The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1896-06-18
THE HEART. OF a MAID

The long overland train for the West
had pulled out Of Grants and was snort
ing up the grade leaving behind round
masses Of black vaDor in the air. like
visible breaths of the painting engine.
In the lighted Pullman could be seen,
as in a mist, the soft delicate faces of
two young women-such young women
as came out from the towns Of New
England to the pueblo to teach the lit
tie brown wards Of paternal govern
ment. -t" -& r. 81
The 'sgang''-the vaqueros on their
way to the roundup beyond the San
Rafael-stared. at them as men do at
women in comparatively womanless
country, with kind of open, innocent,
decent yearning that is pathetic,
haf-absurd.
Then they went back to the "store"
and strung themselves along the porch
on the piles of sheep-pelts, smoking and
swearing amiably, and watching the
day die against the white cliffs of Ell
Gallo. And then they missed Longley.
'Appolyer," as the called him in tender
scorn Of his young beauty.
l.
'Hoofed it down the track efter them
gurls," suggested Hank, ironically.
Then Roberts, who had seen white
times" sent out a yell that cut the crisp
air like an arrow.
"Appolyer, approach!'
He was answered by a grunt, and
Longley's legs appeared, leaping up the
steps Of the portal, and followed as
usual by a dog or two, previously
kicked out Of the way by somebody,
but now showing a sneal1ing security
under Longley's lee. Appolyer spread
himself down on the steps, his blonde,
Sun-burned head making pale shadow
against the adobe wall. For a while
there was simple silence and acrid
smoke. Then Longley, whose boyish
thinkings were aptest to lead to speech,
said contemplatively:
Say, them WIZ nice gllrls-end they
hev sand, too. These here Spanish gurls
amt got none. They're alfred cute
md just as soft end gentle as a doe
but don't believe they've got any grit
in 'em, 'thout it's bout some fellar they
get gone on. I reckon they'd fight then,
'cause bout that, womin folks are purt'
nigh alike everywhar."
Longley, who had been filling his pipe
as he spoke, began to pull steadily, fix
ing his whole mind on a complex series
Of rings that curled, and writhed, and
wavered off into the pure darkness of
the New Mexican night.
Beyond the duty of adding an original
oath to the classic store, "the gang"
rather eschewed conversation; but
Longley had only been in camp about
six weeks, and was still in that plati-
tudinizing stage that precedes actual
knowledge. 'The gang put up with it
because they liked him, and because, as
Hank said:
EFF he is a calf, he amt no maverick
He's got our brand"
Appolyer himself said later: EFF a
mans got sense he gets to holdin' onto
hisself, cause eff he stays fool he hez
to leave the country"
And as Longley lounged there, out
lined now by the blurred light Of the
dingy lamp just lighted in the store,
big and bovine, blue Of eye and yellow
of hair, he looked no fool but what he
shortly became, COMPILER of Hearts
and of Cattle.
All the gang envied him, affection
ately or sourly as their luck ran, even
to Dick Hart, who had rich relatives
and a knowledge of grammar
But the gods who have jurisdiction
even in New Mexico-had we'll
barbed arrow pointed Appolyer's way,
and away over at San Miguel were pre-.
pairing a little experience for him,
which, like all such things properly
~digested, led to the curtailment of opin-
ion and amplifcation of vision.
II y II
It was the blacklist kind of a night
lat San Miguel, but so clear that the
stars shone like tiny points of cold fire,
too far for light. The cluster of adobes
that, grouped around central larger
one, made the ranch Of San Miguel,
" ere mere brown blots. Here and
there duly lighted window showed
where some belated task was being
finished or some young mother watched
her first-bOrn's unknowing slumber.
But the family, from Don Vicente of
heroic history to the lowest of the
gathered in the large house, overlooking
the hall and kitchen and stamping and
laughing in the long portal. barred
by lines Of light from window and
open doors.
"The gang" just Flushing the fall
driving at old man Baca's, were there,
too, the shyest and most exuberant of
the party. So pervaded was the little
placita with their long legs, Tapping
sombreros, showing shoulders, and shrill
voices, that the clatter reached the ears
of old Wodan, deaf to all but Don
Vicente's voice these many years. At
least, the mastiff growled and moved
from his warm corner, showing a great
toothless grin of discomfort. The tough
old hens, perched along the warm wall
Of the kitchen, clucked protestingly,
and litter of very misguided kittens
forsook the safe shelter of the round
oven and scuttled off crafty. One
having mistaken Longley's leg for a
better shelter it was he who was al
lowed to help Miss Cleofas gather them
up again.. He encompassed the entire
family in one fist, tenderly enough
and restored them to an Indifferent
mother under the soft, directing gaze
of this, the youngest daughter of the
prolific house of Ortiz.
A slender little thing she was, too
with great black eyes shining under
demure forehead; the creamy amber
Of her skin overcoming the pal!or OF
childhood; the thin cheek just round
ing into a perfect oval. But the SOU