Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1896-08-18

digging So wo sat there, VIC three, and
talked Of the doings in tho outer world IN
quito tho same strain as we should hayo
talked in London. Ny host in his boots
and work suit, and my quccnly hostess, in
her calico gown, might have been seated
in lordly mansion.
After a time bell rang. "The dressing
bell,'' said Mrs. Austin. "We dine at half
after 6, and it is now O'Clock"
retired to dress, a simple operation,
which consisted Of running my fingers
through my hair and relying my necktie.
However, devoted MS much time as pos
sible to this, and together with sitting ON
the potato box and meditating succeeded
ia consuming go minutes before | returned
to the drawing room. Mrs Austin was
already there, looking even sweeter and
more girlish in an ancient but fresh white'
muslin and white ribbons. Mr.. Austin
joined us at the end Of five minutes, fully
attired in evening clothes, with spray of
mignonette in his buttonhole.
A great, gruff fellow in dirty apron
announced dinner in the surliest Of tones.
l saw Mrs. Austin vince, and a frown
passed across her husbands brow.
"Brant," he said, II regret to say that you
will have to eat at the same table as the
ranch hands do. We tried, long ago, to have
separate dining room, but it made too
much i'll feeling among the men,"
That was the one apology he made dur
ing my stay. We sat at an oilcloth COW
cred board ON long wooden benches, Mrs.
Austin at tho head, her husband on her
left and on her right, as l had offered
her my arm in entering the dining room.
Our dinner was of the poorest, both as to
food and cooking, and there was no pro-
fusion. l realized now tho full poverty OF
my entertainers and remembered having
heard that tho price of horses was steadily
decreasing. fancicd, too. that Mrs Aus
tin did not dare to have dainties for her
self and her husband while the democratic
American citiZons at her board Jared on
plain things. There was an unpleasant
constraint about the meal. l could SEQ
| that there was no love wasted on tho mas
| ter and that his dress suit and aristocratio
bearing were source of annoyance to his
| frceborn employees. They wero sullcn
and gruff, as was the man dignifled by tho
namo of cook. On the whole, 1 was glad
to leave tho table and get back to tho
drawing room.
"Wo breakfast at half after 6, Mr..
Brant,' my hostess informed mo gracious
ly, holding out her hand to say good
night. 1t was rather large hand and
| work hardened, but firm and beautifully
shaped.
have said that every sound in tho house
could be heard because Of tho manta parti-
lions. l had just lain down on my cot
when I caught tho voice of Austin.
Greatly, Alexandria, the men are getting
almost unmanageablo. They border on
mutiny."
~ know it, Everctte. Itmakes mo very
nervous too. I'm so afraid they will do
you some HARM
ooh, fancy not"
"Everette!"
"Wolf"
"Supposo you stop wearing your evening
suit and that we give up our tea in the
afternoon. They think we arc putting or
airs, as they call it,"
"No; 1 will not. 1 am not going to
change the habits of 80 years and throw
over all memories Of home"
"You are only one to twenty, dear. II
might be wiser"
But the woman's counsel went unheod.
ed.
There were boutonnieres at our places
at breakfast, and Austin, fresh from Lis
tub, in an old but natty corduroy suit,
tried, with much cheerful loud talking, tc
cover the evident sullenness Of his
"hands." After breakfast he donned his
working clothes and went back to the
digging of bitches.
My horse was better, SO left at II
o'clock, with considerable reluctance
Mrs. Austin was SO charming. No won
der Austin was desperately in love with her
sent Mrs. Austin box of new books
and some small trinkets, such as a mar
believes that a woman likes, when
reached town., Two days after they hat
gone met friend who had como to tho
city that morning.
"By tho bye, Brant, wasn't that a CHASTITY
| thing about those Britishers at the Circle
A ranch?"
"Who the Austins?" I cried, turning
cold with foroboding.
Eyes; you've heard about it, then?"
"No; for heavens sake, what is itf'
I "Well the way I heard it was this
Thoir men ON the ranch didn't like them
accused them of being bloody aristocrats,
I believe, and they set fire to tho gras
near the stables two or three nights ago
| You know it's been a dry year and thu
grass burned WE'LL Austin and his wifi
tried to fight the flames and keep then
from the stables all alone; no mon to b.
found until it was quite over. They keep
the barns safe all right, but Mrs. Austin
pretty woman, they say-was so burnet
that she died in perfect agony at tho ont
of an hour The men had turned up b.
that time; been down at Central City a
dance, they said. Austin nearly wen
crazy while his wife was suffering, bu
after she died he went outside, drew hi
gun and shot the foreman and another O
tho Did rascals.'
"Thank heavenW
4 "Wait; that's not all. The ones h
didn't kill, it seems, said it was cole
blooded murder believe they were al
half drunk. Anyway they held him ant
dressed him up in his evening suit-thc,
had a special grudge against it--and thel
they took him out and strung him up t.
the rafters of the barn. 1t is supposed
that there were about Is men, but o
course they can't be found you know hoy
it is. Did you say you knew these Aus
4 tinsS"
eyes. I knew them,' I answered. =
Gwendolen Overton in San Francisco Ar
gonaut.
|