some strange way that he could not
understand, and yet which seemed per-
ectly natural to him, he longed to re-
main there, away from the world, as it
we're, until the end; and he pictured
Ter, his affianced wife, there with him.
laughed. His reverie was not
broken; the woman alone changed.
Ind he wondered how life would be
With Chonita-just for time.
And Chonita!-she reached the house
ind hurried to her room, where she