Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1895-07-26

tious task of cleansing them, under Lucia
Eulalia's approving smiles, all nature
seemed to smile. The sun shone warm and
warmer, the river ran blue and bluer, for
Lucia had "blued'' it, She had also ''al-
loved the root Of whole soap tree to
Antonio's garments. She was right in do
ing this, but somehow In my struggle
with the sheep herding stains of six months
had distributed a good deal of lather
over my person. When this unaocustomed
fatigue began to show on me, Lucia Eu-
lalia asked softly If chad tire"
"Oh, no" was declaring, II have no
tire" when some approaching American
voices were heard. Lucia clapped her
hands tragically, and running to the chap
arral began hastily to gather the linen
therefrom. I caught from her manner
that the owner of the shirts had tired Of
waiting and was coming for them. had
OWNED Alright, but had not OWNED far
enough. AS they emerged from the ala
media to the west of the river I could see
they were a lady and gentleman. l had
almost managed look of industry and in
nocence as they approached us and raised
my eyes to impress them with 1t, when
gracious saints Guadalupe and great
Jehosaphat! Was that Maxwell, the man
had robbed of the valedictory in 1887 at
Ann Arborp True, had no grudge
against him on that account, but my
dream of meeting him again and making
it right" had not been like this! Maxwell
it was, with his stylish bride. He threw
me careless glance at first, then began
to dawn on him, slowly but surely. He
quizzed Lucia in miserable Spanish, In q
cowardly way, thought.
"Quien esq" he said, indicating me.
Smilingly, as if pleased so to honor me,
Lucia presented me to Maxwell and his
wife as "Mi amigo, Senior Beegs" Ioould
feel that the bluing and the soap root
and the river water were all mingling In
one grand river Of perspiration toward the
collar Of my negligee shirt. I could feel
that all the consultations in the heavens
and all the mundane landscape around me
were waltzing giddily together. An In
tense longing for homo and mother came
over mo that mere words cannot depict.
For one wild moment l thought would
rush into my old chum's arms and tell
him call" like the wronged hero in the
last act. would say vehemently: "This
Is not me regular business. I'm civil en-
gineer at two fifty a month. I'm only do
ing this for fun," etc.
But while I was thinking this-how Of
ten are our best intentions thwarted thus
Maxwell coughed. 1t was not a con-
sumptive cough. 1t was just little graf
ing sound that contained more painful
surprise and pity and regret than volume
of Browning could. That froze me as
stood-or sat. Fixedly gazed at the
Sierra Madres over his head, as If trying to
fathom the "lost" mines hidden there.
Maxwell's watch licked in the painful
silence.
"Alice," he said sternly, "we must not
miss that train"
Out of my life they went, with the
clothes had washed for them, as sudden
ly as they came in. strained my ears to
hear him say "Poor fellow To come to
that-rather bright at college, but this
country seems to rob fellow of ambi-
tom Maxwell, knew, was never So
cretive man; they were going east, and,
we'll
Lucia Eulalia gathered up the extra coins
he had thrown her for ME, and said softly,
Have you sad, senor?"
EYES," I said, II have sadness, also
sickness would go back to camp at
once.'
AS drew on my spattered coat and vest
over tired arms, said, most earnestly,
"Lucia Eulalia Garcia Valdez, shall
never forget this day Of 10 fiesta of San
Guadalupe"
Nor have Is. B. Metcalfe in Argo.
naIIf