Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1897-12-15

AStteh w ilttlyt thlp' 1htih VI tidV'
she had exclaimed the day she had told
him that her going was certain.
Slowly the days were passing for Pedro.
But how fast they went for Margherita
Marghcrita was light hearted but Pedro s
heart was aching There was gossip aAoat,
and Margherita was the one whose name
gossip whispered.
No good will come Of it, said busy
gossip, mo good will come of it. 1t
means no good when girl meets q man
to take walks only after the sun is down
and he one who is fine gentleman. Mar
gherita should know better. And then
she goes no more to confession. Poor Pc
dro! If he knew"
And Pedro did know, though he said
over and over to himself that they were
busybodies who said that Margherita was
seen walking along in the moonlight with
a handsome stranger.
1t was one moonlit evening that Pedro
just strolling by the great house to maybe
catch a glimpse of Margherita as she
would chance to fit by the window, saw
two figures going along secluded path Of
the wide lawn. One was Marghcrita' S,
the other that of man tall and young
Pedros heart grew sick. But he had just
come up to see Margherita pass window
He would not do SO mean q thing as spy
He knew that Margherita had always
loved him, He could trust Margherita
She was so good and honest. But it was
Margherita walking there.
One day there came a letter. 1t was
yrI,ittan n flnlinatn put a nd hopn a o-t
Marghcrita S father walked across the now
almost bare gardens to where Pedro lived
He put the letter in Pedro hand and sait
not a word as he turned away.
1t was from Margherita's mistress, say
ing Margherita had left her before the
steamship sailed from New York, leaving
a note behind, telling that she would b,
happier where she was going and Begging
that no one look for her; that she woult
be safe. but please send word to the
folks at home" Margherita had asked
"that will not be back for long time. ,
There was check Enclosed for Mar
gherita's last wages, which she had no
asked or waited for
How the winter came and wore ava,
and spring once more, with it's warm sun
shine, coaxed the seed in the garden to sent
up fresh green shoots Pedro could neve
remember. But all the warm season hat
been good; that was certain, for the last o
the debt was paid
Next summer there would be stall il
the market for Pedro to tend and maj
to look after the gardens and the wagon
If Margherita had only waited llttl
longer! But 1t was winter now and Ions
time until the stall in the market wouli
need attention, and there was plenty o
time to think in the long evenings of Mar
gherita, from whom no news had come.
sit will never come, Pedro said to him
self, but he cheered the old father with tn,
assurance that Margherita was goot
girl and that in time she would sent
them some word; that she would never d.
but what was right, never fear.
Springtime again and letter for Pedro
The postman who rode out that way OF
horseback brought it just as it was TIM
to light the lamp and put more wood OF
the fire to get supper. The postman wa
late in his rounds that day, the roads wer,
so muddy The letter should have beef
there hours ago but for that
Pedro almost snatched the letter from
the man. Why did he stand there ant
talk? Didn't he know that maybe it wa
a message he had been waiting through
long, weary months for and now delayed
it?
1t was just q scrap of writing 1t onl,
said, PEDRO, come" and gave an address
The roads were muddy, and it was lon.
way to the station. But what of that
There was good horse in the stable, an,
if one Travelled fast the train that left il
an hour could be caught, and by midnigh
Pedro would be beside Margherita.
1t was just midnight when quiet facet
little sister met him at the hospital door
Pedro looked at her intently The goot
woman, so used to reading anxious looks
said gently, "She still lives
Then it was as he bad feared Mayb,
Margherita would die. All Pedro's i'm
petuous haste left him, and he followed
the little sister softly and on tiptoe, a.
though he were going where there was
sleeping child
On little iron bed in the tiny, spot
less room, with another sister bending
over her, lay the girl, pale and thin. Hel
dark hair was cut close and chung in littl'
rings above her forehead
eyes, you may speak to her. 1t can de
no harm. She may not know you now, ;
the sister whispered
The strong figure of the man bent ovel
the little cot, and Margherita" was all h,
said. The girl opened her eyes.
Pedro she answered eyes, it i,
Pedro We were married, Pedro. YOU
did not think we were not, did you? an
sorry, Pedro; SO sorry. Poor Pedrop'
The sisters drew him away There was
sigh, a little flutter of the slender hands
on tho white coverlet, and the sister al
the foot of the bed made the sign of the
cross and said. 1T is all over" But Pc
dro, bending down, saw that faint breaths
stirred the rutles of her nightgown, ant
all that night he sat by her bed The sis
tors came and went, and in the morning
the doctor came and said that Margherits
was better; that she had slept.
Then Pedro went away Margherits
woke up and told the sisters the dream she
had had. Some weeks after that she TOLD
it to Pedro, and he said she had moi
dreamed.
Then Margherita told the story of the
years that had not for either of them
known happiness, of how she was tired OF
as a toy, Of unkind treatment, of desertion
and the coming of kind death to set hel
free-free to go back to Pedro's love and
ask his forgiveness.
The lettuce and onions were sprouting
high up abo the ground and there were
wide stretches of green on every side when
Margherita came back homo, She had
not forgotten how to bunch lettuce or eel
cry either, and as she worked the old color
and life came back into her face The
stranger who might have CHANGED to pass
that day when she stood 9t the gate long
ago and told Pedro that she was going up
to the great house on the other side of the
hill would have noticed little change in
her. The blue calico dress and gay hand
kerchief looked just as bright as ever, and
Pedro thought there was no change in the
girlish face except it might be trifle less
Of laughter in the eyes. In time the
So - u - 4.